RICM
Encyclopedia
The RICM, in French
Régiment d'Infanterie de Chars de Marine (RICM, or Marine Infantry Tank Regiment) is a light cavalry
regiment
of the French Army
belonging to the "Troupes de Marine
". It is part of the 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade
of the French Army
and is currently based in Poitiers
. The Regiment is the most decorated of the French Army. It is equipped with AMX-10RC armoured reconnaissance cars.
The regiment was formerly called the Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco (Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc) which also used the acronym RICM and therefore inherits from the traditions of French colonial infantry. Those who have served in it include Joost van Vollenhoven
(1877–1918), who served as a sergeant and was then promoted to sous-lieutenant at the start of the First World War and captain at its end, later becoming governor of French West Africa
.
in Morocco
was faced with a rebellion in the Rif
and Atlas
regions. The command called to the Colonial Forces
, whose participation had been limited to a few battalions of Senegalese Tirailleurs
, for reinforcements. Marching battalions were created from volunteers of the Colonial Infantry
regiments stationed in France and sent to Morocco. In August 1914 four of those battalions were amalgamated and the 1st Mixed Regiment of colonial Infantry (1er Régiment Mixte d’Infanterie Coloniale) was created with a mix of colonial and Senegalese battalions. On the 1st of December the Senegalese were replaced with colonial battalions and the regiment was renamed 1st Marching Regiment of Colonial Infantry (1er Régiment de Marche d’Infanterie Coloniale).
After suffering heavy losses on the Western Front
, it received reinforcements from other battered Colonial Infantry units. The Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco (Régiment d’Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc) was created on 9 June 1915, and on 1 August it received its Standard from the French President Poincaré
.
and then fought in Belgium and northern France. They received their first army citation for gallant conduct during the battle of Mametz in December 1914. In 1916 the RICM took part in the Battle of Verdun
. On August the 7th it captured the strategic position of Cote 305 and the Village of Fleury
.
In light of its distinguished conduct at Fleury General Mangin
ordered the regiment to retake the Fort of Douaumont
. The 24 October 1916, reinforced with the 43rd Senegalese Tirailleurs
battalion and three companies of Somalis, the RICM retook the fort in less than four hours. It took 5000 prisoners but lost 23 officers and 829 other ranks in the attack. The regiment was awarded the Légion d'honneur
and a third palm to its Croix de guerre for this action.
In April 1917 the RICM was at the Chemin des Dames
. They took the plateau of La Malmaison
and received their fifth army citation. During this action the 1st Battalion fought without officers as they were all made casualties at the beginning of the assault.
On 30 March during the German Spring Offensive
the RICM held and counter-attacked at the village of Plessis-de-Roye
, suffering 160 casaulties but taking 785 prisoners and killing about 400 German soldiers in return. In August 1918 it counterattacked at Parcy-Tigny
where Captain van Vollenhoven
was killed. It stormed the position of Butte du Mesnil in Champagne during the counter-attack at the end of the Second Battle of the Marne
. The regiment was in the Argonne in October where it captured Cote 202 with minimal losses.
The RICM ends the war with ten palms on its Croix de guerre. On December 10, 1918 the President Poincaré
awarded the regiment with the double fourragère
in the colours of the Légion d’honneur and Croix de guerre, making it the most decorated unit of the French Army. During the First World War the RICM lost 15000 men killed or wounded in action, including 257 officers.
by Marshal Lyautey
. It fought in the Rif
until 1926 when Abd el-Krim surrendered. From 1927 to 1932 the regiment was engaged in operations in the south of Morocco. The RICM was awarded the Mérite Militaire Chérifien in this period.
The RICM returned to France and was stationed at Aix-en-provence
from March 1932 to December 1939.
during the Battle of France
, where it lost 600 men killed, wounded or missing. Dissolved after the Armistice
, the regiment was reconstituted at Rabat
in 1940.
In 1943 with the formation of the 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9e DIC) the RICM became its armoured reconnaissance unit. The division took part in the invasion of Elba
17 June 1943 and took part in the island's fighting and conquest. Two months later as part of the French First Army
it landed in southern France
and liberated Toulon
.
