Marine infantry are land troops embarked on military vessels to defend them, freeing the vessel's crew from combat duties, or to disembark them in amphibious operations. In Greco-Latin and Carthaginian antiquity, the naval infantry fought on the deck of the galleys, as in the sailing navy during boarding.
Throughout history, military units specialized in colonial conquests were formed, mainly made by this marine infantry, followed by other troops as reinforcements and follow-ups.
The Royal Marines were in all the great campaigns of the British Empire.
During the Second World War, the reconquest of the Pacific, from island to island, was mainly carried out by the United States Marine Infantry or US Marine Corps from specialized landing craft.
In France
See the article Marine Troops.
In France, the marine infantry is a set of regiments belonging to the French Army. They are "light" infantry regiments unlike mechanized infantry regiments.
They descend from the companies of the sea, which fought on the vessels of the Royal Navy. Subsequently, they were used in the many colonies that the French colonial empire possessed.
History
Called "Marine Infantry" until the end of the 19th century and attached to the Ministry of the Navy, it was transferred in 1901 to the Ministry of War and called the "Colonial Infantry" until the end of the empire. colonial in 1960. It then became "Marine Infantry", a term which, contrary to the statute of the previous century, no longer indicates attachment to a particular ministry, the ministries of the Navy, War and Air being merged into one. Ministry of Defence.