46 e régiment d'infantry

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Régiment de Mazarin
Régiment de Bretagne
46 e regiment d'infanterie

Insigne régimentaire du 46e Régiment d'Infanterie, Plutôt Mourir que Faillir.jpg

Association badge of the 46 e régiment d'infanterie
active 1644 to 1997
Country Blason France modern.svg Flag of France.svg France
Armed forces Blason France modern.svg Flag of France.svg french army
Armed forces infantry
Type regiment
Location Quartier Napoléon in Berlin
Patron saint Saint-Maurice d'Agaune
motto Potius mori quam vinci 1740 to 1757, then Potius mori quam foedari

The 46 e régiment d'infanterie (46 e RI) was an infantry regiment, established in the Kingdom of France , in service during the Ancien Régime and thereafter with a few interruptions until it was dissolved in 1997.

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

Lineup and significant changes

  • February 4, 1644: Formation as Régiment de Mazarin-Français with 2,500 men in 30 companies
  • 1646: Renamed the Régiment de Castelnau
  • 1651: Renamed the Régiment d'Hocquincourt
  • April 24, 1658: Renamed the Régiment de Bretagne . (The Général de Castelnau fell at the head of the regiment in the course of the battle in the dunes .)
  • January 1, 1791: renamed 46 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne
  • June 21, 1794: In the course of the Premier amalgams , the 1st battalion was used to set up the "91 e demi-brigade de bataille" and the 2nd battalion to set up the "92 e demi-brigade de bataille". This interrupted the tradition of the regiment until it was resumed with the re-establishment of the "46 e régiment d'infanterie" from the "46 e demi-brigade d'infanterie". It was a completely different unit to which, according to the French understanding, the tradition of the former 46 e RI was transferred.
  • 1803: "46 e regiment d'infanterie"
  • 1814: The 50 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne was renamed the 46 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne.
  • 1815: dissolution
  • 1816: re-established as 35 e légion d'Indre-et-Loire d'infanterie de ligne
  • 1820: renamed 46 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne
  • 1854: last renaming to 46 e régiment d'infanterie
  • 1940: In the battle of Asfeld , the regiment was severely decimated and disbanded after the Armistice of Compiègne .

"Heroically fought to the point of sacrifice"

- Commendation 1940
  • 1944: re-established as 46 e battalion d'infanterie
  • September 14, 1994: dissolution
  • July 1, 1995: Formation as a reserve regiment and affiliated to the 24 e régiment d'infanterie in Vincennes
  • June 30, 1997: dissolution

Royal flags and uniforms

The flags of the previous regiments de Mazarin-Français , de Castelnau and d'Hocquincourt are not known. The Bretagne regiment carried three flags: a white body flag of the regiment holder with the coat of arms of Brittany in the center and two orderly flags.

  • Ordinance flag 1658 to 1740

  • Life flag after 1720

  • Ordinance flag 1740 to 1791

  • Régiment de Bretagne 1720 to 1734

  • Régiment de Bretagne 1734 to 1740

  • Régiment de Bretagne 1740 to 1757

  • Grenadier of the Regiment de Bretagne 1762 to 1767

  • Grenadier of the Regiment de Bretagne 1767 to 1776

  • Régiment de Bretagne 1776 to 1779

  • Régiment de Bretagne 1779 to 1791

  • 46 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne 1791 to 1794

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, the command was given to the “Mestre de camp lieutenant” (or “Mestre de camp en second”) or the Leave a colonel lieutenant or colonel en second.

  • February 4, 1644 to March 30, 1648: Jacques de Castelnau-Mauvissière , marquis de Castelnau
  • May 7, 1649: Georges de Monchy, marquis d'Hocquincourt
  • February 10, 1666: Georges de Monchy, marquis d'Hocquincourt
  • January 15, 1668: Claude Potier, chevalier, then comte de Novion
  • February 16, 1683: Louis-Anne-Jules Potier, marquis de Novion, nephew of the previous one
  • June 22, 1699: Louis-François d'Harcourt, comte de Sesanne
  • December 25, 1704: Michel-François Berthelot de Rebourseau
  • February 1719: Chevalier Mole
  • July 27, 1720: François-Paul de La Croix, chevalier de Saint-Vallier
  • April 10, 1738: Louis des Balbes de Bertons , marquis de Crillon
  • January 15, 1745: Jean-François-Gabriel, comte de Polastron
  • May 26, 1745: Jacques-Louis-Georges de Clermont d'Amboise, marquis de Renel
  • November 1, 1746: Jean-Baptiste-Charles-François, chevalier de Clermont d'Amboise
  • March 31, 1759: Joachim-Charles-Laure de Montagu, vicomte de Beaune
  • January 3, 1770: Jacques-Charles, comte de Chabannes
  • August 7, 1778: Louis-Alexandre-Pierre Nolasque des Balbes de Bertons, comte de Crillon
  • January 1, 1784: Jean-Baptiste-Gilles, baron du Coetlosquet
  • July 25, 1791: François-Anselme de Saint-Victor
  • August 21, 1792: Charles-François-Xavier Allalin
  • September 9, 1792: Jean-Baptiste de Bressoles de Sisce

