The
Infantería de Marina (Navy
Infantry) or
Spanish Navy Marines is a corps within the
Spanish Navy responsible for providing
amphibious warfare from the sea utilizing naval platforms and resources. The Infantería de Marina is fully integrated into the Spanish Navy Structure.
It was formed in 1537 by Charles I of Spain (also known as
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor), making it the oldest
marine corps in the world, drawing from the
Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles.
Mission
thumb|left|Infantería de Marina UniformThe Infantería de Marina is an elite corps, highly specialised in
amphibious warfare, that is, to project an amphibious force onto a hostile, or potentially hostile, coast. Its ability to embark on a short term notice with (land, air and naval) Navy assets, makes it a unit with a high strategic value. Adding to this a high degree of training, and the capability to deploy swiftly in international waters, results in a potent disuasory force available at a short notice in distant regions.
One of the main characteristics of a marine is the uniform that he wears. On the sleeves of the Spanish Marines are the three "Sardinetas", which marks it as a member of the Royal House Corps. This was earned in 1762 for a heroic, though finally defeated defence of the
Castillo del Morro of
Havana,
Cuba against a
British expedition. The only other unit to wear the sardinetas and red trouser stripes is the
Spanish Royal Guard.
Spanish Marines have modern assets to comply with its mission, having personnel specialised in
artillery,
sapping,
helicopters,
special operations, communications,
tanks, among others. Some vehicles form the
Grupo Mecanizado Anfibio del Tercio de Armada (the Mechanized Amphibious Group of the Navy Tercio).
The Marines of Spain are not only a fleet force, as the Spanish Royal Marine Guard Company are responsible for the defence and security forces of naval bases and facilities, naval schools and training units, and all facilities that support the Marines themselves.
The most famous Spanish marine is without a doubt
Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of the novel
Don Quixote, who was wounded in the
Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Another famous writer,
Calderón de la Barca, also served with the marines.
History
First period
The Infantería de Armada (Navy Infantry) was created by
Charles V in 1537, when he permanently assigned the
Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles (
Naples Sea Old Companies) to the
Escuadras de Galeras del Mediterráneo (Mediterranean Galley Squadrons). But it was
Philip II who established today's concept of a
landing force. This was a pure naval power projection ashore by forces deployed from ships that could maintain their ability to fight despite based on board. This is the period of the famous
Tercios (literally "One Third", due to its organisation: one third of
musketeers, one third of
spearmen and the left third of
pikemen):
- Tercio Nuevo de la Mar de Nápoles.
- Tercio de la Armada del Mar Océano.
- Tercio de Galeras de Sicilia.
- Tercio Viejo del Mar Océano y de Infantería Napolitana.
Of the Tercios above, the first is considered the core of the Infantería de Marina, and it bears in its
coat of arms two crossed anchors that became the Corps' coat of arms until 1931.
In 1704, the Tercios became regiments:
Regimientos de Bajeles (Vessel's Regiments),
Regimiento de la Armada (Navy Regiment),
R. del Mar de Nápoles (Naples' Sea Regiment), and
R. de Marina de Sicilia (Sicily's Navy Regiment), detaching some small units to the Army, and the main body remained in the Navy becoming the
Cuerpo de Batallones de Marina (Navy Battalions Corps).
The battles that the marines served in during this very busy period included:
- Great Britain expedition (1599).
- San Salvador (Brazil) expedition (1625).
Second period
In 1717 the
Cuerpo de Batallones de Marina was definitively settled and organized, reaching its full strength of twelve battalions. The first ones were named: Armada, Bajeles, Marina, Oceano, Mediterráneo and Barlovento. Their mission was to form the "Main body of landing columns and ship's soldiers tasks" in a time that
boarding was still a critical part of battle at sea. They were also gun crews.
In a 1793, a woman, Ana Maria de Soto, disguised as a man, and answering to the name of Antonio Maria de Soto, enlisted in the 6th company of 11° Battalion of the Navy, being licensed with pension and honors in 1798, when she was discovered to be a woman.
She was the first female
Marine of the world.
The major actions they took part in during this period were:
- Algiers expedition, 1775.
Third period
Though Spain's empire was dismembered in the nineteenth century the marines continued to be active abroad.
Its most important actions in this period were:
These actions were carried out by the
Batallones Expedicionarios (Expeditionary Battalions), some of them campaigning abroad for up to ten years.
Fourth period
At the end of the
World War I, the
Battle of Gallipoli made almost all countries abandon the idea of amphibious assault. The world's marine corps fell into a deep crisis, with the Infantería de Marina being no exception, though it enjoyed success during the
Third Rif War in its innovative
Alhucemas amphibious assault in 1925, when it employed coordinated
air and
naval gunfire to support the assault.
The "Expeditionary Mission", was considered a "colonial force", and denounced as an instrument of
imperialism, and so condemned to extinction by the government of the
Second Spanish Republic in 1931.
During the bitterly fought
Spanish Civil War the Corp split and served both sides, performing garrison duties, leading landing parties, and providing expert gun and machine gun crews. After the civil war the defeated republic's death decree for the Infantería Marina was revoked and its strength was increased during the dictatorship of
Francisco Franco.
Fifth period
thumb|Structure of the Marine Infantry BrigadeIn 1957, the
Grupo Especial Anfibio (Amphibious Special Group) was created, and the Infantería de Marina returned to its primary duty as a Landing Force Mission. In 1958 it established a
beachhead in
Spanish Sahara and
Ifni during the
Ifni War.
The capabilities and strength of the Infantería de Marina were increased: new amphibious vehicles, anti-tank weapons, individual equipment and artillery.
The
Tercio de Armada (TeAr) became the main amphibious unit and has experienced several restructures that led to the E-01 Plan, which defines the requirements and structures from the year 2000 for the Infantería de Marina. The Spanish Marines have been present in Europe, Central America and Asia in an anonymous role as an "emergency force" ready to evacuate civilians in conflict areas, or as a deterrence force in providing cover for the actions of allied forces.
Today the main fighting Force of the Spanish Marine Infantry is the Marine Infantry Brigade, which includes the following units:
- Marine Infantry Brigade (BRIMAR)
- *3rd Mechanized Landing Battalion (Include a Tank Company)
- *Special Operations Unit (Battalion sized)
- *Combat Service Support Group
Other Marine Infantry units include:
- *Third of North (Northern Battalion)
- *Third of Levante (Battalion of the East)
- *Third of the South (South Battalion)
- *Headquarters Security Group, Madrid
Equipment
Infantry Weapons
Assault Rifles
Sniper Rifles
Submachine Guns
Machine Guns
Anti-Tank Weapons
Artillery
thumb|Spainish Marine's M109 howitzer coming ashore
Guided Missiles
Vehicles
See also
- Salve Marinera, Spanish Navy anthem. Some of its best versions are sung by choruses of the Infanteria de Marina
