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Marines (from the English adjective "marine", meaning "of the sea", from Latin language mare, meaning sea, via French adjective marin(e), "of the sea") are, in principle, land forces under the control of a navy.
The exact term "marine" does not exist in many other languages. Typically, foreign equivalents are called "naval infantry" (e.g. Spain, Germany, and Russia). In French-speaking countries, two terms exist which could be translated as "marine", but do not translate exactly: troupes de marine and fusiliers-marins; similar pseudo-translations exist elsewhere, e.g. Fuzileiros Navais in Portuguese. The word marine means Navy in many European languages such as French, German, Dutch and Swedish.
Historically, Marines served on board warships, assisted the crew in battles, boarded enemy ships, conducted small coastal raids, protected the officers from mutiny by the crew, protected ports and naval bases, and served as a landing force.
As a result of their mixed land and naval role, marine forces tend to be specialised in amphibious assaults using infantry, armour, aircraft, and watercraft.
Roles
Today, Marines are primarily a naval amphibious force. Operating from ships, they are trained to land on and capture a section of coast-line. However, they are also used in other roles.
Embarked marines parties serve on warships to assist with bridge watch-keeping, fire-fighting, ship security and the provision of boarding parties to board other vessels.
Marine units also operate from warships, such as landing craft and amphibious vehicle units on amphibious-support ships or aircraft squadrons on aircraft carriers.
They are also used for coastal or riverine boat patrols and security of naval bases.
In modern warfare, Marines are usually elite, highly-mobile troops.
The United States Marine Corps, the largest marine force in the world, is often used in situations that do not involve naval elements, such as general land warfare. It is often used as a spearhead for major military offensives or as a stopgap when an emergency military situation breaks out, performing critical military operations until more permanent forces arrive.
Founding dates of early Marine units
- 1537 - Infanteria de Marina (Spain)
- 1621 - Fuzileiros Navais (Portugal)
- 1622 - Troupes de marine (France)
- 1664 - Royal Marines (United Kingdom)
- 1665 - Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (Korps Mariniers)
- 1713 - La Marina Militare (Italy)
- 1775 - United States Marine Corps {Originally Continental Marines}
- 1808 - Fuzileiros Navais (Brazil)
- 1818 - Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina (Chile)
National marine corps
Note that some countries do not differentiate branches of their armed forces, e.g. Israeli Defense Forces or the Canadian Forces.
Argentina
- The Argentine Marine Corps (Infantería de Marina de la Armada de la República Argentina, IMARA) is a part of the Argentine Navy. Argentine Marines have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Navy. It is composed of a Fleet Marine Force (one Marine Battalion, plus artillery, air defence, communications, logistics, engineer and vehicle units), a Southern Marine Force (2 Marine Battalions), a River Operations Battalion, a Special Forces Unit and several Security Battalions and Companies.
Brazil
- The Brazilian Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais), is subordinate to the Brazilian Navy. The Marine Corps is composed of an Operational Brigade and some Guard and Ceremonial Duty Battalions.
Chile
- The Chilean Marine Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina) is a branch of the Chilean Navy. They specialize in performing amphibious assaults, and belong to the Chilean Special Forces Unit along with the Combat Divers. The Corps is composed of four units, organized along the Chilean Territory. Each one with their own anti-aircraft guns, artillery and landing crafts.
China
Finland
- Finnish Coastal Ranger Command (Nylands brigad) in Ekenäs is part of the Finnish Navy. This detachment is the only Swedish-speaking unit in the Finnish Defence Forces.
France
Three branches of the French armed forces could possibly be translated as "marines":
Troupes de marine
Main article: Troupes de marine
The Troupes de marine (literally "troops of the navy", "naval troops", often roughly translated as "marine troops") are despite the name, now an arm of the French Army. The arm is dedicated to service overseas, in practice particularly in Africa. The troupes de marine include infantry (Infanterie de Marine), artillery (Artillerie de Marine), and tanks (Chars de Marine).
The modern troupes de marine have a special mixed heritage as descendants of a merger between the older troupes de marine (once part of the navy) and the former French Colonial Forces.
The troupes de marine were founded in 1622 (officially titled compagnies ordinaires de la mer) as land forces under the control of the navy, notably for operations in French Canada. Many of the current regiments of the troupes de marine are in fact descendants of the Troupes Coloniales (Colonial Troops), which merged into the troupes de marine in the 1960s.
Fusiliers-marins
Main article: Fusiliers de Marine
The French Navy (Marine Nationale) includes the Fusiliers de Marine (FUSMAR) (more commonly but less officially called Fusiliers-marins) who protect naval bases and serve on capital ships. Currently the Naval Fusiliers consists of 14 Companies of Fusiliers and a small commando battalion (Fusiliers/commandos, FUSCO). They are under the common command of the FORFUSCO.