(...)

Colonels
  • 1803: Louis-François Lanchantin
  • 1805: Guillaume Latrille de Lorencez
  • 1807: Joseph-Pierre Richard
  • 1812: Jean-Louis Brue
  • 1814: Jean-Marie Regeauel
  • 1815: Louis-André Dupré
  • 1870: Pichon

[...]

  • 1894-1898: Virgile Robert
  • ?
  • February 24, 1905-1907: Charles Holender
  • ?
  • November 9, 1914 - April 20, 1915: Antoine Gramat
  • 1917–1920: Lieutenant-Colonel Eugène Peyrotte
  • Lieutenant-colonel Bertrand 1944–1945
  • Lieutenant-colonel d'Esneval 1945–1946
  • Lieutenant-colonel de Stabenrath 1946 (gave up command on April 30, 1946)
  • Chief de bataillon Hallouin 1946
  • Chief de bataillon de Monner 1946
  • Chief de bataillon Dufour 1946–1947
  • Chef de bataillon Garat 1947–1948
  • Chief de bataillon Martrou 1948–1949
  • Chief de bataillon Hunold 1949–1950
  • Chief of the Gérard-Séné battalion 1950–1952
  • Lieutenant-colonel Négrié 1952–1954
  • Lieutenant-colonel Jasselin 1954–1956
  • Lieutenant-colonel level de Villedary 1956-1958
  • Lieutenant-colonel Sorbier de Pougnadoresse 1958–1960
  • Lieutenant-colonel Coudurier 1960–1961
  • Lieutenant-colonel de Peretti 1961–1962
  • Colonel Burger 1962-1964
  • Colonel Teysseyre 1964-1966
  • Colonel Bourdis 1966-1968
  • Colonel Lamy 1968-1970
  • Colonel Good 1970-1972
  • Colonel Grué 1972–1974
  • Colonel Juin 1974-1976
  • Colonel Motte 1976-1978
  • Colonel de Moulins d'Amieu de Beaufort 1978–1980
  • Colonel Cottereau 1980-1982
  • Colonel Henri Paris 1982-1984
  • Colonel Fresnel 1984-1986
  • Colonel Bonamy 1986-1988
  • Colonel de Laforcade 1988-1990
  • Colonel Rousselet 1990-1992
  • Colonel Buttay 1992-1994
  • Colonel Bonioni 1995-1997
Colonels killed or wounded at the head of the regiment from 1804 to 1815
  • Colonel Richard: Wounded June 5, 1807, killed May 21, 1809
  • Colonel Ignace Baudinot: Wounded July 6, 1809
  • Colonel Brue: Wounded August 17, 1812
Officers of the regiment killed or wounded between 1804 and 1815
  • fallen: 55
  • died of the wounds: 24
  • wounded: 186