Seppois
, the first alsacian village was liberated by the RICM on 19 November. On 13 November 1944 it was the first allied unit to reach the Rhine. The regiment then fought in Mulhouse
and Karlsruhe
and ended the war on the shores of Lake Constance
The RICM lost 54 killed (including 2 officers) and 143 wounded in action (including 6 officers) during the Liberation of France. It received two Army Citations for this campaign, and was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation.
.
.
In 1994, it was engaged in Opération Turquoise
in Rwanda
.
It was stationed at Vannes
from 1963 to 1996 and as of September 2008 is based at Poitiers
.
In 2004, the RICM headed the Groupement Tactique Interarmes N°1 of operation Licorne
on the Ivory Coast. On 6 November 2004, an air attack by Ivory Coast forces on the lycée Descartes at Bouaké
killed nine French soldiers and one American civilian taking refuge in this site occupied by the groupement's Train de Combat N°2. Five infantrymen of the RICM were killed (adjudant-chef Barathieu, adjudant-chef Capdeville, sergent-chef Delon, sergent Derambure, caporal Decuypère) and 30 wounded.
(*) Officer who later became général de corps d'armée
.
(**) Officer who later became général d'armée.
Henri Bentégeat was chef d'état-major des armées from 2002 to 2006.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Régiment d'Infanterie de Chars de Marine (RICM, or Marine Infantry Tank Regiment) is a light cavalry
Light cavalry
Light cavalry refers to lightly armed and lightly armored troops mounted on horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the riders are heavily armored...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
belonging to the "Troupes de Marine
Troupes de marine
The or Infanterie de marine, formerly Troupes coloniales, are an arm of the French Army with a colonial heritage. The Troupes de marine have a dedicated overseas service role. Despite their title they have been a part of the Army since 1958...
". It is part of the 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade
9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade (France)
The 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade is a light armoured, amphibious unit of the Troupes de marine of the French Army.- Composition :*Headquarters Poitiers...
of the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
and is currently based in Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
. The Regiment is the most decorated of the French Army. It is equipped with AMX-10RC armoured reconnaissance cars.
The regiment was formerly called the Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco (Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc) which also used the acronym RICM and therefore inherits from the traditions of French colonial infantry. Those who have served in it include Joost van Vollenhoven
Joost van Vollenhoven
Joost van Vollenhoven was a Dutch-born French soldier and colonial administrator. Van Vollenhoven died in the Second Battle of the Marne.-Early life:...
(1877–1918), who served as a sergeant and was then promoted to sous-lieutenant at the start of the First World War and captain at its end, later becoming governor of French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
.
History
It has fought in several conflicts and theatres, including both world wars, Morocco, Indochina, Algeria, Chad, Libya, Central Africa, Albania, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, the Ivory Coast and the Gulf War.Origins and creation
In 1911 the undermanned expeditionary corpsArmy of Africa (France)
The Army of Africa was an unofficial but commonly used term for those portions of the French Army recruited from or normally stationed in French North Africa from 1830 until the end of the Algerian War in 1962.-Composition:...
in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
was faced with a rebellion in the Rif
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
and Atlas
Saharan Atlas
The Saharan Atlas of Algeria is the eastern portion of the Atlas Mountains. Not as tall as the Grand Atlas of Morocco they are far more imposing than the Tell Atlas range that runs closer to the coast. The tallest peak in the range is the high Djebel Aissa....
regions. The command called to the Colonial Forces
French Colonial Forces
The French Colonial Forces , commonly called La Coloniale, was a general designation for the military forces that garrisoned in the French colonial empire from the late 17th century until 1960. They were recruited from mainland France or from the French settler and indigenous populations of the...
, whose participation had been limited to a few battalions of Senegalese Tirailleurs
Senegalese Tirailleurs
The Senegalese Tirailleurs were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army recruited from Senegal,French West Africa and throughout west, central and east Africa, the main province of the French colonial empire...
