Editing Commandos Marine (section)

==History==
The ''Commandos Marine'' were formed in 1942 during [[World War II]] in the [[United Kingdom]] and were modelled on the [[British Commandos]] (who were founded in 1940). They were formed from [[Free French]] volunteers from different services, mainly from Navy ''[[Fusiliers Marins]]'' (protection forces), other navy specialities and even from the army. They were trained at the Commando Training Centre in [[Achnacarry, Scotland]] and joined [[No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando]] as the 1st and the 8th Troops. To commemorate this, the beret of the French naval commandos is worn pulled to the right with the badge worn over the left eye or temple, the opposite of all other French military units.

[[File:Kieffer philippe.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Lieutenant Commander [[Philippe Kieffer]].]]
The [[1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos|1st BFMC]] (''Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos'', Commando Sailor Riflemen Battalion) took part in the [[Normandy Landings|Normandy Landing]] on D-Day under the command of Lieutenant Commander [[Philippe Kieffer]], on [[Sword Beach|Sword]], and were for the occasion integrated in No. 4 Commando. They further participated in the Netherlands campaign, still associated with No. 4 Commando. When the British Commando Units were disbanded at the conclusion of World War II, the two French Troops (forming the 1st BFMC) were repatriated to France to relieve in position the 1st RFM (1st Sailor Riflemen Regiment) departing for Indochina. Most of them demobilised or returned to their services (army or other navy specialities) but Commander Philippe Kieffer made the case to the French Ministry of the Navy that a Commando Corps was a capacity required to counter the guerrilla warfare in Indochina. The surviving members of the 1st BFMC formed the core leadership and the cadres for the Commando Training School to be created in Algeria in 1946 (Siroco Center, Matifou Cape).

Another branch comes from a Naval Reconnaissance Unit created in December 1944, Company NYO, formed from volunteers from different parts of the Navy, mainly Sailor Riflemen (''Fusiliers Marins'') and Naval Artillery. This unit later renamed as Company Merlet (the name of its founder and commanding officer, Lieutenant (Navy) Jean Merlet), fought in Italy before embarking for Indochina in September 1945. It was renamed Company Jaubert, then naturally became Commando Jaubert, the first unit to be constituted as Commando when the French Navy decided to create a Commando Corps in 1946.

Commander Pierre Ponchardier and his Special Air Service Battalion aka SAS-B (also nicknamed Tigers Commandos), created in early 1945, fought in Indochina until 1946 before the battalion was disbanded. Ponchardier was a visionary of modern SOF. Although he was not subordinated to a Sailor Rifleman chain of command, he ran large-scale operations in conjunction and with the support of Compagnie Merlet/Jaubert and the 1st RFM. His audacity, the innovation of the TTPs and the course of actions he applied in guerrilla warfare and COIN set the spirit and were disseminated to the overall ''Commandos Marine'' organisation.

By a 19 May 1947 decision, the Ministry of the Navy decision created five "Commando Marine" units, organised and designed as the former British Commandos. The French Navy transformed several ''Fusiliers Marins'' companies (Sailor Riflemen) already combatting in Indochina (including Company Jaubert) or based aboard French Navy destroyers (to become Commando Trepel and Commando de Penfentenyo) and gradually renewed their personnel with commando-qualified recruits after the Siroco Center (commando course) was commissioned. Commando François and Commando Hubert were formed from scratch. Although Commando Jaubert was already trained for parachute and airborne operations, Commando Hubert became the official paratrooper commando unit for the French Navy. For this reason, they integrated by preference and priority former Ponchardier SAS-B members, who were already jump qualified.

Each Commando Marine bears the name of an officer killed in action during World War II or during the Indochina campaign:

Captain '''Charles Trepel''' was an Army officer (artillery), Free French Forces; commanding officer of the 8th Troop (French), No. 10 Commando (Inter-allied). MIA/KIA 28 February 1944 during a night reconnaissance raid in Wassenaar, the Netherlands.

Lieutenant '''Augustin Hubert''' was an Army officer (infantry), Free French Forces; platoon leader in the K-Gun Troop (French) operating in support of Troop 1 and 8 (French) integrated for D-Day to the No. 4 Commando. He was killed 6 June 1944, in the first hour of combat, when the French Troops were maneuvering to seize the Casino of Ouistreham near Sword.

Commander '''François Jaubert''' was a Navy officer, commanding the Riverine Flotilla in Indochina, severely wounded during a joint operation with Compagnie Merlet, Ponchardier SAS-B and the 1st RFM and his Flotilla. He died of his wounds 25 January 1946.

Lieutenant (junior grade) '''Alain de Penfentenyo''' was a Navy officer, commanding officer of an LCVP platoon, killed in action during a riverine raid on the Donai river, 14 February 1946 (Indochina).

Lieutenant (junior grade) '''Louis de Montfort''' was a Company Merlet platoon commander. After his commander was wounded and evacuated de Montfort took command and was killed leading the company in Haiphong, 26 November 1946 (Indochina).

Lieutenant '''Jacques François''' was a Navy officer, commanding the 1st Amphibious Flotilla North. He was killed leading his unit, 6 January 1947 on the Nam-Dinh-Giang river (Indochina).

Commando François suffered dramatic losses on 29 May 1951 when it faced the attack of the [[308th Infantry Division (Vietnam)|308th Vietminh division]] in [[Ninh Bình]] (Indochina). Only 29 survived, five were taken prisoner for months, 40 were killed and nine were declared missing in action. Their sacrifice disrupted the surprise effect and unveiled [[Võ Nguyên Giáp|General Giap]]'s plans for the [[Battle of the Day River|battle of Day]]. It gave French [[Jean de Lattre de Tassigny|General de Lattre]] time to organise his counterattack. This commando unit was disbanded in May 1953.

Commando Hubert officially became a combat swimmer unit on 30 March 1953. It was a joint unit composed of Navy and Army (SDEC, secret service) combat swimmers. The army branch later separated to establish their base in Aspretto, Corsica (France) and today in Quélern, Brittany (France).

Commando Kieffer was created 6 June 2008 in Ouistreham during the D-Day commemoration ceremony.

In May 2019, four hostages were freed from terrorists during [[May 2019 Burkina Faso hostage rescue|an operation in Burkina Faso]]. French commandos took down the location in [[Burkina Faso]] which was considered a terrorist camp. Two operatives from "Hubert" Underwater Operations Commando were killed in the operation which took place in the early morning hours of Friday morning.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://specialoperations.com/34411/french-commandos-free-four-hostages-from-terrorist-two-soldiers-killed/|title = French Commandos Free Four Hostages from Terrorist, Two Soldiers Killed|date = 13 May 2019}}</ref>