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Sunday, September 23, 2018

IHMN: Reinforcements for the French Foreign Legion, The Senegalese Tiralleurs

  Lieutenant-Colonel Jacques Duchesne leads a section of the Senegalese Tiralleurs.

 The Senegalese Tirailleurs (French: Tirailleurs Sénégalais) were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. They were initially recruited from Senegal, French West Africa and subsequently throughout Western, Central and Eastern Africa: the main sub-Saharan regions of the French colonial empire. The noun tirailleur, which translates variously as "skirmisher", "rifleman", or "sharpshooter", was a designation given by the French Army to indigenous infantry recruited in the various coloniesand overseas possessions of the French Empire during the 19th and 20th centuries.

 Yora Comba, 38 years old, lieutenant in the tirailleurs sénégalais, born in Saint-Louis, Senegal. (Exposition universelle de 1889)  Photographer unknown Unknown - Bibliothèque nationale de France



The Senegalese Tirailleurs were formed in 1857 by Louis Faidherbe, governor general of French West Africa, because he lacked sufficient French troops to control the territory and meet other requirements of the first phase of colonisation. The formal decree for the formation of this force was signed on 21 July 1857 in Plombières-les-Bains by Napoleon III. Recruitment was later extended to other French colonies in Africa. During its early years the corps included some former slaves bought from West African slave-owners as well as prisoners of war. Subsequent recruitment was either by voluntary enlistment or on occasion by an arbitrary form of conscription. In the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War the Senegalese tirailleurs continued to provide the bulk of French garrisons in West and Central Africa.


Name: Senegalese Tiralleurs
Pluck: 4+
Fighting Value: +2
Shooting Value: +1
Speed: +1
Talents: Bayonet Drill, Skirmisher
Basic Equipment: Jack, Military Rifle, Bayonet
Armor: 8
Cost: 26 points

Senegalese Tiralleurs with Amelie Moebius.

5 comments:

  1. A nice post with the famous Senegalese Tirailleurs, and a great paint job Neil!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. I am really enjoying this period and having some fun gaming with it in a light hearted fashion.

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  2. Great looking Colonial troops and historical background. I recently picked up some nice uniform books on this period - very colorful troops!

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    Replies
    1. A fun period to do historically and with some Victorian Sci Fi.

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  3. Colonel, great paint jobs on those Minis. I love that period! I will most certainly add those to my wish list. I'm currently painting some Gringo's 40's 28mm French Sailors ala Tonkin for an Internet friend of mine. As soon as I'm done with my yard chores (on break now) I'm back to the painting table.

    PS, great blog!

    Cheers,
    JB

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