French forces in French Somaliland c.1935-36?

[Happy Wanderer]

Here is an interesting tidbit of info...which is a description of activity along the Somali Coast. It gives some more detail on the size of forces around the time of the Abyssinian Crisis 1935-36.

It indicates 10,000 men...a number I'd like to double check somewhere else if I could...it seems quite high....can anyone confirm? Still, in early 1938 the French put in 15,000 troops because of Italian activity so it seems reasonable enough that the Italian invasion in 1935 might elicit a similar response.



http://www.schudak.de/timelines/frenchsomalicoast1708-1946.html

1933      
A company of Tirailleurs Sénégalais and 3 airplanes are sent to reinforce the French Somali Coast. The Senegalese are gradually replaced by Somalis who are formed into La Compagnie de Tirailleurs de la Côte Française des Somalis.

1934   
Commandant Bouet compiles a list of soldiers from the French Somali Coast who were killed in action, died from other causes or gone missing during the course of the First World War. Bouet reports: 224 killed, missing or presumed killed; 69 lost at sea, 197 who died from wounds or disease. 490 native tirailleurs along with 72 Europeans were killed or missing.

1935      
French forces in the Somali Coast are reinforced following the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. The 10,000 men of the French garrison include; 1,500 European, 6,500 Senegalese and Malagaches and 2,000 Somalis of the Senegalese Regiment of the Somali Coast, The 1st Foot Battalion of Senegalese Tirailleurs, The French Somali Coast Militia, The Colonial Artillery Battery of the French Somali Coast and two squadrons of Méharistes (camel corps).

1936   August 1   
An accord is sign between the Italian Government and La Compagnie du Chemin de Fer Franco-Éthiopien. Italy’s conquest of Ethiopia and subsequent development program pushes the railway’s capacity to its limits. The railway modernizes its rolling stock with the purchase of four Fiat railcars and new locomotives. Night trains are scheduled.

The trip from Djibouti to Addis Ababa which once took 3 days and 2 nights with stopovers at Dire Dawa and Aouache is shortened to a day and a night. New panoramic passenger cars and a dining car are put in service to increase capacity and comfort. The line is double tracked from Ali Sabieh to Dire Dawa.

[Arlequín]

I don't think 10,000 is outlandish, it is a mere two brigades by British standards. Given that the Somali militia company became the Régiment de tirailleurs sénégalais de la Côte française des Somalis in October 1935, there would be a few of them.

Apparently Anthony Clayton's "History of the French Army in Africa from 1830 to 1962" (and an un-named 'Volume V' book by Lee Sharp). says that in 1940 there were 1,500 Europeans (Legion?), 6,500 Tirailleurs ('Senegalese' and Malagasy) and 2,500 Somalis, spread across 7 battalions. Lee Sharp apparently adds a 75mm Artillery Group (3 batteries including a 75mm mountain battery 'portée'), a 15 tank Renault FT company, a mobile group with 6 White Armoured Cars and some 'Citroëns' (armed trucks like the British had in the SDF?), the afore-mentioned méharistes and two (or four elsewhere) companies of 'milice' - which I'm guessing were armed European civilian volunteers and may be included in the 'Europeans' above.

Apparently there were 36 Europeans (officers, NCOs, weapon teams etc) in each 'native' battalion. Subtract the artillery men, tank and armoured car crews, militia and odds and sods, and you are left with a battalion's worth of Europeans... but from which Regiment I don't know.     

[lou passejaire]

add some sailors who man the coastal defenses ... 

[Arlequín]

Lou... besides the matelots, who could the remaining 'Europeans' be? 

[lou passejaire]

add the somaliland air squadron ... 

then in an infantry regiment you have
a little less than 500 men in the HQ ( including regimental gun and mortar company )
each bataillon have a HQ of 80 men and a compagnie d'appui of around 170 men ...
if you assume that 2 third of those are europeans you have around 800 europeans in the regiment de tirailleurs and 600 in the remaining units ...

And the militia is NOT a european militia, just a suppletive unit used in a police and border guard role ( think of them as the meharists in southern sahara ) . they were raised by the governor and not by the military command . 

The FT tank company will be around 260 all ( or mostly ) europeans
the mobile group will be around 160 europeans
there was an oversized HQ in the colony as there was a General commanding the Artillery ... ( for 3 batteries  )

[Arlequín]

I take it that in the Indigénes units, the support weapons were either wholly manned by Europeans, or at least commanded by them... much in the same way as the Spanish did in the Regulares?

[lou passejaire]

before 1939, about 1/3 to 1/2 of the support weapons and colonial artillery crews were natives ...

[Arlequín]

My curiosity is satisfied then. I thought it might be the case, as other European armies were similarly cautious about providing training to indigenous personnel.

[lou passejaire]

and in the french army, they have too some Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale Mixte Sénégalais ... in wich the european number is higher ...