23 e régiment d'infantry

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Regiment Royal
23 e regiment d'infanterie

Insigne régimentaire du 23e Régiment d'Infanterie, .jpg

Internal association badge
active 1663 to 1976
Country Armoiries république française.svg France
Armed forces Flag of France.svg French armed forces
Armed forces Flag of France.svg Armée française de terre
Branch of service infantry
Type Mechanized infantry regiment
Location Strasbourg
Patron saint Saint-Maurice d'Agaune
motto Ce ne sont pas des hommes, ce sont des lions
Anniversaries June 4th
commander
commander Last: Lieutenant-Colonel Hanss
Important
commanders

Henri François Alphonse d'Ornano

The 23 e régiment d'infanterie ( 23 e RI ) was an association of French infantry. The regiment took part in all wars with French participation from its formation up to World War II. It no longer exists today.

Before regiment numbering was introduced on January 1, 1791, it was last named Régiment Royal in the royal French army .

Lineup and significant changes

Ranking list

The ranking of the regiments said a lot about the social status of the owner and was hotly contested.

A first "Régiment Royal" was set up on January 20, 1656, but was already merged with the "Régiment de l'Altesse royale" on February 13, 1660. The now new regiment was called "Régiment du Roi". In the regiments of the regiments it was numbered 43. After some changes in the army structure, it moved up to number 37 in 1662, to number 36 in 1664, to number 35 in 1665 and to number 34 in 1666. In 1672 King Louis XIV bought the "Régiment de St Vallier" and handed over its trunk number 14 to the "Régiment du Roi", from which it then passed to the "Régiment Royal". After the Scottish Douglas Regiment retired from service seven years later, "Royal" advanced to No. 13. This number kept the regiment until it was divided on March 25, 1776 for the establishment of the Régiment de Brie . It then became number 24, while “Brie” was assigned number 25.

After the Nancy affair in 1790 and the (temporary) dissolution of the Régiment du Roi , "Royal" was given its vacant number 23.

  • December 20, 1644: Establishment of the regiment de l'Altesse royale
  • February 1652: cashed
  • October 1652: re-establishment of the regiment de l'Altesse royale
  • On January 20 (or July 12) 1656, the king granted the Duc d'Arpanjon a patent for the establishment of an infantry regiment - the Régiment Royal . It was supposed to consist of 1,500 men plus the officers and was then set up in La Fère .
  • February 13, 1660: The regiments Régiment de l'Altesse royale and Régiment Royal are merged to form the Régiment du Roi
  • May 21, 1663: Renamed Régiment Royal
  • December 10, 1762: Increase by incorporation of the Régiment de Cambis
  • April 26, 1775: Division, the 2nd and 4th battalions were used to set up the Régiment de Brie.
  • January 1, 1791: renamed 23 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne
  • February 27, 1794: In the course of the premier amalgam , the 2nd battalion was used to set up the 46 e demi-brigade de bataille and the 1st battalion to set up the 45 e demi-brigade de bataille.
  • After the regimental structure was reintroduced, the "23 e demi-brigade d'infanterie" was converted to the "23 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne".
  • 1814: Nothing changed during the First Restoration and the Rule of the Hundred Days .
  • July 16, 1815: After Napoleon Bonaparte's final abdication , the entire imperial army was disbanded.
  • August 11, 1815: re-established as Légion de la Loire-Inférieure
  • 1820: reorganization of the army. The Légion de la Loire-Inférieure was renamed the 23 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne .
  • 1832: Renaming to 23 e régiment d'infanterie
  • 1835: Renaming to 23 e régiment d'infanterie de forteresse de la Lauter
  • 1884: Renamed to 23 e régiment d'infanterie
  • 1914: Establishment of the regular reserve regiment , the 223 e régiment d'infanterie
  • 1939: Conversion to 23 e régiment d'infanterie de forteresse
  • 1940: Admission to the armistice army of the Vichy government
  • 1942: dissolution
  • 1945: re-erection
  • 1946: Reduction and renaming to 23 e battalion d'infanterie
  • 1948: dissolution
  • 1954: re-established as the 23rd e régiment d'infanterie
  • 1962: dissolution
  • 1964: Re-established as the 23rd e régiment d'infanterie
  • 1976: dissolution

Mestres de camp / Colonels

Mestre de camp was from 1569 to 1661 and from 1730 to 1780 the denomination of rank for the regiment holder and / or for the officer in charge of the regiment. The name "Colonel" was used from 1721 to 1730, from 1791 to 1793 and from 1803 onwards.

After 1791 there were no more regimental owners.

