Military Engineering

the United States

Seabee of the US Navy

France

In the past, the Génie was one of the components of the Army, which was to fulfill three missions: to fight, build and protect. Today, military Engineering is divided into two components:

Service of the genius, which joined the Service of Infrastructure of Defense within the General secretary for the Administration. It with the responsibility for infrastrucures belonging to the ministry for Defense.
the genius fights made up of regiments, within the brigades interarmes or of the brigade of genius which can be committed to support the units of the army. Its missions are the assistance with mobility, against-mobility and the support with the units.

Service of the genius

The Génie also indicates the service in charge with the development, the management and the maintenance of the real field of the Army as well as certain installations (tracks) of the Air force, gendarmerie and of the National marine. It has at its head the Central management of the genius, is broken up into 5 Regional managements of the Genius to which are subordinates 17 Etablissements of the Genius established on the whole of the metropolitan territory. The service of the genius was integrated in 2005 into the SID, service of infrastructure of defense, with the component air and marine. This new unit is subordinated to the SGA.

Genius fights

The Génie indicates the units which are technical mission leaders in support of the offensive or defensive units.

Within the framework of an offensive operation, the genius is charged to prepare the ground in order to facilitate the displacement of the weapons of fray, creation of bridges, opening of brêches in minefields… It is the assistance with mobility .

Within the framework of defensive operations, it is more particularly charged to block the walk of the enemy like arranging the ground in order to protect the friendly forces. It is the assistance with the against-mobility and the support with the units.

So the units of the genius can often be very exposed with fire whereas they are not units mainly fighting.

To protect

Lastly, the Génie has the role of protecting the civil populations. For this mission, it has the Brigade of firemen of Paris, in charge of the help for Paris and the small crown, of the Unités of instruction and intervention of the civil security (UIISC) and of 2erégiment of dragons N.B.C

UIISC 1, based with Nogent-le-Rotrou
UIISC 5, based with Corte
UIISC 7, based with Brignoles
2nd RDNBC, based with Fontevraud

Units

History of military engineering

During the Napoleonean Wars

Worsen French

One can consider that the final creation date of the body of the Genius is on December 15th, 1793.

It is at this time:

that the companies of minors are separated from artillery;
which are created 12 battalions of sappers.

The 12 battalions of sappers include/understand each one 8 companies of 200 men and are directed by a staff of 400 officers. In this organization, the transport of the bridges of boats remains under the responsibility of artillery.

One enters to the Genius on contest, thus the Minister for the war makes prevent the various administrations that an examination with the contest is organized between the 11 frimaire and the 11 ventôse year II. To present itself to the contest it is necessary to be at least 16 years old, to be provided with a certificate of good citizenship and a legalized birth certificate which it is necessary to address to the minister who registers the candidates on the table of the examination.

During the Empire, the Genius becomes an occupied important Body with innumerable work of war and fortification. Its manpower often exceeds the 20.000 men.

1805 : the Genius counts:

5 battalions of sappers;
9 companies of minors.

The number of the battalions of sappers is gradually changed to 8 (5 French, 1 Dutch, 1 Italian, 1 Spanish).

1806 : a battalion of the train of the genius is created (which includes/understands 6 companies in 1811). The same year, is created for each battalion of sappers a park of tools carried by the conducting sappers.

1808 : the companies of minors are joined together in 2 battalions of 5, then 6, companies each one.

1812 : the genius engages in the countryside of Russia its 8 battalions of sappers (whose 3 foreigners) and 2 battalions of minors, is more than 13.000 men.

In continuation of the disastrous retirement, the number of the battalions of sappers is tiny room to 5.

1814 : the first restoration gives up the distribution of the companies between special battalions of minors and sappers and reorganizes the Genius in 3 regiments of sappers and miners.

Each regiment counts 2 battalions with 6 companies each one (5 sappers and 1 of minors). The Genius of the Guard is removed. This reorganization is not completely completed at the time of the return of the Emperor.

1815 : the 3 regiments of the Genius provide elements for the countryside of Belgium before being dissolved by the second restoration.

