17th Colonial Infantry Division (France)


17th Colonial Infantry Division was an infantry division of the French Army during the First World War. It was deployed overseas, seeing action during the Gallipoli campaign, and thereafter on the Salonika front, fighting alongside British troops in both theatres of war. It was sent to the Crimea in December 1918 as part of the Army of the Danube.

Creation and nomenclature

1915

Transporting the troops by boat, for concentration at Lemnos.
The vanguard embarked on the Armand-Béhic and the Savoie at Toulon, departing 4 February; on the Djurdjura and the Vin-Long at Bizerte, the Chaouïa at Philippeville and the Carthage at Oran which concentrate at Sidi-Abdallah to form a convoy and leave on 4 March. All arrived in Malta on 6 March to join the St-Louis and the Edgar-Quinet which set sail for Lemnos on 6 March and arrived on 11 March.
A second departure from Marseille on 4 March: Lorraine, Dumbéa, Magellan, Australian, Charles-Roux, Moulouya, Théodore Mante, Italy, Pelion, from Toulon on 4 March: :fr:La Savoie, :fr:La Lorraine, the Paul Lecat, the Bien-Hoa, the Ceylan departed from Oran on 7 March. To go through Bizerte and then form two groups:
First group: :fr:La Provence, Dumbéa, Magellan, Théodore Mante, Moulouya, Charles-Roux. Departure from Bizerte on 14 March to arrive in Lemnos on 15 March.
Second group: Savoy, Lorraine, Paul Lecat, Bien-Hoa, Italy, Pelion, Ceylon. Departure from Bizerte on 13 March to arrive in Lemnos on 17 March.
The 1st echelon on the Hérault leaves on the 4th from Marseille, passes the 6th in Toulon and arrives in Lemnos on the 10th. The 2nd echelon on Admiral-Hammelin passed through Bizerte on the 17th and arrived at Lemnos on the 27th.
Hastily formed, after assembling on Lemnos there had been no time for the corps to undertake large-scale training before it was committed to the land campaign. During the initial Allied landing on 25 April, the corps undertook a diversionary landing on the Dardanelles Asiatic coast around Kum Kale, to divert Ottoman forces away from the main landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and to disrupt Ottoman artillery that could have fired upon the main landings. The 6th Mixed Colonial Regiment led the division ashore, supported by three battleships and a Russian warship. Part of the first wave was turned back by heavy fire, but the rest managed to get ashore and they proceeded to secure the village and an Ottoman fort. Throughout the course of 26 April, the Ottoman 3rd Division counterattacked, but the following day, having lost over 2,200 killed or wounded, the Ottomans began surrendering to the French in large numbers. Nevertheless, the French were withdrawn shortly afterwards, having lost about 300 killed and 500 wounded.
Following this, the French force re-embarked and was landed at Cape Helles, where they took up a position on the right flank around 'S' Beach. On 28 April, the commander of the C.E.O. set up the French headquarters at the old castle situated at Sedd el Bahr. With a strength of 24 companies, they subsequently took part in the First Battle of Krithia on 28 April. In early May, the Ottoman forces launched a heavy counterattack on the Allied positions with a force of over 16,000 men. The attack was beaten back, but the French division suffered heavy casualties – up to 2,000 men – and at the height of the assault some of the Senegalese and Zouaves "broke and ran". As a result, the 2nd Naval Brigade from the British Royal Naval Division, had to take over some of their positions. Reinforcements were brought in, including a second French division, which arrived between 6 and 8 May, although they did not arrive in time to take part in the Second Battle of Krithia, during which the 1st Division attacked towards the Kereves Dere gully, and although they made slow progress they eventually managed to secure the high ground overlooking this position before the attack petered out.
  • Engaged in the Battle of Krithia: took part, on 6, 7 and 8 May, 4 and 21 June, and from 12 to 14 July, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th engagements of Kereves Dere.
  • Preparations for the offensive in the Gallipoli peninsula
  • From 17 August, 6th engagement of Kereves Dere, then took up positions in a sector in this region.
A period of stalemate followed, and the August Offensive failed to break the deadlock. Following Bulgaria's entry into the war, on 24 September, a secret telegram was despatched from the French Minister of War to Bailloud. He was ordered to prepare a division of the C.E.O. composed exclusively of metropolitan units to be sent to aid Serbia. Bailloud and the reconstituted division commenced embarkation on 30 September. The French began to refocus their actions in the Mediterranean around Salonika.
In the autumn of 1915, there were concerns as to the ability of the Senegalese to cope with the winter weather, and their withdrawal from Gallipoli was proposed, once the British agreed to replace them. In order to facilitate this, the 57th and 58th regiments were to be composed of Senegalese, with the 54th and 56th composed of Marsouins. This reconstitution took place on 11 December 1915. Similarly, five companies of creoles were detached from the 54th and 56th in order to be sent to a wintering camp. The plan did not go ahead. The creole companies of the 54th were detached on 15 December, and returned to their unit on 22 January 1916. The two locations for the "wintering" were either Egypt or Algeria. For political reasons, it was deemed inappropriate to send them there, but to keep them on Lesbos. It was usual practice for Senegalese to be sent to Fréjus for a period of "wintering", but this location did not get proposed as an alternative, notwithstanding its previous mention by General Joffre. The men of the 58th were evacuated in batches between 16 December and 5 January, whilst the 57th were evacuated by a convoy of several ships on 13 December 1915. The marsouins of the 54th and the 56th were evacuated on 2 and 3 January 1916 respectively. Six older artillery pieces were destroyed and abandoned, two 140 mm guns and four 240 mm guns, given that it was not possible to embark all of the heavy guns.

