Chilean Marine Corps

Chilean Marine Corps
Chilean Marine Corps Crest
Active	1818-Present
Country	Chile
Branch	Chilean Navy
Type	Commando
Role	Amphibious warfare Special Forces support
Nickname	Cossacks
March	Quick:
Website	http://www.armada.cl/ms/cuer_infa/index.html

Chilean Navy special forces sailors seen here using the MP5N.

The Chilean Marine Corps (Spanish:Cuerpo de Infantería de Marina)(once popularly known as Cossacks) is an entity of the Chilean Navy special forces which specializes in amphibious assaults.

History

A Chilean Marine aiming the HK33A2 during training alongside U.S. Marines.

The Marine Corps was born with the establishment of the first armed forces of an independent Chile: the Corps was founded by Don Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme on June 16, 1818, through a Supreme Decree. However, the predecessor of the Marine Corps in Chilean history may be found in the early efforts of patriot revolutionaries against Spain in challenging royal control of the sea. In fact, a force of twenty-five soldiers aboard the brig "Aguila" constituted the embryo of the Marines, who have since participated in all the actions to which Chilean warships have been committed.

O'Higgins's Supreme Decree described the role of the Marines: "these people will fire rifles from the deck, [and] will handle the machete in boardings and bayonet and cannon in landings." The Marine Corps thus became an indispensable complement to the sailors of the Navy, whose primary responsibility was to properly maneuver their craft during combat.

Mission and later history

HMMWV of the Chilean Navy.

"To provide the operational commander of Marines forces organized, equipped and trained, with the aim of contributing to the projection of naval power, to defend the coast and internal security and institutional."

In other words, it consists mainly of amphibious assault force, coastal defense force, special forces, support organs and garrisons.

It also organizes, equips and trains them to develop in times of conflict operations and actions that are characteristic over territory or where necessary, as irreplaceable component of the naval power of the nation, contributing effectively to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Marines were to move in line with the means available to the Chilean Navy. The advent of steam ships and the longer range of the artillery, and many other circumstances, ensured fighting occurred at a greater distances; Collisions were becoming increasingly impractical and rifles on the deck, unnecessary. For that reason was the predominant role of gunner and the Marine Corps became Artillery Battalion of the Navy.

In 1866, the members of this battalion had to cover the garrisons of warships and fortifications on the ground. In such condition they all subsequently participated in all actions of the Naval War of the Pacific, displaying extraordinary courage and aggressiveness.

This war highlighted the Chilean Disembark in Pisagua, the first amphibious assault of the modern era. Amphibious operations were conducted on November 2nd 1879, where the Chilean squadron provided escort and naval fire support, while the landing forces composed by 9,000 men landed in Caleta Pisagua and captured the position in a fast offensive action, taking only 4 hours. The Peruvian forces, after a strong initial resistance, were defeated due to the strong and sustained aggressiveness shown by the Chilean soldiers.

Since 1887, it functions as coastal artillery. Such a definition of the mission led to the updating of Organic Regulations of the Corps, which in 1938 was defined as Coastal defense.

Beginning in the year 1964, the Corps was completely reorganized and refocused, being renamed the Marine Corps and constituting a modern amphibious force which has continued to evolve in line with the requirements of the institution to have a real amphibious capacity and capable of contributing on projecting naval power over hostile territory

The other mission of the Marines is the protection, maintenance and monitoring of the naval facilities, the most famous being The Lions Gate with its security unit under the order and security detachment of the Marines in Talcahuano (main naval base Chile) is responsible for maintaining order and security inside the naval base and naval populations.

Organization

The Chilean Marines are organized into four battalion sized detachments (Destacamento de Infantería) plus support units.

• 1st Marine Detachment "Lynch" (Destacamento de Infantería de Marina Nº 1 Lynch), stationed at Fort Condell, Punta Gruesa south of Iquique (Fourth Naval Zone): Its main function is to provide artillery and coastal defense, with batteries of howitzers and Excalibur missiles. It depends directly on its respective Naval Zone, due to its border location.
• 2nd Marine Detachment "Miller" (Destacamento de Infantería de Marina Nº 2 "Miller"), stationed at Fort Aguayo, Torquemada sector, Concón (First Naval Zone): It is described as a reinforced battalion of Marines, and is the main maneuver element of Chilean Marines. This unit is used for amphibious assault and force projection. This unit has increased mobility, and trains all along the Chilean coast. Its installations also run the Center for Logistics Support of CIM, which delivers higher maintenance on vehicles and body materials.
• 3rd Marine Detachment "Aldea" (Destacamento de Infantería de Marina Nº 3 "Aldea"), located at the former Naval School of Crafts, today Fort O'Higgins, Tumbes Peninsula, north of Talcahuano (Second Naval Zone): In this deatchment is the Training Center Marine Corps Base (CENBIM), in which cadets and conscripts receive basic instruction.
• 4th Marine Detachment "Cochrane"(Destacamento de Infantería de Marina Nº 4 "Cochrane"), located in Río de los Ciervos south of Punta Arenas (5th Naval Zone): This Marine Detachment has similar characteristics to the 1st Marine Detachment because of its border location. It specialises in coastal defense and the use of artillery.

Other units

Each zone has a Naval Detachment of Order and Security" (Destacamento de Orden y Seguridad in spanish) that acts as garrison bases and military police. There are smaller detachments in remote areas like Puerto Williams and Isla de Pascua. The CIM also is responsible for the protection of the commander in chief of the Navy and contributed a section to the security of the facilities of the Ministry of Defense in Santiago. The corps also operates the Marine Infantry School "Commander Jaime Charles" together with the Naval Educational Command of the Navy, which fully owns and maintains the institution.

The Bands of the Chilean Navy are from the Marine Corps, particulary the bands of the Naval School "Arturo Prat", the Seaman Training School "Alejandro Navarette Cisterna" and the Naval Polytechnic Academy. Like their counterparts in the British Royal Marines Band Service, they operate not just as headquarters bands for the 5 naval zones and 4 marine battalions, plus as in-house band for the Marine Infantry School and for the BE "Esmeralda", but also as bands for the naval educational institutions, even though in the naval bands sailors and officer/NCO cadets fill the ranks of the Corps of Drums which are attached to the bands and are composed of snare drums, fifes and bugles (in the marine bands soldiers of the Marines fill the Corps of Drums rosters). They all report to Headquarters, Chilean Marine Corps.

See also

• Marines

External links

• Chilean Navy
• Chilean Marines