Should the Mestre de camp / Colonel be a person of the high nobility who had no interest in leading the regiment (such as the king or queen), the command was given to the "Mestre de camp lieutenant" (or “Mestre de camp en second”) or the “Colonel-lieutenant” or “Colonel en second”.

  • June 20, 1644: Henri François Alphonse d'Ornano, marquis de Sainte-Croix (son of Alphonse d'Ornano )
  • 1645: marquis de Vieuxpont, † May 24, 1648
  • June 9, 1648: François René du Bec-Crespin, marquis de Vardes
  • August 1, 1649: Gaston de Bellenger de Vautourneux
  • April 8, 1651: Jacques Johanne de La Carre, marquis de Saumery
  • July 8, 1656: Charles Antoine du Châtelet, marquis de Pierrefitte
  • February 13, 1660: Louis d'Arpajon , duc d'Arpajon,
  • May 6, 1679: Charles Antoine du Châtelet, marquis de Pierrefitte
  • May 6, 1680: François Joseph de Blanchefort
  • February 28, 1693: Benoît de Calvo, comte de Formiguères
  • November 21, 1703: Pierre René de Brisey, comte d'Énonville
  • January 3, 1705: Louis François, comte d'Aubigné de Tigny
  • March 6, 1719: Jean-Baptiste Joachim Colbert, marquis de Croissy
  • February 21, 1740: François Michel César Le Tellier de Louvois, marquis de Courtenvaux-Montmirail
  • October 29, 1746: Louis Félicien de Boffin-Argenson, marquis d'Argenson from 1744 marquis de Pusignieu
  • February 10, 1759: Charles Claude François, marquis du Tillet
  • February 29, 1768: Louis Joseph, comte de Mailly-Nesle
  • November 11, 1782: Charles Léon de Chavigny , marquis de Bouthillier
  • January 30, 1785: Guillaume Louis Camille d'Insenghien, comte de Gand
  • October 21, 1791: Jean Charles de Myon
  • February 5, 1792: Charles Grangier de La Ferrière

(...)

  • 1806: Colonel Jean-Frédéric Minal
  • 1811: Colonel Joseph Latour
  • 1813: Colonel Jean-Honoré Vernier

(...)

  • 1870: Colonel Rolland
  • 1880: Colonel Alexandre
  • 1887: Colonel Thévenin
  • 1907: Colonel Dupuis

(...)

  • 1914: Colonel Hérouard
  • 1914: Lieutenant-Colonel Sohier
  • 1917: Lieutenant-Colonel Brindel
  • 1917: Colonel Bares
  • 1917: Colonel Meyer
  • 1918: Lieutenant-colonel Bienaymé
  • 1918: Lieutenant-colonel Oechminchen

(...)

  • 1923: Colonel Pellegrin
  • 1927: Colonel Rochard
  • 1930: Colonel Blin
  • 1932: Colonel Creskens
  • 1936: Colonel L. Senselme
  • 1939-1940: Lieutenant-colonel M. Lefèvre

(...)

  • 1954: Colonel Buchalet
  • 1955: Colonel Widerspach-Thor
  • 1958-1959: Colonel de Laruelle ...
  • 1960-1962: Colonel Estadieu

(...)

  • 1970: Colonel Denis
  • 1970: Colonel Loriaut ...
  • 1972: Lieutenant-colonel Hanss

Fallen and wounded colonels

  • Colonel Minal: Wounded May 17, 1809
  • Colonel Latour: Wounded May 2 and May 20, 1813
  • Colonel Vernier: Wounded September 6th and October 3rd, 1813
  • Colonel de Calvo: killed in the Battle of the Speyerbach on November 15, 1703

Officers killed or wounded between 1804 and 1815:

  • fallen: 15
  • died of her wounds: 21
  • wounded: 124

Uniforms and flags during the ancien régime

The regiment carried nine flags, one of which was the white flag of the Colonel (regiment owner). The eight ordinance flags carried two violet and red-brown rectangles arranged diagonally, separated by a white cross. The cross bars were embroidered with gilded lilies.

  • Leibfahne 1656 to 1791

  • Ordinance flag 1656 to 1791

  • Régiment Royal 1720 to 1734

  • Régiment Royal 1734 to 1740

  • Régiment Royal 1740 to 1762

  • Régiment Royal 1762 to 1776

  • Régiment Royal 1776 to 1779

  • Régiment Royal 1779 to 1791

  • 23 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne 1791 to 1792

  • 23 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne 1792 to 1794

Battle calendar

Wars in which the regiment participated

Franco-Spanish War
War of devolution
Dutch War
Reunion War
War of the Palatinate Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
Quadruple Alliance War
War of the Polish Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
Seven Years War
Coalition wars
Franco-German War
First World War
Second World War

Franco-Spanish War - 1635 to 1659

Shortly after the formation, the regiment was commanded to Flanders, where the Maréchal Turenne fought against the Prince de Condé , who was on the side of the Spanish king against France.

