French Saharan units

The Saharan units were units of the armed French assigned to the the Sahara at the time of the Colonisation. They were dissolved with the independence of the Algérie, in 1962.

General information

The Saharan units were several types, energy of the units meharists to the assembled units (with back of Cheval or Mulet) or carried (on Véhicule S).

They were in charge of the missions of police force, escort and more generally of presence in the zones little populated and difficult to reach from the Saharan borders in the old colonies (Morocco, Algérie, Tunisia, Libya).

Characteristics of the meharists

In general, the units meharists were made up of Officier S and Sous-officier S French framing indigenous troops. So certain units passed part of the year in station, others, on the other hand, nomadisaient permanently, according to the movements of the wandering populations. This lifestyle required then, on behalf of the French who were used for it, of the physical capacities and well soaked morals.

History

Origins

From time immemorial the Tuareg S and other tribes of the the Sahara used the Dromadaire S ( deserts vessel ) for their exceptional qualities in such a difficult medium.

In 1800, during the Countryside of Egypt, Napoleon 1st decides to equip some with its units of Dromadaire S in order to allow them faster displacements. Thus these dragons moves with backs of camélidés and puts feet at ground to fight.

Then, the troops engaged in the conquest of the Africa, were quickly confronted with the limits of the Cheval in this medium arid and were forced to use the dromedary, not only like beast of burden (Faidherbe), but also like mounting by men like Laperrine, Meynier or Lamy

At the end of the 19th century, in spite of the failure of the creation of the first unit meharist, several attempts are concluded, thus posing the first stones of the development of these units of a new type.

Official creation

The law of the December 5th 1894 creates Saharan special troop with a squadron of Spahis Saharan and a company of Saharan Tirailleur S . At the beginning of the 20th century, the major Laperrine succeeds in convincing the command to carry out the replacement of the units of spahis and riflemen by natives broken with the difficulties of the desert.

The March 30th 1902, a law creates five Saharan companies then ordered by Officier S of the indigenous businesses. These company S depends then on the weapon of the Infanterie, in opposition to the units concerned with the Troupes of navy (then colonial Troupes) stationed in French Western Africa and with the Raising. They are called then the metropolitan formations.

Organizations

One of the characteristics of these units is to be made up of natives who must provide for their food, their equipment, as goes up to them (purchase and maintenance of the méhari).

Units of metropolitan Infantry

Units of the genius

Two units of the weapon of the genius are with work with the the Sahara:

the Saharan Battalion of the genius

It is composed of two companies, stationed with El-Golea and Ouargla, as well as staff and counts approximately 220 men in all.

Each company is articulated same manner:
- 1 Section of commandement
- 1 section of transport and entretien
- 1 section engins
- 1 section of framing of the personnel civil

the Saharan company of Colomb-Béchar

Articulated same manner as the companies above, it counts on the other hand a little more than 400 men and of many vehicles and machines of all types.

Units of the Transmissions

The units of the Transmissions are divided into two companies with the service of the two commands of zone. They count between 170 and 200 men each one. Their missions are to arm the signal centres, the telephone centres and the radio stations of the stations like providing the qualified personnel for the units nomadisant. These units are the following ones:

the 1st company of transmissions to Colomb-Béchar
the 2nd company of transmissions to Ouargla

Units of transport

There exist three companies of transport including/understanding each one:
- 1 Section of commandement
- 1 section of transport
- 1 element of variable size according to the unité
The whole of the transport companies represents approximately 200 men.

Colonial units

Two units colonial meharists were in service:

the groups meharists of French Western Africa composed of:

- 1st brigade (Mauritania)
- 3rd brigade (Mauritania and French Sudan)
- 4th brigade (Niger)
Each one of these brigades was divided into two or three groups meharists equipped with mortars of 60 mm and Mitrailleuse S and made up of approximately 70 men.

With each group a goum is assistant back-up troops (indigenous serving the French Army without forming part of it).

the wandering groups of French equatorial Africa

Each one of these groups counts two sections of more than 90 men to which a goum is added back-up troops.

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