, for reinforcements. Marching battalions were created from volunteers of the Colonial Infantry
Troupes de marine
The or Infanterie de marine, formerly Troupes coloniales, are an arm of the French Army with a colonial heritage. The Troupes de marine have a dedicated overseas service role. Despite their title they have been a part of the Army since 1958...
regiments stationed in France and sent to Morocco. In August 1914 four of those battalions were amalgamated and the 1st Mixed Regiment of colonial Infantry (1er Régiment Mixte d’Infanterie Coloniale) was created with a mix of colonial and Senegalese battalions. On the 1st of December the Senegalese were replaced with colonial battalions and the regiment was renamed 1st Marching Regiment of Colonial Infantry (1er Régiment de Marche d’Infanterie Coloniale).
After suffering heavy losses on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, it received reinforcements from other battered Colonial Infantry units. The Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco (Régiment d’Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc) was created on 9 June 1915, and on 1 August it received its Standard from the French President Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France on five separate occasions and as President of France from 1913 to 1920. Poincaré was a conservative leader primarily committed to political and social stability...
.
First World War
The Colonial Infantry battalions from Morocco were sent to France as early as August 1914 and rushed to the Western Front. They took part in the First Battle of the MarneFirst Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
and then fought in Belgium and northern France. They received their first army citation for gallant conduct during the battle of Mametz in December 1914. In 1916 the RICM took part in the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
. On August the 7th it captured the strategic position of Cote 305 and the Village of Fleury
Fleury-devant-Douaumont
Fleury-devant-Douaumont is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, when it had been captured and recaptured by the Germans and French 16 times, it has been unoccupied along with Bezonvaux, Beaumont-en-Verdunois,...
.
In light of its distinguished conduct at Fleury General Mangin
Charles Mangin
Charles Emmanuel Marie Mangin was a French general during World War I.-Early career:...
ordered the regiment to retake the Fort of Douaumont
Douaumont
Douaumont is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.The village was destroyed during World War I. Today the Douaumont ossuary, which contains the remains of more than 100,000 unknown soldiers of both French and German nationalities found on the battlefield, stands...
. The 24 October 1916, reinforced with the 43rd Senegalese Tirailleurs
Senegalese Tirailleurs
The Senegalese Tirailleurs were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army recruited from Senegal,French West Africa and throughout west, central and east Africa, the main province of the French colonial empire...
battalion and three companies of Somalis, the RICM retook the fort in less than four hours. It took 5000 prisoners but lost 23 officers and 829 other ranks in the attack. The regiment was awarded the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and a third palm to its Croix de guerre for this action.
In April 1917 the RICM was at the Chemin des Dames
Nivelle offensive
The Nivelle Offensive was a 1917 French attack on the Western Front in the First World War. Promised as the assault that would end the war within 48 hours, with casualties expected of around 10,000 men, it failed on both counts. It was a three-stage plan:...
. They took the plateau of La Malmaison
La Malmaison
La Malmaison is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
and received their fifth army citation. During this action the 1st Battalion fought without officers as they were all made casualties at the beginning of the assault.
On 30 March during the German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
the RICM held and counter-attacked at the village of Plessis-de-Roye
Plessis-de-Roye
Plessis-de-Roye is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.-References:*...
, suffering 160 casaulties but taking 785 prisoners and killing about 400 German soldiers in return. In August 1918 it counterattacked at Parcy-Tigny
Parcy-et-Tigny
Parcy-et-Tigny is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
where Captain van Vollenhoven
Joost van Vollenhoven
Joost van Vollenhoven was a Dutch-born French soldier and colonial administrator. Van Vollenhoven died in the Second Battle of the Marne.-Early life:...
was killed. It stormed the position of Butte du Mesnil in Champagne during the counter-attack at the end of the Second Battle of the Marne
Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
. The regiment was in the Argonne in October where it captured Cote 202 with minimal losses.
