| Unit Name: | 7th Algerian Tirailleur Regiment |
| Dates: | 1913–1964 |
| Country: | France |
| Branch: | French Army |
| Motto: | " La victoire ou la mort " (Victory or Death) |
| Battles: | World War I World War II Indochina War |
| Battle Honours: |
The 7th Algerian Tirailleurs Regiment[1] was an infantry unit of the French Army, part of the Army of Africa.
Active between 1913 and 1946, the unit is one of the most decorated of the French Army. The regiment distinguished itself in World War I, when the unit was cited six times at the orders of the armed forces and awarded the Légion d'honneur. During World War II, it was part of the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (3e DIA), notably in the Italian campaign with the French Expeditionary Corps of General Alphonse Juin, and was cited three times at the orders of the armed forces
Dissolved in 1964, the regiment became the 170th Infantry Regiment (French: [[:fr:170e régiment d'infanterie de ligne|170<sup>e</sup> RI]]).
The 2nd battalion of the regiment remained in North Africa. It was part of the Moroccan Division and fought alongside the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion, the 4th Tunisian Tirailleurs Regiment and the 8th Zouaves Regiment.
From 1914 to 1918, losses for the 7th Marching Tirailleurs Regiment were: 2326 killed or missing (97 officers, 232 junior officers, 260 corporals and 1737 soldiers).[2]
Throughout this war, the 7th Regiment collectively obtained 31 citations and 464 medals.
In 1928, the 7e RTA adopted the designation of 11e RTA then went back to 7e RTA. In 1936, the 7e RTA was garrisoned at Constantine, Algeria.
During the Second World War, one North-African tirailleur regiment consisted of a little more than 3000 men (of which 500 officers and junior officers) and 200 vehicles. The proportion of Maghrebis reached 69% for the regiment, 74% for the battalion, 79% for the company of fusiliers-voltigeurs, 52% for the anti-tank company and 36% for the cannon infantry company.[3]
Throughout the course of the Second World War, the 7e RTA obtained ten collective citations at the orders of the armed forces (three for the regiment, four for battalions, and three for companies).[4]
The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division 3e DIA recorded 809 killed in action in the 7th RTA from November 1942 to May 1945, of whom 614 were Maghrebis (75%) and 195 Europeans (25%).[5]
Four marching battalions were constituted successively to fight in the First Indochina War, which included the heavy usage of colonial forces.The 5th Marching Battalion (V/7e RTA), under chief of battalion Roland de Mecquenem, was at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu during the Gabrielle resistance. After a heavy artillery bombardment they retreated from the Viet Minh's 308th Infantry Division.[6]
The 7e RTA fought in the Algerian War, in the corps of the 21st Infantry Division, in the sector of Aurès Nemencha. At the cease-fire on 19 March 1962, the regiment constituted along with 91 other regiments, a local unit force of the Algerian order of battle, the 427 UFL-UFO composed of 10% of metropolitan military and 90% of Muslim military personnel at Barika, during the transition period, while being at the service of the executive provisionary power of Algeria until the independence of Algeria (Evian Accords, 18 March 1962).
Following that, the regiment was back in France in 1962, and garrisoned until 1964, when the unit was dissolved to form the 170th Infantry Regiment.
The regimental colors are decorated with:
The regiment was the first indigenous to be awarded the fourragère with the colors of the Croix de la Légion d'honneur (1914–1918).