4th regiment of Tunisian riflemen

The 4th regiment of Tunisian riflemen (4th RTT) is a colonial unit of the French Army formed in December 1884.

In the beginning the Algerian regiments of Tirailleur S and Tunisian are “molten” in only one system of classification. This is undoubtedly related to the fact that the corresponding territories themselves were withdrawn from the same supervision: that of the Ottoman Empire of which the persons in charge are, locally, the Dey of Algiers and the Bey de Tunis. They are often besides, the old troops of these areas which are recruited to constitute the base of these first regiments of riflemen. From there certainly the nickname comes from “Turcos” given to these units.

Very quickly, differentiation takes place between riflemen Algerian and Tunisian and there does not exist any more 4th regiment of Algerian riflemen, not more than of 8 {{E}}, 12 {{E}} or 16 {{E}} regiment, the multiple numbers of four being then allotted to the Tunisian riflemen, the others being it with the Algerian riflemen.

Badge of the 4th RTT

Heraldic

August 1st

Significance

August 1st

Currency of the 4th RTT

The currency of the regiment is: “Under the guard of Allah”.

Flag of the regiment

In remembering the battles in which the regiment took part, its flag carries the following inscriptions:

''' CASABLANCA 1908 '''
''' OWN WAY 1914 '''
''' ARTOIS 1915 '''
''' CHAMPAGNE 1915 '''
''' VERDUN 1917 '''
''' the AISNE 1918 '''
PICARDY 1918
SOMME-PY 1918
the VIEW-POINT 1944
GARIGLIANO 1944
the VOSGES 1944
STUTTGART 1945
''' INDO-CHINA 1947-1954 '''

History

Before the First World War

Constituted primarily of Tunisian soldiers and frameworks French - the latter represent between 20 and 30% of manpower -, it counts, in 1899, 6 battalions of 600 men each one.

In October 1900, the first battalion of walk is sent to the Tonkin, in reserve of the Task force of China, before being repatriated later one year.

In 1907 - 1908, 2nd and 4th battalions is engaged in their turn in operations in Eastern Morocco, the 3rd battalion in Chaouia (1908), joined soon by the 4th battalion.

From October 1911 at September 1912, six of the twelve battalions which account then the 4th RTT are engaged in Morocco in engagements against hostile tribes with French protectorate in the areas of Chaouia and Fès. In a message addressed to the bey de Tunis, the April 22nd 1911, Eugene Regnault, minister of France in Morocco, underlines “the value, the discipline and devotion '' above any praise” whose make proof then the Tunisian riflemen.

First World War

A few years later, at the beginning of the First World War, France mobilizes in Tunisia 62.461 Moslems, against 9000 French of Tunisia, in addition to the 24.442 “colonial workers”, that is to say on the whole 86.903 men.

Engaged for the first time the August 23rd 1914 with Hanzinelle (Belgium), these soldiers are not long in discovering the horrors of the war of the Tranchée S. Of Ribemont to Amiens, while passing by the Chemin of the Ladies, the Artois, Auberive, Verdun and Soissons, the feats of arms of the Tunisians are worth to them, in addition to the Military Cross, the Military decoration and the Légion of honor, 6 mentions in dispatches as well as a participation in the procession of the victory the July 14th 1919 .

The value of the 4th RTT and the behavior of its elements to the combat do of it “one of the regiments most decorated with all the French Army. ” According to the Ministry for the War, 16.509 of its members fall to the field from honor (on a total of dead Maghrebian estimated between 28.000 and 36.000).

Inter-war period

After the Armistice, the Tunisian battalions do not fail to be deployed in other theaters of operations - in Morocco, in the Tunisian South, in the East, with Constantinople, in the Dardanelles and in Syria - where they help to subdue the revolt of Djebel Druze in 1925 - 1926.

Second world war

The loyalty of the Tunisian riflemen, their discipline and their heat with the combat find, at the time of the Second world war, a new occasion to appear. Equipped with material of fortune and deprived of a true intendance, these valiant soldiers admirably fight nevertheless at the sides of the American French, and Britanniques but also in their country where they help to stop the advance of the Afrika Korps.

The June 16th 1940, at the time of engagements between the German troops and the 4th regiment of Tunisian riflemen, 63 soldiers are killed with Houville-the-Connects (Eure-et-Loir) where a military cemetery is then arranged. In 1943, the regiment is attached to the 3 {{E}} division of Algerian infantry.

During the countryside of Italy, the 4th RTT, unloaded with Naples between the 26 and the December 29th 1943, combat intensely in the area of the Abbey of the Mount-Cassin, succeeds in crossing the Ligne Gustave and seizes the View-point. During these combat, which last of the January 25th to the February 23rd 1944, the assessment of the 4th RTT is heavy: 207 died, 75 missings and 1090 wounded. Half of manpower of the regiment and the three quarters of its frameworks are killed or wounded. That does not prevent it from taking part in all the other decisive campaigns against the German forces: one thus sees the Tunisians with Hyères, on the island of Porquerolles, in the Presqu'île of Giens, in front of Toulon and Marseilles, in the the Vosges and until in Germany (while passing by the Alsace). Thus, the Adjudant-chef Ahmed El Abed will be the first soldier of the French Army to penetrate in Germany in 1945: it crosses ice-cold water of the river Lauter to hustle with the head of a few tens of combatants a unit of frightening the S and to seize, the March 14th, village of Scheibenhardt.

At the end of the war, on the 26.000 Tunisians who take share with the engagements, 1700 died and 450 missings.

After the Second world war

At once the finished war, France calls upon the “indigenous troops again” to restore its Souveraineté in Indo-China. The 4th RTT is thus reconstituted as of the 1949. The riflemen of 2nd and 3rd battalion, called “battalion of the View-point”, are engaged with the Kampuchea then with the South-Vietnamese soldier Nam. Forwarding lasts of 1949 with 1955.

With the return of the riflemen in their country, this one is about to reach the independence which is proclaimed the March 20th 1956. Aguerris and tested, the latter do not have any difficulty in integrate the news national army into the sides with manpower of the guard beylicale and old the Fellagha S.

In its newspaper of war, Ahmed Farhati, soldier of the 4th RTT, note at the date of the August 25th 1944: “Paris is free. We them Tunisian, Moroccan, Algeria NS and Senegal board can be proud us: we fought for France as if it were our fatherland. I hope that when I return, finally if I to Tunisia, we return could be regarded by the French brothers and not as colonized. ” It of it will be nothing and France will not hold its promises as regards access to work and the Citoyenneté. On the contrary, the shortly after independence, it freezes the Pension S of the “indigenous” war veterans at the rates where they are at the date of the independence of their country whereas those their French comrades are indexed on the Cost of living French. Added to old inequalities as regards balances and of advance - the “indigenous” soldiers cannot go beyond the rank of lieutenant if they are not naturalized (and they are it exceptionally) -, this injustice, certainly recognized thereafter, leaves a deep wound in these “heroes”.

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