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The 3rd Colonial Infantry Division (French: 3e Division d'Infanterie Coloniale, 3e DIC) was a division of the French Marine Forces, comprising mostly French citizen troops.
The 3rd Colonial Infantry Division fought in the First and Second world wars.
As part of the French 1st Colonial Corps (French: 1er corps d'armée colonial, 1er CAC), at various times it was part of the French First Army, French Second Army, French Third Army, French Fourth Army, French Fifth Army, French Sixth Army, French Seventh Army, French Eighth Army and French Tenth Army.
1914: The division fought in the Battle of the Ardennes (where it lost roughly 11,000 men out of a contingent of 15,000), the Battle of the Meuse, the First Battle of the Marne and the First Battle of Champagne. 1915: Many small engagements, plus the Second Battle of Champagne. 1916: The Battle of the Somme (twice). 1917: The Second Battle of the Aisne, and many small engagements. 1918: The Third Battle of the Aisne, the 4th Battle of Champagne, the Second Battle of the Marne, and many minor engagements until the end of the war.
The structure of the division in World War II was as follows:[1]