Mission history

Thirty Years' War

  • 1644 : The regiment was reorganized by Cardinal Mazarin from soldiers from the Breton regiments that had belonged to the Marquis Goesbriant and the Marquis Castelnau-Mauvissière and which had been wiped out during the siege of Rottweil . The "Régiment de Mazarin-Français" was handed over to the Marquis Jacques de Castelnau-Mauvissière, initially as Colonel en second and from 1646 as Colonel and regiment holder. Assigned to the army of Vicomte de Turenne , it was able to distinguish itself in its first campaign. The Bavarian Commander-in-Chief Mercy had occupied Freiburg under the eyes of Turenne , who himself was too weak to prevent this. The Prince de Condé rushed over from Luxembourg to support Turenne, and on August 3 the bloody fighting that came to be known as the Battle of Freiburg began . The regiment remained under the command of Turenne, who sent it into the mountains to attack the throat of the Bavarian fortifications. Halted by fences and palisades, the regiment fought unsuccessfully eight hours in advance. The day after next, the Prince de Condé united the best regiments to attack the front of the entrenchments. At the top were the regiments "de Conti" and "de Mazarin-Français". The Régiment de Mazarin-Français did not wait for the order to attack, but rushed forward and had already taken the redoubt when the prince gave the order to attack. The Marquis de Castelnau was hit by five musket balls during this action, the Lieutenant-Colonel d'Anizy was praised in the report of the Prince de Condé, the Major Desradrets and the Capitaine Tillemont had died. This August 9 battle initiated the final withdrawal of Bavaria. After this remarkable battle, the regiment was used in the conquest of the Palatinate . The new major of the regiment and another officer were killed during the attack on the Kauzenburg in Kreuznach .
  • 1645 : On May 5th, “de Mazarin-Français” was in action near Marienthal, and Lieutenant-Colonel d'Ainsy was captured. On August 3rd, after a long and dogged battle in the Battle of Alerheim, the regiment managed to seize the village of Alerheim, where the imperial troops had holed up. The imperial commander was fatally hit by a musket ball from the ranks of the regiment. The Marquis de Castelnau was hit again by two bullets, two horses were shot under him. Then he was promoted to the Maréchal de camp. "Mazarin-Français" ended the campaign of the year in the Palatinate.
  • 1646 : In the first days of the year the unit crossed the Rhine again and was used to take Schorndorf. Here the Lieutenant-Colonel d'Ainsy fell. His brother, previously Colonel en second in the Regiment Royal-Italy , took over the regiment on March 25th and moved with him to Flanders . Here it was used in the siege of Fort Mardyck and in the siege of Dunkirk . Winter quarters were moved into Béthune .
  • 1647 : In May it moved to Amiens, where on the 20th of the month it passed in review before the king and then set off for Catalonia. Here the regiment was involved in the conquest of Lleida and Àger as well as in the siege of Constantine. It spent the winter in France.

War of the Fronde (1648 to 1653)

  • 1648 : At the beginning of the year the 400 remaining men of the regiment moved to the army of Turenne on the Rhine, where they distinguished themselves on May 17th in the battle of Zusmarshausen . Shortly thereafter, the unit was assigned to the Condé Army in Flanders and fought in the Battle of Lens .
  • 1649 : Campaign in Flanders with the use of the siege of Cambrai and the capture of Condé-sur-l'Escaut . The winter quarters were taken at Mouzon .
  • 1650 : Mouzon was attacked surprisingly on May 1st by the forces of the Fronde under Turenne. However, the regiment was quickly alerted and was able to repel the rebels. Soon afterwards they marched off to relieve Guise , and in August the regiment arrived in Laon . On September 28, it was relocated to the besieged Mouzon with the Régiment de La Marine and the Régiment de Sault for reinforcement. The reinforcements were able to break through the siege ring and get into the fortress. “De Mazarin” was able to distinguish itself in a battle on the ramparts on October 9th, also in a failure on October 19th.
After the surrender of Mouzon, "de Mazarin" was assigned to the army of Maréchal Plessis-Praslin , was used in the capture of Rethel and fought against Spanish troops, which were commanded by Turenne.
  • 1651 : After the Cardinal Mazarin had to leave France, the regiment was drafted and transferred to the Queen Mother as the new regiment owner. By order of April 24th, it was now called "Régiment de Bretagne" - from then on it was a regiment of the king, which is why the commandant de facto acted under the name Colonel en second (the actual Colonel was the Queen Mother, Anne d 'Autriche ).
  • 1652 : After the Maréchal de Turenne returned to the service of the king, "Bretagne" was one of the regiments under his command that were in action at Bléneau , Étampes and Faubourg Saint-Antoine .