Fusiliers de marine literally translates as "fusiliers of the navy", "naval fusiliers", but can also be roughly translated as "marine fusiliers". Fusiliers-marins literally translates as "fusilier-sailors", while unhyphenated, fusiliers marins translates literally as "sea fusiliers".
Marins-pompiers de Marseille
Main article: Marseille Marine Fire Battalion
The official title of the Marseille fire service, Bataillon de marins-pompiers de Marseille can be translated as "Marseille Marine Fire Battalion". A more literal translation, however, would be "Marseille Sailor-Firefighters' Battalion".
The Marseille Marine Fire Battalion, is the fire and rescue service for the city of Marseille. The battalion is a branch of the French Navy and consists exclusively of military personnel. (Unlike other parts of France, the cities of Marseille and Paris have military fire services. The Paris fire service is part of the French army.)
Greece
32nd Brigade of Marines "Moravas" (32η Ταξιαρχία Πεζοναυτών Mοράβας) is a unit of naval infantry maintained by the Hellenic Army. The unit is based at Volos in Thessaly; landing craft and other nautical gear are furnished by the Hellenic Navy.
Italy
- The Italian Navy (Marina Militare) has a marine unit, the San Marco Regiment, based in Brindisi.
- The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano) has its own marine infantry unit, the Serenissima Regiment, based in Venice. Its soldiers are called Lagunari.
Japan
- The Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces, with some marine-like duties.
South Korea
Indonesia
- Korps Marinir TNI AL Indonesia Marine Corps, component part of the Indonesia Navy Force established on 15 November 1945.
Mexico
Netherlands
- The Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine) naval infantry unit is the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps.
Norway
- The Royal Norwegian Navy (Den Kongelige Norske Marine) unit responsible for naval infantry and ISTAR operations (equivalent to other countries' marine corps) is the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command (Kystjegerkommandoen).
Philippines
- The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) has a strength of about men divided into five (5) brigades. The Marine units include four (4) infantry manoeuvre brigades, composed of fifteen (15) tactical infantry battalions and one (1) heavy weapons brigade (composed of the 105 mm Howitzer, 106 mm recoilless gun, along with an amphibious vehicle (LVT) and armoured units). Two (2) of the marine battalions have specialised roles: The Force Reconnaissance (Recon) battalion is used for rapid airlift to troubled areas. This Recon battalion is also trained in shipboarding attacks. The Marine Guard battalion is deployed in urban warfare and in defence of an installation. The Philippine Marines (PMC) is also considered the shock force of the Armed Forces and is the first unit to be involved in any amphibious or seaborne clashes.
Portugal
- Since 1621 the Portuguese Navy maintains a naval infantry corps, presently named Corpo de Fuzileiros. The Portuguese marine corps include many men, including two naval infantry battalions, a naval police unit, a special operations unit and several support units (logistical, fire support, landing craft, etc.).
Russia
- The Russian Naval Infantry (Морская пехота).
Spain
- The Spanish Marine Infantry (Infantería de Marina), the oldest marine corps in the world, was established on February 27, 1537 by Charles V when he permanently assigned the Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles (Naples Old Sea Companies) to the Escuadras de Galeras del Mediterráneo (Mediterranean Galley Squadrons).
Sweden
- Sweden's Svenska amfibiekåren is the amphibious arm of the Swedish Navy.
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Thailand
- Royal Thai Marine Corps.
United Kingdom
- The Royal Marines of the United Kingdom were formed in 1664 and are a part of the Royal Navy.
United States
- The United States Marine Corps, originally established as the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775 at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and part of the Department of the Navy, is currently the largest marine corps in the world.
Venezuela
- The Infantería de Marina of Venezuela is a subdivision of the National Navy form the National Armed Forces of the BRV.
Historical marine corps
Germany
- During the Imperial German era, the German Seebatallione provided shipboard troops to the German Navy. These forces also served in the German colonies as regular infantry.
France
- The Ordinary Marine Companies (Compagnies Ordinaires de la Mer) was a French marine corps created in 1622.
Japan
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- The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces, existed from 1928 to 1945.
United Kingdom
- The Corps of Colonial Marines was a British marine corps formed during the mid 1840s to serve in the remaining British America colonies (mainly the West Indies). The Colonial Marines were controlled by the Royal Marines as an auxiliary force. Initially recruited from freed or escaped slaves from the United States and later from local inhabitants, these units were either disbanded or absorbed by the West India Regiment.