The RICM ends the war with ten palms on its Croix de guerre. On December 10, 1918 the President Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France on five separate occasions and as President of France from 1913 to 1920. Poincaré was a conservative leader primarily committed to political and social stability...
awarded the regiment with the double fourragère
Fourragère
The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
in the colours of the Légion d’honneur and Croix de guerre, making it the most decorated unit of the French Army. During the First World War the RICM lost 15000 men killed or wounded in action, including 257 officers.
Morocco
The regiment was stationed in Rhineland from 1918 until 1925 when it was called back to MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
by Marshal Lyautey
Hubert Lyautey
Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey was a French Army general, the first Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925 and from 1921 Marshal of France.-Early life:...
. It fought in the Rif
Rif War (1920)
The Rif War, also called the Second Moroccan War, was fought between Spain and the Moroccan Rif Berbers.-Rifian forces:...
until 1926 when Abd el-Krim surrendered. From 1927 to 1932 the regiment was engaged in operations in the south of Morocco. The RICM was awarded the Mérite Militaire Chérifien in this period.
The RICM returned to France and was stationed at Aix-en-provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
from March 1932 to December 1939.
Second World War
The RICM fought in AlsaceAlsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, where it lost 600 men killed, wounded or missing. Dissolved after the Armistice
Armistice with France (Second Compiègne)
The Second Armistice at Compiègne was signed at 18:50 on 22 June 1940 near Compiègne, in the department of Oise, between Nazi Germany and France...
, the regiment was reconstituted at Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
in 1940.
In 1943 with the formation of the 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9e DIC) the RICM became its armoured reconnaissance unit. The division took part in the invasion of Elba
Invasion of Elba
The Invasion of Elba, codenamed Operation Brassard, was part of the Italian Campaign in the Second World War.The invasion was carried out by Free French Forces supported by British and American ships and aircraft. It came as a complete surprise to the German garrison although it had been reinforced...
17 June 1943 and took part in the island's fighting and conquest. Two months later as part of the French First Army
French First Army
The First Army was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War.-First World War:...
it landed in southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
and liberated Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
.
Seppois
Seppois-le-Bas
Seppois-le-Bas is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, the first alsacian village was liberated by the RICM on 19 November. On 13 November 1944 it was the first allied unit to reach the Rhine. The regiment then fought in Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
and Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
and ended the war on the shores of Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
The RICM lost 54 killed (including 2 officers) and 143 wounded in action (including 6 officers) during the Liberation of France. It received two Army Citations for this campaign, and was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation.
Algerian War
In May 1956, the Régiment d'infanterie coloniale du Maroc (RICM) moved to Algeria. On the general redesignation of "colonial infantry" units as "marine infantry", the RICM became the "Regiment d'infanterie chars de marine" on 1 December 1958 , being allowed to keep its former initials due to the regiment's prestige. It thus became the only light armoured unit in the French marines until 1986, when the 1er régiment d'infanterie de marine also became a light armoured unit. Its officers are trained at the cavalry training school at SaumurSaumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
.
1990-present
In 1990/1991, it intervened in operation Salamandre then in the active phase of the Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
In 1994, it was engaged in Opération Turquoise
Opération Turquoise
Opération Turquoise was a French-led military operation in Rwanda in 1994 under the mandate of the United Nations.- Background :On 6 April 1994 Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira were assassinated, sparking the 1994 Rwandan Genocide...
in Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
.
It was stationed at Vannes
Vannes
Vannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west...
from 1963 to 1996 and as of September 2008 is based at Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
.
In 2004, the RICM headed the Groupement Tactique Interarmes N°1 of operation Licorne
Operation Licorne
Operation Unicorn is the name of the French Armed Forces's peacekeeping operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. The French forces have been stationed in the country since shortly after the outbreak of the Ivorian Civil War...
on the Ivory Coast. On 6 November 2004, an air attack by Ivory Coast forces on the lycée Descartes at Bouaké
Bouaké
Bouaké is the second largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, with a population of 775,300 . It is the main urban settlement of the Bouaké Department with a population exceeding 1.2 million, in the Vallée du Bandama Region...
killed nine French soldiers and one American civilian taking refuge in this site occupied by the groupement's Train de Combat N°2. Five infantrymen of the RICM were killed (adjudant-chef Barathieu, adjudant-chef Capdeville, sergent-chef Delon, sergent Derambure, caporal Decuypère) and 30 wounded.