The United Kingdom

Smaller in manpower than the other armies of Europe, the British Armée has however of a regrouping and a particularly effective organization of its erudite weapons: artillery and genius.

First of all, those do not depend on the Ministry for the War (War Office) but of the Council of the Artillery (Board off Ordnance) which manages not only these two subdivisions of the Army but also the manufacture of the weapons, the ammunition and the material for the Army and the Navy.

This Board off Ordnance is chaired by a " General Master " who has the rank of minister! (see our Large Master of Artillery of the centuries earlier)

He has under his command 1°) Artillery: Royal Artillery and Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Artillery Drivers, Royal Foreign Artillery, 2°) a Military academy for the formation of the Artillery officers and the Genius: Royal Military Academy; 3°) a department of health specific to Artillery and the Genius: Medical Ordnance Department, 4°) service of the Genius.

The service of the Genius is subdivided between the body of the officers: Royal Engineers and soldiers: whose name will vary between 1800 and 1815: Royal Military Artificers in 1800, Royal Military Artificers gold Sappers and Miners in 1812 then Royal Sappers and Miners in 1813.

The officers (Royal Engineers) are trained with Royal Military Academy (see higher) and, contrary to much of noble British officers who achêtent simply their patent and their place in the Army, those enter like juniors-gentilhommes (Gentlemen juniors) at 12 years and gain their gallons of second lieutenant while passing from the examinations. However, the needs for the Army in manpower of specialists increasing, recruitment will be done less rigorous. These officers are relatively very few and are dispersed in all the quotas of the British Army, that it is in Europe but also in all the colonies (in particular in the Indies where the Army of the Company of the Indies, which is autonomous, also has its clean " ingénieurs").

The troop: In 1811, there are 28 companies of approximately 100 men each one also distributed on all the theaters of operation. One must conceive on the ground the work of these men like that of foremen making generally dig requisitioned civilians (or slaves with the colonies), under the direction of the officers, in a role of engineer architect.

Duchies of Anhalt and principalities of Lippe

Behavior of the pomegranates (dress of the troop with shoulder pads, cords, rackets and plumet scarlet. Retroussis decorated with pink grenades. Scarlet Dragonne) with the badge of the sappers (red grenade on white cross axes) on the two arms. Bonnet of black fur without plate nor bottom of monkey with plumet, cords and rackets red. Black leather apron.

Kingdom of Spain

It is at the end of 1802 beginning 1803 that the Spanish Army engineers, very strongly influenced by France, are reorganized by the Godoy Prime Minister. The Weapon of the Genius was illustrated during the large seats undergone by the Spanish cities (cf Saragossa).

One distinguishes a Body from Officers Engineers of the Genius who are primarily in the fortified towns and which deal with the instruction in the School of the Genius and Artillery in Alcala de Henares.

Their uniform is basic green with purple reverses, collet and facings and retroussis after 1803 (front red), the hat is black gold non-commissioned officer, buttons gold. The collet is decorated of two gilded strengthened towers. White breeches, white waistcoat and top boots in shift. Gallons of ranks and shoulder pads according to the practices of the Spanish Army.

In September 1802, is created the Royal Regiment of the Sappers and Mineurs with two battalions and cash 8 companies of sappers and two companies of minors. The uniform is basic blue, just as the breeches. The waistcoat is white, the collet and the reverses are purple. The collet is decorated of a white strengthened door or money for the officers. On the other hand the facings and the retroussis as well as the waistcoat are scarlet. The buttons and buttonholes are white for the troop, money for the officers. The system of the gallons and the shoulder pads is that in force in the Spanish Infantry. The soldiers are capped with a helmet with caterpillar with a small silver plated metal plate and a scarlet plumet in great behavior; The drums have a dress with the reversed colors.

During the First World War

During the Second world war

Unloading of Normandy

Hobart' S Funnies, series of tanks of the second world war, precursors of the current machines of genius.
Artificial harbors in Normandy

Source

military Engineering under Napoleon
Document of file relating to the contest of the Genius addressed by the department of the War to the municipality of Rheims in frimaire year II

Others

List of forts, fortifications, citadels and fortified towns by Tactical continent

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