Franco-Spanish War (in use from 1653 to 1659)

  • 1653 : In the corps of the Duc de Vendôme , the regiment participated in the subjugation of the Bordelais . It stood out in the attack on Bourg , which surrendered on July 2, two days after the siege began.
  • 1654 : Back in Champagne, "Bretagne" was involved in the capture of Rethel and Mouzon. It was also able to excel in the attack on a demi-lune by Stenay , where it fought together with the Gardes suisses . "Bretagne" ended the campaign with the capture of Le Quesnoy .
  • 1655 : Participation in the conquest of Landrecies , Condé and Saint-Ghislain
  • 1657 : Siege of Montmédy . "Bretagne" was able to distinguish itself on July 18th in the fight in the breach of a demi-lune. This was followed by the march to attack Saint-Venant, the relief of Andres , the capture of Fort Mardyck (near Dunkirk) and Motte-aux-Bois
The battle in the dunes
  • 1658 : The regiment left the village of Motte-aux-Bois, where it had taken winter quarters, and marched towards Dunkirk. In the Battle of the Dunes , it fought on the right wing. It was placed in this exposed position to support the cavalry if necessary. Attacked by the Prince de Condé's cavalry, the Lieutenant-colonel de Lescoët counterattacked. Condé, having noticed this, sent a Spanish infantry regiment in turn. The fight ended with the capture of the Spaniards. The regiment saw the end of the war in Oudenaarde . After the Peace of the Pyrenees was signed , it moved to Péronne, where it was to remain until 1669.
  • 1666 : After the death of Queen Mother Anne d'Autriche on February 10th, the unit was reduced to two companies. The new colonel was the Marquis d'Hocquincourt.

Sixth Venetian Turkish War (1645 to 1669)

  • 1669 : The two companies of "Bretagne" were part of the reinforcements sent to the fortress of Heraklion on Crete , which was besieged by the Turks . In the June 25 failure, the main forces attacked the Turkish front, while “Bretagne” penetrated the trenches and forced the Turks to withdraw. They had captured 30 large cannons when a powder magazine exploded, ruining all efforts. The Capitaine de Gondeville was killed that day. The regiment remained in the fortress until the end, the scanty remnants did not return to Toulon until October .
  • 1670–1671 : In these two years the regiment was initially set up again with four companies of 50 men each and then reinforced to 16 companies.

Dutch War (1672 to 1679)

Reunion War (1683 to 1684)

In 1684 "Bretagne" was used in the siege of Luxembourg .

War of the Palatinate Succession (1688 to 1697)

Siege of Mainz 1689
  • 1689 : During the siege of Mainz , the unit under the command of Nicolas Chalon du Blé was able to distinguish itself repeatedly - for example with the sabotages on August 13th and 16th and the defense of the covered path on September 6th. The losses of the unit are described as not very serious, the Lieutenant-Colonel La Chassagne, the Major de Brusse and 13 other officers were wounded, only the Lieutenant Monby was killed. After the surrender, the regiment marched off to the Hüningen fortress .
  • 1690 : In June the transfer to Bourg-en-Bresse took place , which was abandoned after a short stay because the regiment was commanded to the Alps. Here it came under the command of the Marquis de Vins and operated in the valley of Barcelonnette
  • 1691 : On April 19, Colonel de Novion's horse was shot and killed in a skirmish near Mégronne. "Bretagne" crossed the mountains a few days later and joined the army of Nicolas de Catinat . This was followed by participation in the capture of Veillane and the siege of Carmagnola (Piedmont) , Cuneo and Montmélian .
  • 1692 to 1693 : In the two years the regiment acted defensively; it protected Pignerol and Suze until the Battle of Marsaglia on October 4, 1693. Here, "Bretagne" stood on the far left wing of the second line, where it could be distinguished. After the victory it was used to supply Casal Cermelli , Saluces , Pignerol and Suze as well as to pursue the Piedmontese militia near Morelta.
  • 1693 to 1697 : In 1694 the regiment was deployed in Catalonia, returned to the Alps in 1695, served again in the Barcelonnette valley and took part in the siege of Valenza in September 1696 . In 1697 the unit marched into Catalonia and fought in the siege of Barcelona .
  • 1700 : In December of that year the relocation to Northern Italy took place.

