Some history...

Having little room in this page, making a historical synthesys of the of the Spanish Marine Corps is quite a hard task. But it can be said, no fantasies at all, that the personal log of a Spanish Marine from centuries XVI to XX is an extract of the Spanish History.

The Navy's proper mobility make their Marines to be, in fact, in each and every war action.
MIGUEL DE CERVANTES SAAVEDRA (universal writer of Don Quixote) soldier in Lepanto; LOPE DE FIGUEROA, MARTIN ALVAREZ and an endless list of distinguished men, served among the ranks of the Spanish Marines. After 461 years of history this Log still has not found its end.


For more than four centuries, the Infantería de Marina (Spanish Marines) passed through several stages, and its history can be divided into five periods of time, each and every period determined by a specific mission.

 FIRST PERIOD

The Infantería de Armada (Navy Infantery) was created by Carlos I in 1537, when he permanently assigned the Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles (Naples Old Sea Companys) to the Escuadras de Galeras del Mediterráneo (Mediterranean Galley Squadrons) . But it was Felipe II who sttled today's concept of Landing force. This was pure Naval Power projection ashore by forces coming from ships and able to fight, not been downgraded by the fact of been based on board. This is the period of the famous Tercios (literaly "One Third", due to its organisation: one third of musketeers, one third of spearers and the left third of pikers):

-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.
From the Tercios above, the first one is the real core of the Infantería de Marina, and it bears in its coat of arms two crossed anchors that became Corps' coat of arms until 1931.
In 1704, the Tercios become Regimientos de Bajeles ( Vessel's Regiments), Armada (Navy Regiment), Mar de Nápoles (Naples' Sea Regiment), and Marina de Sicilia (Sicily's Navy Regiment), dettaching some small units to the Army, and the main body remains in the Navy becoming Cuerpo de Batallones de Marina (Navy Battalions Corps).
In this period the Infantería de Marina fought, among many others, in the following battles:

Algiers expedition. 1541
Lepanto Naval Battle. 1571
Tunisia expedition. 1573
Terceras and Azores islands conquer. 1582
Great Britain expedition. 1599
San Salvador (Brasil) expedition. 1625
SECOND PERIOD

In 1717 the Cuerpo de Batallones de Marina, is definitively settled and organized, being its full strenght of twelve. The first ones were named: Armada, Bajeles, Marina, Océano, 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 the way to fight among vessels, they also were gun crews.
Some of the actions they took part in were:

 

Sardinia Conquer, 1717
Naples and Sicily Conquer, 1732
Pensacola espedition(Florida), 1770
La Habana defence, 1762
Algiers expedition, 1775
Toulon Landing, 1793
Ferrol defense, 1800
Buenos Aires retake, 1806
THIRD PERIOD

Spain's colonial conflicts give a new mission to the Infantería de Marina: permanent expeditionary force.
Campaigns in Cochinchina (1858), Mexico (1862), Santo Domingo (1804) Cuba and Filipinas (1898), Africa (1911) are the scenaries for the Batallones Expedicionarios (Expeditionary Battalions), some of them being for ten years in campaign abroad.
FOURTH PERIOD

At the end of the WWI, Gallipoli makes almost all countries to abandon the idea of the Amphibious Assault. All the world's Marine Corps fall in a deep crisis, and the Infantería de Marina was not an exception (despite of the succesful Alhucemas amphibious assault in 1925, wre it was first emloyed air and naval gunfire support).
Indeed, the "Expeditionary Mission", makes it to be considered "colonial force" and in 1931 is condemnned to extintion by the 2nd Spanish Republic Governement.
The Spanish Civil War makes it fight in both sides, performing garrison duties, landing parties, gun and machine gun crews. The end of the Civil War makes the death decree of the Infanteria the Marina to be revoked, and it strengh is increased.

  
FIFTH PERIOD

In 1957, the Grupo Especial Anfibio (Amphibious Special Group) is created, and the Infantería de Marina retake its Landing Force Mission as the main one, just in time to, in 1958, establish the Beachead in Spanish Sahara and Ifni. The beach was open and fully operational for one year in despite of the conflict that motivated the action.
From that year, the capabilities and strength of the Infantería de Marina, is increased: new Amphibious vehicles, anti-tank weapons, individual gear, artillery....
The Tercio de Armada, became the main Amphibious Unit and it has suffered several reestructurations that led to the E-01 Plan, which defines the requirements and structures of the year 2000 Infanteria de Marina.
The Spanish Marines have been present in Bosnia, Albania, Central America and having an anonimous role of "emergency force" ready to evacuate civilians in conflict areas, or as deterrence force so covering the action of friendly forces.
Spanish Marines have been present in Angola, Mozambique, El Salvador, Nicaragua , Guatemala, Bosnia...and during the relief operations after the catastrophe caused in Central America by hurricane Mitch, three helicopters and a reinforced Company, were sent on board LPD Galicia in humanitarian mission.

World Map showing actions of the la Infantería de Marina since 1537

( click to enlarge)
Mapa con lacciones de la IM en el mundo

Europa and North Africa detail. Not all the actions shown, but the most important.



Some historical Uniforms of the Infantería de Marina

Tambor de
Batallon de
Marina, 1717		 Soldado de
Batallon de
Galeras, 1728		 Soldado de
Batallon de
Marina, 1748		 Oficial, Filipinas
1797		 Fusilero de
Batallones de
Marina. 1815

The Infantería de Marina Page is not an Official Page. So it does not support any offcial instance nor reflects official thougts, acts, comments, lines of action or terms.

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