1650 :

On December 15, deployment in the Battle of Rethel .

1657 :

Under the command of the Comte de Grandpré, the regiment was used from June 12 to August 6, 1657 in the siege of Montmédy . This was followed by participation in the siege of Saint-Venant, Wate and Fort Mardyck and finally of Bourbourg , with which the campaign of the year was ended. "Royal" and two other regiments were then used to repair the ramparts there.

1658:

Campaign in Flanders. After the regiment had been assigned to Lorraine at the beginning of the year, it soon returned to Flanders without taking any action. Siege of Gravelines in August 1658. Thereafter, the regiment moved to Menen , where it remained until 1660, when the city with the Peace of the Pyrenees fell back to Spain on November 7, 1659. "Royal" left Menen with the arrival of the Spanish garrison on January 22nd, 1660 and moved to Lorraine, where it was placed in garrison.

Expedition to North Africa

On July 2, 1664, the regiment, consisting of only four companies (after the end of the war against Spain had been massively disarmed and personnel reduced), was embarked in Toulon. The association was under the command of François de Bourbon-Vendôme, duc de Beaufort , and still consisted of the Régiment de Normandie , Régiment de Picardie , Régiment de Navarre and Régiment Royal des Vaisseaux . On June 22nd, the small fleet appeared on the Algerian coast and occupied the city of Jijel . This expedition, however, was a total failure. Disease decimated the troops to such an extent that the Duc de Beaufort finally had to order a retreat. Jijel was left on October 5th and the journey back to Toulon began. “Royal” then moved into winter quarters in the vicinity of the city.

War of Devolution - 1667 to 1668

When the war broke out, the regiment was under the command of the Marquis de Pierrefitte and was ordered to meet with the troops destined to invade the Spanish Netherlands . They were divided into four brigades, of which "Royal" and "d'Auvergne" belonged to the fourth.

"Royal" was involved in the siege of Charleroi , Douai , Tournay and Lille .

The regiment took its winter quarters in Flanders, where it remained until the Peace of Aachen . It was then subjected to various reforms, such as the reduction in manpower, the introduction of grenadiers , bayonets and others.

Dutch War - 1672 to 1678

From 1672 the regiment was used in the conquest of the Netherlands and took part in the siege of Orsoy and Doesburg right at the beginning of the war. Three captains of the regiment - de Villechauvé in Doesburg, de Montefranc in Zutphen and de Vissac in Wesel - occupied the respective cities with their companies and took over the post of governor. The rest of the regiment moved to Westphalia under the command of Maréchal Turenne.

1673:

Return to the Netherlands, siege of Maastricht from June 23rd. "Royal" was then assigned to Lorraine to rebuild the fortifications around Nancy together with other regiments . These had been razed after the Peace of the Pyrenees.

1674:

Participation in the occupation of Franche-Comté with the siege of Besançon . In the meantime command to Pontarlier, capture of Ornans Castle and Châteauvieux-les-Fossés .

Ornans Castle

Thereafter, the regiment returned to Besançon and was used again in the siege. After the surrender of Besançon, the siege of Dole followed , in which the "Royal" suffered heavy casualties of dead and wounded. Subsequently used in the siege of Salins, which capitulated on June 22nd. Then ordered back to the Army of Turenne in Alsace.

Participation in the Battle of Enzheim , the battle near Mulhouse and other battles in October and November. Then transfer to the army of Maréchal de Créquy in Charleville.

1675:

Siege of Dinant , which surrendered on May 22nd, and Huy , which surrendered on June 4th. On June 18, the "Régiment Royal" opened the siege trenches in front of Limbourg . In July it was assigned to the king's army, which lay in front of Sint-Truiden .

1676:

The campaign in the north began with the campaign to capture Condé-sur-l'Escaut , Bouchain and Aire-sur-la-Lys (where it was able to capture Fort Saint-François). Siege of Maastricht.

1677:

At the beginning of the year, the regiment was sent with other units under the command of de Tracy to the relief of Saint-Omer , in which the Régiment du Monsieur was included. After the liberation of the city, fighting against the army of the Prince of Orange followed with the Battle of Cassel . The regiment arrived on the battlefield on April 16, just as the two armies were forming. "Royal" was immediately placed in the first line, to the left of the "Régiment du Monsieur". "Royal" was able to distinguish itself by taking the strategically important Abbey of Piennes. It suffered such severe losses that it was not operational for the next four months.