Commanders
- Lieutenant-colonel Pernot : 1914
- Lieutenant-colonel Larroque : 1914-1915
- Lieutenant-colonel Régnier : 1915-1917
- Lieutenant-colonel Debailleul : 1917-1918
- Lieutenant-colonel Modat : 1918-1918
- Lieutenant-colonel OZIL : 1919
- Colonel Mouveaux : 1919-1922
- Colonel Duplat : 1922-1924
- Colonel Barbassat : 1924-1927
- Lieutenant-colonel de Scheidhauer : 1927-1930
- Colonel de Bazelaire de Rupiére : 1930-1932
- Colonel Petitjean : 1932-1933
- Colonel Deslaurens : 1933-1935
- Colonel Allut : 1935-1938
- Colonel Turquin : 1938
- Colonel Avre : 1940
- Colonel Panis : 1940
- Colonel Lupy : 1940-1941
- Lieutenant-colonel Kieffer : 1941-1942
- Lieutenant-colonel Magnan : 1942
- Lieutenant-colonel Hebpeard : 1942
- Colonel Thiabaud : 1942-1943
- Colonel Le Puloch : 1943-1945
- Colonel de Brebisson : 1945-1946
- Chef de bataillon de La Brosse : 1946-1947
- Chef de bataillon Deysson : 1947
- Lieutenant-colonel Mareuge : 1947-1949
- Lieutenant-colonel Capber : 1949-1950
- Lieutenant-colonel de La Brosse : 1950-1952
- Chef de bataillon Lacour : 1952
- Lieutenant-colonel Maurel : 1952-1954
- Lieutenant-colonel Thiers : 1954-1956
- Lieutenant-colonel Cochet : 1956
- Colonel Thiers : 1956-1957
- Colonel Cochet : 1957-1958
- Colonel Deysson : 1958-1959 *
- Lieutenant-colonel Kerourio : 1959
- Lieutenant-colonel de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr : 1959-1961
- Lieutenant-colonel Kerourio : 1951
- Lieutenant-colonel Dercourt : 1961-1963
- Colonel Routier : 1963-1964
- Colonel Pascal : 1964-1966
- Colonel Duval : 1966-1968
- Colonel Pierre : 1968-1970
- Colonel Hiliquin : 1970-1972
- Colonel Garen : 1972-1974
- Lieutenant-colonel Fouilland : 1974-1976
- Colonel Gibour : 1976-1978
- Lieutenant-colonel Leroy : 1978-1980
- Lieutenant-colonel Collignon : 1980-1982
- Colonel Lagane : 1982-1984
- Lieutenant-colonel Boutin : 1984-1986
- Colonel Jean-Michel de Widerspach-Thor : 1986-1988 *
- Colonel Henri BentégeatHenri BentégeatHenri Bentégeat is a French Army general who served as the chairman of the European Union Military Committee between 2006 and 2009 .- Biography :...
: 1988-1990 ** - Colonel Xavier de Zuchowicz : 1990-1992 *
- Colonel Patrice Sartre : 1992-1994
- Colonel Sandahl : 1994-1996
- Colonel Pierre-Richard Kohn : 1996-1998
- Colonel Arnaud Rives : 1998-2000
- Colonel Dominique Artur : 2000-2002
- Colonel Éric Bonnemaison : 2002-2004
- Colonel Patrick Destremau : 2004-2006
- Colonel Frédéric Garnier : 2006-2008
- Colonel François Labuze : 2008-
(*) Officer who later became général de corps d'armée
Général de corps d'armée
A Général de corps d'armée is a senior rank in the French Army.The rank is the equivalent of a Lieutenant General in other countries and is junior to the rank of Général d'armée and senior to Général de division...
.
(**) Officer who later became général d'armée.
Henri Bentégeat was chef d'état-major des armées from 2002 to 2006.