War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

  • 1701 : Participation in the Battle of Carpi and the Battle of Chiari , where Lieutenant-Colonel de La Chassagne fell. By order of February 1, a second battalion was raised and placed in garrison in Flanders.
  • 1702 : Battle of Cremona , then battle near Santa-Vittoria and capture of Luzzara, here the battle of Luzzara was fought the following day . Subsequently, “Bretagne” was involved in the capture of Borgoforte .
  • 1703 : After the battle at Castelnuovo di Bormia, the regiment moved to Tyrol under the command of the Duc de Vendôme , where it took part in the capture of Nago and Arco (Trentino) , which were defended by General Visconti's troops .
  • 1704 : On January 29th, the regiment left its quarters, crossed the Secchia and fought in northern Italy, including various sieges that lasted through the winter.
  • 1705 : In April, "Bretagne" moved to Monzambano . On May 8th it marched to the besieged Mirandola (Emilia-Romagna) , to which Prince Eugene was on his way with a relief army. Together with three cavalry regiments, the regiment arrived at the Secchia; the river banks were guarded by musketeers on both sides, and the construction of a bridge was in full swing. The regiment attacked and after two hours of fighting was able to drive away the enemy. He lost about 500 men, "Bretagne" had losses amounting to 15 dead and 75 wounded. On May 31, the grenadier company of the Capitaine Martinet was able to excel in the battle near Muscoline . The company's losses amounted to 25 men. This was followed by use in the Battle of Cassano . For the rest of the year it was with the Corps of the Marquis de Broglie, which was seconded to the Adda . On October 16, an attack on the entrenchments of Gumbetto followed. The winter quarters were moved into Monzambano.
The second battalion in Flanders fought for the first time this year. Together with the Régiment de Béarn , it formed a small task force under the command of Colonel Pasteur. The main task was to alarm the enemy. On August 16, the corps was in Waterloo , where it was attacked by superior forces that night. After an hour and a half of sustained resistance, the village had to be abandoned. The corps settled in the forest of Soignies in good order, but was pursued by the enemy and attacked so massively that it could not hold out and was dispersed. The losses were more than 600 men.
  • 1706 : On April 19, "Bretagne" fought in the battle of Calcinato and was involved in the pursuit of the defeated Austrians as far as Lake Garda . Then the regiment moved to the Stura di Lanzo and then fought on September 7th in the Battle of Turin . After the defeat, it returned to France and was used for security tasks in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes area.
  • 1707 to 1708 : In March the march to the besieged Toulon took place . It first moved to the camp in Missiessy, east of the city, and after the siege by the coalition troops had been broken off, it was moved to Savoy . The unit spent the following two years here and was involved in the occupation of the Cesana Torinese community in 1708 .
  • 1709 : In that year the two battalions of the regiment in Flanders were united. It was involved in the battle of Malplaquet in the Corps of Comte Albergotti . In the course of the battle it was used in support of the heavily attacked left wing, where it fought to the right of the Régiment du Roi . Here it held a position in the forest of Sart that was leaned against a swamp on the left and thus prevented the enemy from leaving the forest. "Bretagne" held this position until the order to retreat came.
  • 1710 to 1712 : During 1710 the regiment stood on the Lauter and spent the winter in Sarrelouis. In the following year, the transfer to Flanders took place with the use in the battle near Arleux and in 1712 in the battle of Denain and the capture of Douai, Le Quesnoy and Bouchain.
  • 1713 : Assignment to the Armée du Rhin (Rhine Army) with the siege of Landau and Freiburg im Breisgau . During the latter, it was stationed in Kundersthal at the foot of Fort Saint-Pierre.
  • 1714 : The second battalion was disbanded.

War of the Polish Succession (1733-1738)

  • 1733 to 1735 : From the field camp in Aimeries-sur-Sambre, the regiment was assigned to the small army corps that marched into Lorraine. In 1734 it fought in the skirmish near Ettlingen and in the siege of Philippsburg . It spent the winter in Worms and moved to the Electorate of Trier in 1735 , where it fought in the battle near Klausen on October 20th .
  • 1738 : At the end of the war the regiment was in Landau.

War of the Austrian Succession (1740 to 1748)