After returning to the army, it was used in the siege of Saint-Ghislain, which capitulated on December 11th. The unit then moved to winter quarters in Flanders.

1678:

Used in the siege of Ghent. Afterwards assignment to the army in Germany, where it took part with the army of the Maréchal de Créquy on July 6 in the battle near Rheinfelden.

Annexation of Strasbourg

In 1681 the regiment was garrisoned in Breisach when King Louis XIV decided to annex Strasbourg . "Royal" provided a detachment of 300 men, as did the Régiment d'Orléans , the Régiment de Picardie and the Régiment d'Artois , who moved into the city together on October 3rd.

War of Devolution - 1683 to 1684

In 1683 the unit was in Camp de Molsheim , from where it marched to Verdun to take part in the siege of Luxembourg the following year . Together with the Régiment de Piémont and the Régiment d'Auvergne , it carried out fortification work and was able to distinguish itself in the attack on May 27th. After the siege "Royal" went to Thionville in garrison.

War of the Palatinate Succession - 1688 to 1697

At the beginning of the war, “Royal” went to the Marquis de Bouffler's troops , who had gathered in field camps between Mainz and Kreuznach and were soon sent to the siege of Koblenz . The Colonel de Céqui, with a number of thrown together companies, supported by a regiment of dragoons , was able to repel a sortie of enemy cavalry from the city. After the siege had to be broken off without result, the regiment in Trier was placed in winter quarters.

The 2nd battalion had meanwhile been assigned to the siege of Philippsburg , which surrendered on October 30, 1688. Mannheim , Speyer , Worms and Oppenheim were taken without problems . Then it marched to Trier, where the regiment's two battalions were used to demolish the fortifications. A short time later the two battalions were deployed separately again, the 1st battalion was relocated to the threatened fortress of Mont-Royal (nothing is known about the deployment of the 2nd battalion).

1690:

The regiment was complete again and was used with the Dauphin's army to guard the border.

1691:

In that year the unit was transferred to Italy and was fighting the House of Savoy , which had joined the enemies of France. Used when taking Villafranca d'Asti , San Ospizzio, Nice , Veilane and Carmagnola . In August an ambush was set up to intercept a detachment of Prince Eugene who was investigating the French rearguard . 300 opponents were captured, the regiment lost a dozen dead and 20 to 25 men were wounded. Two of the Colonel's horses were shot under him. In a battle against the rearguard of the enemy army, several grenadier companies and two companies of "Royal" were able to wipe out three enemy battalions.

1692:

Participation in the siege of Montmélian, then return to France under the command of Nicolas de Catinat with the mission in Flanders in the siege of Namur , which surrendered on June 3rd.

Battle of Steenkerke . Posting on the far left wing, the regiment was only deployed towards the end of the day. It lost four captains and one lieutenant to the dead. Shortly afterwards it was transferred to the Rhine Army of Maréchal de Lorges and was involved in the capture of Heidelberg and Zwingenberg .

1693:

Back in Flanders. The regiment was part of a force of 15,000 men, commanded by Maréchal Boufflers, who were sent to support the Maréchal de Luxembourg in the siege of Charleroi (September 10 to October 11, 1693). Then it moved to winter quarters in Flanders.

1694:

Assigned to the army in Germany, the regiment gathered in Neustadt , where it remained for three months without having participated in any significant activities.

On August 10, a détachement of 100 grenadiers from the regiment and 150 dragoons was put together under the command of the Marquis de Bretèche to explore the possibilities of requisitioning food along the Speyerbach . On August 12, they met a 500-strong enemy detachment near the hamlet of Dorbach. In the ensuing skirmish, the Marquis de Bretèche was wounded and taken prisoner with 11 of his grenadiers, five died and 33 were wounded.

1695-1696:

Campaign in Italy in the army of Maréchal de Catinat.

1697:

Committed to the army of Maréchal Boufflers on the Meuse. Used as a cover force during the siege of Ath . It stayed with the army until the peace of Rijswijk and the end of the war.

War of the Spanish Succession - 1701-1714

When the war broke out in 1701, the regiment was assigned to the "Armée des Pays-Bas" (Army in the Netherlands). It was used in the successful occupation of Ghent and Namur and was given winter quarters in Venlo . However, it only stayed there for a short time and moved to Bonn in the middle of the month .