1916

  • A telegram dated 6 January 1916 proclaims that the troops of the CED are to be known henceforth as the 17th Colonial Infantry Division. On 8 February, the commander-in-chief announces that the division is now part of the Armée d'Orient. This reflects the secret order dated 18 January 1916 that the marsouins of the 17th Division stationed at Moudros, Tenedos and Lesbos should be redeployed to Salonika, to join the AFO.
  • On 6 February, the war diary records that the government has decided that the marsouins of the 1st Colonial Infantry Brigade garrisoned on Lesbos should be transported to Salonika as soon as possible. In keeping with this order, the troops embarked on 10 February and disembarked on 12 February at Salonika. The headquarters staff of the 2nd Colonial Infantry Brigade arrive at Salonika on 15 February. Thereafter, the infantry component of the 2nd Colonial Infantry Brigade is replenished by two colonial infantry regiments arriving at Salonika via France. The 1st Regiment's three battalions had disembarked on 21 February. Two battalions of the 3rd Regiment disembarked on 26 February. The remainder of the 3rd Regiment were embarked aboard the Provence 2 which departed Toulon on 23 February, and was torpedoed in the Ionian Sea on 26 February. Only 500 other ranks and 7 officers survived the sinking. The two groups of survivors were taken to Milos and Malta, and were disembarked at Salonika on 21 and 26 March respectively.
  • The redeployment of the six battalions of Tirailleurs remained uncertain at this time, notwithstanding the fact that as stated already in this article, this has been a subject of debate since October 1915. The Tirailleurs were to remain on Lesbos until 28 April 1916, when they were embarked for passage to Fréjus via Toulon.
  • From 20 February onwards, the division was charged with the setup and upkeep of defensive positions towards Livaritikon Oros and the northern and southeastern heights of :fr:Galatista in Chalkidiki.

  • Occupation of a sector on the right bank of the lower Struma : development work on the road from Salonica to Serres.
  • Relief by the 28th Division ; movement towards Irikli and Dérésélo ; works and occupation of a sector towards Gola and Hill 576.
  • Engaged from 9 to 18 August in the Battle of Doiran, then organization of the conquered positions northwest of Akritas.
  • Withdrawal from the front and rest of the 33rd Colonial Brigade in the region of Banitsa, then in that of Negovani and Sakulevo
  • Participation of this brigade in the formation of a provisional division.
  • The 34th Colonial Brigade continued to hold the Doiran sector
  • The two brigades are successively placed at the disposal of the Serbian army : participation in the Battle of the River Cherna:
  • * Offensive of the 33rd Colonial Brigade between Tcherna and Kenali .
  • * 15 November, advance east of Kenali; 27 November, advance to the line of Hill 1050, Novaci, North Macedonia; then further progression to Vlaklar.
  • * From 11 December, organization of conquered positions.
  • From 28 October, relief of the 34th Colonial Brigade, south of Doiran, by British troops of XII Corps. Elements of this brigade, carried on the right bank of the Vardar, are made available to the 122nd Infantry Division. Other elements, carried in the region of Alexsia, joined the 17th Division in stages, towards Bitola, between 22 November and 5 December.