  • 1742 : In April the unit, together with the Régiment de Normandie , set out for Bavaria and reached the field camp near Niederaltaich on May 21 . A short time later, a piquet of 400 men was commanded to support the Duc d'Harcourt , who used it to investigate Ebersberg . On the way back, the department got lost in the fog and suddenly found itself surrounded by a swarm of hussars and pandours . After a three-hour battle, the division was able to break out of its grip and reach its own camp with a loss of 30 men. Soon afterwards, “Bretagne” left the Niederaltaich area and moved on towards Bohemia . Initially stationed in Eggenfelden, the regiment was used in the occupation of Elbogen and Kaaden , after which it moved on to Braunau . Winter quarters were moved into Regenstauf .
  • 1743 : On April 12th, the regiment moved to Amberg in order to strengthen the besieged Eger from there. A few days later, the French withdrew, in the course of which retreat battles were conducted near Dunkelfingen an der Jagst and Denkendorf (Württemberg) . Arrived in France in July, the unit was stationed in Fort-Louis .
  • 1744 to 1745 : In 1744 the regiment operated on the Moselle. During the invasion of Alsace, it marched into the Vosges, where it took part in the battle on the heights of Zabern , in which the imperial general Nadasty was defeated. The captain of the Grenadiers La Plaine was killed here. Then "Bretagne" fought in the attack on the entrenchments in front of Suffelsheim (Alsace) and in the siege of Freiburg. The winter quarters were moved into Swabia. In 1745 the unit was engaged in defense tasks in Alsace.
  • 1746 : The regiment was ordered to Flanders, where it fought in the siege of Mons and in the battle of Roucourt . Here it was part of the Clermont-Gallerande division, which threw the Hessian and Hanoverian troops out of the village of Varoux with tremendous momentum, with great losses. A month later they marched off to Provence , which threatened to be overrun by the enemy. It helped to drive back the imperial troops and spent the bad season at the approaches of the mountains.
  • 1747 : In June it participated in the attack on the fortifications of Montauban , then in the conquest of the county of Nice and the relief of Ventimiglia . At the end of the war, the regiment was in the Alpes-Maritimes .

Seven Years War

  • 1756 : Stationed in the field camp of Valencia since 1755 , the war began for the regiment in 1756 with the expedition to Menorca , where it distinguished itself in the attack on the forts of Marlborough and Mahon. The Capitaine Saint-Alby and Lieutenant Duperier were killed and two other officers were wounded. Soon afterwards, “Bretagne” was commanded back to France.
Battle of Hastenbeck
  • 1757 : Assigned to the army of Maréchal Louis-Charles-César Le Tellier and used in the battle of Hastenbeck . This was followed by the capture of Minden and Hanover with the pursuit of the enemy to the Zeven monastery .
  • 1758 : In January the regiment was in the Bremen area in the army of the Duc de Broglie . On February 23, a Prussian detachment tried to occupy the bridge over the Weser in Hoya . The grenadiers and 100 fusiliers of the regiment left their quarters in Burghausen to support the Guard Lorraine who were in the quarters in Hoya. Meanwhile, units of Ferdinand von Braunschweig had crossed the Weser below Hoya and attacked the French from the flank. The companies of "Bretagne" fought doggedly, but finally had to surrender with honor. After that the regiment was withdrawn first to Osnabrück and then to the Lower Rhine. Eventually it was used for border protection on the Dutch border.
  • 1759 and 1760 : Border guards on the Dutch border
  • 1761 and 1762 : back in Germany, deployed on July 3 in a battle near Verl and in another battle on the Fulda on July 23, 1762

Peace period 1762 to 1780

Back in France, the regiment was initially garrisoned at Fort Saint-Louis. In May 1763 it moved to the fortress Hüningen, in 1764 to Vannes , Lorient and Belle-Isle-en-Terre , in October 1766 to Rochefort, in May 1768 to Corsica , in November 1770 to Bordeaux and Blaye , in September 1772 to La Rochelle , in September 1773 to Brest (Finistère) , in November 1774 to Cambrai , in October 1776 to Douai and Gravelines , in October 1777 to Givet (Ardennes) and Philippeville , in April 1778 to Dunkirk and in November 1780 to Metz .

American War of Independence

During the American War of Independence (the French were allies of the Americans), the regiment was used in the second conquest of Menorca. It owed this effort to its commander, the son of Louis Des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, duc de Mahon , commander in chief of the French troops during the siege of Gibraltar . "Bretagne" was able to distinguish itself on Menorca as a garrison during the siege of Fort Saint-Philippe. After the French had to capitulate on February 4, 1782, they withdrew and reinforced the Spanish siege troops in front of the fortress of Gibraltar . During a bombardment of the besiegers by British floating batteries on September 11, 1782, the Capitaine Bérard and 30 men were killed.

Peace period 1783 to 1790

  • 1783 : After crossing all of Spain on foot, the regiment reached Perpignan in June . Here the later General de brigade Louis Charles Antoine Desaix joined the regiment as a Sous-lieutenant .
  • 1784 to 1789 : In October 1784 the relocation to Briançon took place . During the stationing there, a major fire destroyed the village of Casset. The soldiers of the regiment were used to fight the fire and gave the unfortunate residents 1,000 bread rations from their poorly measured food supplies to alleviate the misfortune. In April 1788 the relocation took place to Thionville , in September to Metz and in September 1789 to Hüningen.