1702:

In June the transfer took place with two battalions to Cleve, where the Duc de Bourgogne took over command of the army. The 3rd Battalion was ordered to Venlo, which was now threatened by the enemy and then enclosed. The battalion occupied Fort St. Michael, where it was able to repel twelve attacks and so distinguished itself. After the siege could not be repulsed, the crew received free retreat with military honors after the surrender. The 3rd Battalion then moved to Bonn, where the unit reunited and remained for the rest of the year.

1703:
Siege of Bonn

When Bonn was besieged , the two battalions were still in town. "Royal" lost about 30 men and the Capitaine de Novion in the fighting. After the surrender, the companies were reduced by half. It had hardly been possible to replenish the workforce when it came time to go back to war. Two battalions moved to Alsace and were deployed in the siege of Neu-Breisach , then from October 19 at the Landau fortress . Here it lost the Capitaine de La Fitte and a large number of officers were wounded. The Battle of the Speyerbach followed on November 15 when an attempt was made to stop the troops of the Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Kassel , who were advancing to relieve the Landau Fortress . In this battle "Royal" lost half of its grenadiers and a quarter of its total stock. Colonel de Calvo and a large number of officers fell, and many more were wounded.

The two battalions were no longer used in this campaign.

1704:

The 3rd Battalion ended the campaign at the beginning of the year after the siege of Venlo and united on the Saar with the rest of the corps under the command of Maréchal de Tallard . A short time later, the entire regiment under de Tallard moved to Bavaria, crossed the Danube and fought on August 13 in the bloody battle near Höchstadt . In the battle an ensign of the regiment was killed and the flag fell into the hands of the English. Sergent Labussière, supported by three soldiers, managed to retrieve the flag, two of the helpers fell. He was then promoted to Sous-lieutenant and received a pension of 100 livres .

The Colonel d'Énonville, the Major de Piennes, the Capitaine-commandant de Moncla, the Capitaines de Mars, de Chavigny and six more fell. The Colonel Comte d'Aubigné, the Capitaines de Palmes, Descaves and eight others were wounded. 18 officers were missing. 400 men of the NCOs and men died, were wounded or went missing. After the battle, the regiment was transferred to Thionville to refresh and then moved to Sedan .

1705:

Two battalions were ordered to campaign in Flanders, siege of Huy. Winter quarters were taken in Valenciennes .

1706-1707:

After the 3rd Battalion was finally brought back to combat strength, it joined the rest of the regiment in Ferdinand de Marsin's army on the Moselle. It was initially used in the Palatinate, but soon commanded back to Flanders, where it joined the army of Maréchal Vendôme . the year 1707 was without any particular incident for the regiment. It was in Dunkirk and later in Aire.

1708-1709:

In April it left its quarters to join the troops assembled at Mons under the command of the Duc de Bourgogne . Participation in the battle of Oudenaarde . The year ended with the capture of Leffinge and the defense of Ghent . During the siege of the city, nine grenadier companies (including three from "Royal") made a sortie and defeated four British battalions. After the capitulation of the city on December 30th, the regiment returned to France and moved into quarters in Ardres , Boulogne-sur-Mer and Montreuil . In 1709 the regiment was used in the battle of Malplaquet . Here 11 enemy flags could be captured, but this had to be bought with great losses - 50 officers alone.

1712-1713:

Participation in the Battle of Denain. Then the siege of Douai. Here the Capitaine Morel fell, and around a hundred grenadiers were wounded or killed. Le Quesnoy was besieged, followed by the siege of Bouchain in October. In 1713 the regiment was under the command of Maréchal de Villars in the campaign on the Rhine. It fought in the siege of Landau and Freiburg (September 30th to November 16th). That ended the war for the regiment.

Peace time

With the beginning of the peace period began to reduce the troops. "Royal" initially took the remains of the regiments "de Desangles", "de Vanon", "de La Rivière", "de Laubanie" and "de Bombelle", only to be reduced to two battalions. The following garrisons were drawn: Lille 1716, Poitiers 1719, Cambrai 1724, Toul 1726, Metz 1730, in the camp on the Moselle in 1732 and Douai in 1733. The regiment did not participate in the war of the Quadruple Alliance (1717-1720).

War of the Polish Succession - 1733-1738

When war broke out between France and the German Empire over the succession to the Polish throne, Douai marched “Royal” to Maréchal Berwick's army on the Rhine. After the siege of Kehl, the command to Sedan followed , where a third battalion was set up. After training, the regiment was able to take part in the following campaign; Nevertheless, the 3rd Battalion was sent to Montmédy, while the other two were sent to Thionville.

1734:

"Royal" then took part in the capture of Trier and the siege of Trarbach . During the attack on Grevenburg Castle , the Capitaine de Verduisant at the head of two companies and two Piquets was able to take a Vorwerk, which soon afterwards led to the surrender of Trarbach.