Revolutionary period up to the premier amalgam

  • 1790 to 1794 : The 2nd battalion was commanded to Strasbourg, the 1st battalion to Lyon and Briançon. In 1991 it was merged again in Hüningen.
On January 1, 1791, the name was changed to 46 e régiment d'infanterie de ligne .
When war was declared by the Assemblée nationale in May 1792, the regiment had 1,123 men. A short time later, the 1st battalion was assigned to the army of Custine , while the 2nd battalion was designated as a garrison for Schlettstadt , but a short time later also joined the army. On May 17, 1793, the 46 e RI was in action near Rixheim , in which it held out for a long time, but then had to withdraw in good order.
On June 21, 1794, the tradition of the regiment ended, as the 1st battalion to set up the "91 e demi-brigade de bataille" and the 2nd battalion on July 30, 1794 to set up the "92 e demi-brigade de bataille " has been used.

Wars of the Revolution and the First Empire

Between 1794 and 1804 there was no infantry regiment with the number 46.

  • 1805 campaign in Germany
Battle of Ulm , Battle of Austerlitz
  • 1806 campaign in Prussia and Poland
Battle of Jena , Battle of Lübeck
  • 1807 campaign in Poland
Battle of Eylau , Battle of Heilsberg
  • 1809 campaign in Germany and Austria
Battle of Essling , Battle of Wagram , Battle of Znaim
  • 1812 Russian campaign
Battle of Smolensk , Battle of Walutino , Battle of Borodino , Battle of Vyazma , Battle of Krasnoye
  • 1813 campaign in Germany
Battle of Kulm , Battle of the Nations near Leipzig , Battle of Hanau
  • 1814 campaign in France
Battle of Brienne , Battle of La Rothière , Battle of Montereau , Battle of Bar-sur-Aube
  • 1815 Campaign in Belgium
Battle of Waterloo

1815 to 1852

  • 1828–1833 : Participation in the campaign to the Peloponnese to support the insurgents during the Greek War of Independence . Siege of Corinth .
  • 1830 : By order of September 18, a fourth battalion was set up, bringing the total strength to 3,000 men.

Crimean War

Franco-German War

On August 1, 1870, the regiment belonged to the "Armée du Rhin" (Rhine Army). Together with the 4 e bataillon de chasseurs and the 11 e régiment d'infanterie , the regiment formed the 1st infantry brigade under Général Grenier. Together with the 2nd Infantry Brigade, two artillery batteries each with four Canon de 4 modèle 1858 guns , a Mitrailleuses battery and a pioneer company, the 1st Infantry Division was set up under the Général de division Goze. This division belonged to the 5th Army Corps, commanded by Général de division Pierre Louis Charles de Failly.

The regiment fought:

at the battle of Beaumont
in the defense of the Citadel of Bitsch
in the suppression of the Paris Commune

First World War

The regiment was stationed in Paris and Fontainebleau . It belonged to the 19th Infantry Brigade of the 10th Infantry Division in the 5th Army Corps.

Positions at Vauquois
  • 1914
5th to 13th September: First battle of the Marne
October to December: Trench warfare in the Argonne
  • 1915
January to December: trench warfare in the Argonne, fighting near Vauquois
  • 1916
January to July: Trench warfare in the Argonne
September: Battle of the Somme
December: Trench warfare on the Aisne
  • 1917
January: Trench warfare on the Aisne
February to April: trench warfare at the Chemin des Dames
  • 1918
July: Second battle of the Marne , the regiment distinguished itself in the fighting near Noyon.
August: Trench warfare in Alsace
September to November: Trench warfare on the Aisne
On November 28, 1918, the regiment was honored in the Army Order of the 5th Army. During the war there were 3,684 dead and missing (including 76 officers).

Interwar period

The regiment was stationed in the Paris area.

Second World War

The regiment fought as far as possible on the Aisne and on June 10, 1940 at Asfeld had only six officers, eight non-commissioned officers and 82 men. It was dissolved as a result of the Compiègne armistice . In 1944 it was re-established as "46 e bataillon d'infanterie" and received its flag on January 11, 1945 from Général de Gaulle . At the end of the war it was in La Rochelle.

post war period

From 1945 it was with the occupation troops in the Rhineland and relocated to Berlin on November 2, 1947, where it was stationed to protect the city until its dissolution.

After 1947

Together with the 11 e régiment de chasseurs à cheval , it was stationed in the Napoléon quarter in Berlin. The dissolution took place on September 14, 1994. On July 1, 1995, the regiment was re-established as a reserve unit and subordinated to the 24th e régiment d'infanterie in Vincennes . It was intended as a security regiment and was finally disbanded on June 30, 1997.

Regimental flag

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.

  • 46e RI 1812 av.png
  • 46e RI 1812 rev.png
  • 46e rég inf 1940 av.png
  • 46e rég inf 1940 rev.png

Motto

  • 1740 to 1757:
Potius mori quam vinci
(" I'd rather die than be defeated")
  • from 1757:
Potius mori quam faedari
(" I'd rather die than fail")

Awards

Individual awards for merited soldiers in the Napoleonic Army
  • August 19, 1800: Grenadier Pierre Lefort: Honor rifle
  • October 19, 1800: Fusilier Louis Pauvart: Honor rifle
  • January 21, 1801: Fusilier Loup Favard: Honor rifle
  • September 25, 1801: Fusilier Joseph Aubert: Honor rifle
  • September 13, 1802: Caporal Jean-Marie Carton: Honor rifle
  • September 15, 1802: Capitaine Georges Henri Dardart: Saber of honor
  • September 15, 1802: Fusilier Joseph Émilien Libotte: Honor rifle
  • September 15, 1802: Sous-lieutenant Jean-Louis Prosper Mien: Saber of honor
  • July 15, 1803: Lieutenant Jean-Claude Vincent Guillemin: saber of honor
  • July 15, 1803: Capitaine Jean-Baptiste Triboulez: saber of honor
The flag ribbon is decorated with
  • the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with a palm branch
  • the Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with a palm branch
  • the gold medal of the city of Milan
  • Since 1994, the regiment has also carried a flag ribbon for the Bundeswehr and a flag ribbon for the city of Berlin .

  • Coix de guerre 1914-1918

  • Croix de guerre 1939-1945

  • Gold Medal of the City of Milan

Honorable Mention
  • Army order of the 5th Army No. 427 of November 28, 1918:

“A brave regiment which, since the beginning of the fighting in the Argonne near Vauquois, on the Somme, on the Oise, in the Champagne and on the Aisne, has shown grim tenacity on the defensive and indefatigability on the offensive. Under the energetic drive of its chief, Lieutenant-Colonel Peyrotte, it took part in the persecution in the north of Suippe from September 30th to October 8th. In these seven consecutive days and nights, the enemy succeeded in throwing them back more than 6 kilometers, inflicting heavy losses and taking more than 200 prisoners. A large number of machine guns were also captured. It put up stubborn resistance to strong counter-attacks in the south of the river against the section of the regiment.

signed: Guillaumat "

literature

  • André Pézard: Nous autres à Vauquois. 1915-1916. 46 e RI Ed .: Comité national du souvenir de Verdun. La Renaissance du livre, Paris 1974 ( limited preview in Google Book Search), new edition: La Table ronde, Paris 2016, ISBN 978-2-7103-7966-9 .
  • Général Serge Andolenko : Recueil d'historiques de l'infanterie française. Eurimprim, Paris 1969.
  • M. Pinard: Chronologie historique-militaire. Volume 2 ( digitized on Gallica ), 4 ( digitized ), 5 ( digitized ) and 7 ( digitized ). Claude Hérissant, Paris 1760, 1761, 1762 and 1764.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ to the province
  2. ↑ Etat des services de M r de Selves, Jean Jérôme, colonel. Status sheet by Jean Jérôme de Selves.
  3. ↑ the king himself
  4. ↑ 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 .
  5. ^ Ordre du Régiment N ° 28 du 1 er février 1945 - décès du Lieutenant-colonel Bertrand.
  6. ↑ unexplained place
  7. ^ Jean, marquis de Vins, lieutenant general des armées du roi, captain lieutenant de la première compagnie des mousquetaires
  8. ↑ unknown location
  9. ↑ unknown, probably just a temporary earthwork
  10. ↑ Sire, tu veux de la Gloire; eh bien, sois tranquille, demain on t'en foutera. Grenadier Archer, 1805.
  11. ↑ Victor Louis Jean François Belhomme: Histoire de l'infantry en France. Volume 5. Henri Charles-Lavauzelle, Paris 1893, p. 151.
  12. ↑ from August 1914 to November 1918
  13. ↑ «  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 ")
  14. ↑ "  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 ")
  15. ↑ 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 : Drapeaux du 46e régiment d'infanterie  - Collection of images, videos and audio files