On May 26, the regiment arrived at the Siege of Philippsburg , which was carried out by the Maréchal de Berwick. On June 10th, the regiment was ordered into the siege trenches and used for digging work. The surrender took place on June 18, and "Royal" then fought during the remainder of the campaign against the troops of Prince Eugene of Savoy . This was followed by the transfer to the camp of Neuffen to the troops of Maréchal de Noailles, in order to then move on to Italy. The regiment, now complete again, marched over the Dauphiné and the Piémont to Reggio nell'Emilia , where it arrived after six months. Here it had its base during the following campaign.

1735:

In May the troops left their quarters, "Royal" was assigned to the troops to attack Gonzaga (Lombardy) and Reggiolo and on June 7th participated in the capture of Revère . After the signing of the preliminary peace between Austria and France, the regiment wintered in Modena and then returned to France. Here it was stationed in Perpignan , the Dauphiné and the Landau fortress.

War of the Austrian Succession - 1742 to 1748

Assignment to the Armée de Bavière (Army in Bavaria). For this reason, the garrison was moved from Metz to Strasbourg, where the troops gathered for the invasion of Bavaria under the command of François, duc d'Harcourt . The regiment belonged to the 3rd Division, which was commanded by the Marquis d'Hérouville. The army crossed the Rhine near Strasbourg on March 9 and reached the Danube on March 25. Use in battle near Dingolfing .

1743:

In the last days of April, the regiment was supposed to destroy a bridge that would have allowed the enemy to retreat. This action cost the regiment its commander, Lieutenant Colonel de Verduisant; another 26 officers and 134 soldiers were wounded or killed. During the retreat of the French army on June 16, the regiment was attacked by hussars and pandours. "Royal" crossed the Rhine and went to garrison Nancy. In the winter of 1743/1744 it formed the guard for Stanislaus I. Leszczyński .

1744:

Committed to the king's army after Flanders, it was used in the capture of Menen and Ypres . After the Flanders Army had been weakened by the detachment of numerous troops to the army on the Rhine, it no longer undertook any notable operations. "Royal" moved into winter quarters in Le Quesnoy.

1745:

The regiment rallied with the other troops of the Maréchal de Saxe at Bouchain. Participation in the siege of Tournai and the battle of Fontenoy . It suffered great losses in this battle. It then returned to the siege force in front of Tournai, which capitulated on June 19. Used in the battle of Oudenaarde on June 22nd. In October the regiment moved to Dunkirk, where it took winter quarters.

1756:

Captures Mons, Saint-Ghislain, Charleroi and Namur. Battle of Roucourt . The regiment stood in the second line on the road between Tongres and Liège, where it suffered heavy losses from enemy artillery. 400 men died or were wounded: The officers Commandant de Cassagnard, the Capitaines de Montbaron, du Voisel, Montfort, the Lieutenants de Villars and Clocheville were killed - the Lieutenant-Colonel de la Bilinière, the Capitaines de Ferville, Frochard, de Vigreux, d 'Averne, Montenant, de Bry, Marseuil, de Moussy and 14 lieutenants and sous-lieutenants were wounded. Winter quarters were taken in Louvain. Here the staff was replenished and the regiment was reinforced by a fourth battalion.

1747:

At the beginning of the year the regiment was in Mechelen . It was not involved in the battle of Lauffeldt , but was able to distinguish itself in the important siege of Bergen-op-Zoom .

1748:

Siege of Maastricht . The four grenadier companies captured Hop Harem Castle.

Peace time

At the end of the war the regiment was in Saint-Quentin, where the 3rd and 4th Battalions were disbanded in 1749. Other peace garrisons were Metz, Landau, Grenoble , Fort Barraux , Romans , Embrun and from 1754 the Camp de Beaucaire .

Seven Years War - 1756 to 1763

1756:

Allocation to the expedition to Menorca . The fleet set sail on April 9, and the island was reached on April 18. The landing went on without difficulty. The city of Ciutadella did not defend itself and was immediately occupied. However, Maó now had to be taken, whose citadel was considered impregnable and into which a strong English garrison had withdrawn. On May 8th the French artillery appeared and the siege of Fort Saint-Philippe could begin. The work was started by the two battalions of "Royal" and Royal-Comtois . The approach trenches were occupied by the regiment on May 31, June 9 and June 16. On June 27th at 10:00 am the regiment began the attack on Fort Marlborough. The enemy eventually asked for a truce, which was granted. The island was then controlled by the "Royal", "Médoc" , "Vermandois" and three other regiments. At the end of the war in 1763, the regiment returned to France.

Peace time

In 1765, stationed in Strasbourg, the regiment was divided. It had to surrender a battalion to set up the Régiment de Brie and over the years it moved into the following garrisons: Calais 1766, Saarlouis 1767 to 1768, Thionville 1768 to 1770, Longwy, Montmédy, Brest and Givet 1770 to 1771, Saarlouis 1771 to 1772, Strasbourg 1772 to 1775, Valenciennes 1775 to 1776, Mézières 1776 to 1777.

During the American War of Independence , the regiment was used for observation on the English Channel . At that time it was in Arras, Rouen, Granville, Cherbourg, Saint-Romain, Dieppe and Dinan.

In 1783 it was in Valenciennes, 1784 in Saint-Jean d'Angély, 1785 in Condé, Crozon, Camaret, Alençon and Cambrai, 1788 in Strasbourg, 1792 in Bourg and Avignon.

The regiment was one of the first to enthusiastically welcomed the effects of the revolution. Nevertheless, by the end of 1792, 56 of 99 officers had emigrated or resigned.

Wars of the Revolution and the First Empire - 1805 to 1815

  • 1805: Campaign in Italy
Battle of Caldiero

1815 to 1857

Second empire

1859: Battle of Magenta

When the war broke out, the regiment was in the field camp of Chalons. On August 16, 1870, the 4th battalion, formed from reservists and others called up from the regiment, was used to set up the "7 e régiment de marche" (7th marching regiment).

August 2, 1870: Participation in the violent reconnaissance and occupation of Saarbrücken . The regiment camped on the parade ground until the order to withdraw on August 5th.
August 6, 1870: Participation in the battle of Wörth , then retreat to Metz on August 19
March 18, 1871: Used in the fight against the Paris Commune

1871 to 1914

1883: Attack on Bắc Ninh and retreat to Lạng Sơn

First World War

From August 1914 to November 1918 the regiment was part of the 4th Infantry Division.

1914/1915

  • October 1914 to December 1915: Trench warfare near Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (fighting at Hartmannswillerkopf )
  • March 1915: The recruit depot formed a company to set up the "414 e régiment d'infanterie"

1916

1917

1918

Interwar period

On July 13, 1919, the Legion of Honor was pinned to the regiment's flag on the Place de l'Hôtel-de-ville in Paris by the President of the Republic. After nine years as an occupying force in Germany, it returned to its home garrison in 1928.

  • In 1933 it formed, together with the "153 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne", the fortress garrison of the Maginot line in the section of the Lauter in Haguenau .

Second World War

The "23 e régiment d'infanterie de forteresse" was brought up to war strength on August 22, 1939 by the Région Militaire, Center Mobilisateur d'infanterie (CMI 202): réserve A RIF type Metz / Auter, in Haguenau and brought to its intended section the Maginot Line , where it occupied the fortress of Ouvrage du Hochwald . After the armistice of Compiègne (1940) it belonged to the armistice army of the Vichy government until it was finally disbanded on November 30, 1942 after the invasion of the German armed forces in the previously unoccupied France.

Stone in memory of Lieutenant Rouilly (June 1940)

post war period

Reorganized in February 1945 in Alsace, the regiment took part in the last fighting of the war and was then stationed in Drachenbronn-Birlenbach , where it was disbanded on December 31, 1948.

On June 16, 1954, the unit from parts of the 26 e RI , the 151 e RI and the 152 e RI was set up again. It consisted of three battalions of 835 men each and a headquarters company of 137 men. It belonged to the 11th Infantry Division. Together with the 1st battalion of "28 e régiment d'artillery" (475 man), a telecommunications unit (78 man) and a medical unit (16 men) making it the "Groupe Mobile 111", which in August 1954 after Tunisia was abkommandiert . Here the unit was deployed in the Kroumirie region and moved to Algeria in the spring of 1957 under the command of Colonel De Widerspach Thor . After the end of hostilities on March 19, 1962, the regiment, like 91 others, was used in the formation of the 114 units of the National Armed Forces to be deployed. The 23 e RI set up two units of the UFL-UFO, the 415 e UFL-UFO in Oum Toub and the 414 e UFL-UFO in Nakarta. These units consisted of 10% military personnel from the metropolises (Militaires métropolitains) and 90% of military personnel from the rural population (Militaires Musulmans) . They provided the provisional armed forces of Algeria until it became independent. After completing this order, the regiment moved to Germany, where it was disbanded in July 1962. Set up again on July 1, 1964 in Saarburg, the unit moved to Metz in 1968, where it was finally dissolved in the Caserne Desvallières in 1976.

Regimental flags since the revolution

  • 1st Battalion 1791 to 1793

  • 1st Battalion 1793 to 1794

  • 2nd Battalion 1791 to 1793

  • 2nd Battalion 1793 to 1794

  • 1804 to 1812

  • 1812 to 1814

  • last run - front

  • last passed - back

On the back of the regimental flag (since Napoleonic times) the campaigns and battles in which the regiment took part are listed in gold letters.

Motto

Since the Battle of Fontenoy, the regiment has followed the motto (given by the English):

Non pas d'hommes, mais de lions
(These are not men, these are lions)

Honors

The flag ribbon is decorated with the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with six palm branches for six honorable mention in the army command and since December 1919 with a cross and fourragère in the colors of the Legion d'honneur .

The members of the regiment have the right to wear the Fourragère in the colors of the Legion d'honneur for six honorable mention in the army command.

  • Legion d'honneur

  • Croix de guerre 1914-1918

  • Gold Medal of the City of Milan

  • A street in the long-standing garrison town of Bourg-en-Bresse bears the name of the regiment.
  • On March 1, 1963, the “23 e center mobilisateur” with this number was set up in Bourg-en-Bresse in memory of the regiment.

literature

  • Général Louis Susane: Histoire de l'infanterie française ( Memento of November 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). Librairie militaire J. Dumaine, Paris 1876 (PDF; 4 kB).
  • Général Serge Andolenko : Recueil d'historiques de l'infanterie française. Eurimprim, Paris 1969.
  • Lieutenant general François-Eugène de Vault: Mémoires militaires relatifs à la guerre d'Espagne sous Louis XIV. Volume 1. Imprimerie Royale, Paris 1835 ( full text in the Google book search).
  • Lieutenant général François-Eugène de Vault: Mémoires militaires relatifs à la guerre d'Espagne sous Louis XIV. Volume 2. Imprimerie Royale, Paris 1836 ( full text in Google book search).
  • Victor Louis Jean François Belhomme: Histoire de l'infanterie en France. Volume 2. Henri Charles-Lavauzelle, Paris 1893.
  • M. Pinard: Chronologie historique-militaire. Volume 4 ( digitized on Gallica ), 6 ( digitized ) and 8 ( digitized ). Claude Hérissant, Paris 1761, 1763 and 1778.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ German: 23rd Infantry Regiment
  2. ↑ otherwise also Régiment d'Orléans called
  3. ↑ dishonorable dissolved
  4. ↑ Fortress Infantry Regiment
  5. ↑ Pierre Lemau de la Jaisse: Cinquième abrégé de la carte générale du militaire de France, sur terre et sur mer. Depuis Novembre 1737 jusqu'en Décembre 1738. Gandouin et al., Paris 1739, OCLC 458013263 .
  6. ↑ Lieutenant general François-Eugène de Vault: Mémoires militaires relatifs à la guerre d'Espagne sous Louis XIV. Volume 1. Imprimerie Royale, Paris 1835, p. 436 ( full text in the Google book search).
  7. ↑ today district of Middelkerke
  8. ↑ 23 e et 26 e régiments d'infanterie (05/07/1919) ( Memento from January 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive ). In: France Phaléristique: Légion d'honneur. May 19, 1902. Collectivités décorées de la Légion d'honneur. Unités & formations militaires.
  9. ↑ UFL = Union des forces locales, UFO = Unions des forces de l'Ordre
  10. ↑ «  Décision n ° 12350 / SGA / DPMA / SHD / DAT du 14 September 2007 relative aux inscriptions de noms de batailles sur les drapeaux et étendards des corps de troupe de l'armée de terre, du service de santé des armées et du service des essences des armées, Bulletin officiel des armées, n ° 27, 9 November 2007  »(German:“ Provision n ° 12350 / SGA / DPMA / SHD / DAT of September 14, 2007 on the appearance of the inscriptions on the flags and standards of the Troops of the army, the medical service and the fuel supply branch. Published with the official army bulletin No. 27 of November 9, 2007 ")
  11. ↑ "  Arrêté relatif à l'attribution de l'inscription AFN 1952–1962 sur les drapeaux et étendards des formations des armées et services, du 19 novembre 2004 (A) NORDEF0452926A Michèle Alliot-Marie  " (German: "Order AFN 1952–1962 on the assignment of the inscriptions on the flags and standards of the formations of the army and the services of November 19, 2004 (A) NORDEF0452926A Michèle Alliot-Marie ")
  12. ↑ This also applies to units that have already been disbanded, as they can (theoretically) be put back into active service at any time

Web links

Commons : Flags of the 23rd regiment d'infanterie  - Collection of images, videos and audio files