Tirailleurs indochinois



Main article: Tonkinese Rifles

The Tirailleurs indochinois (Lính tập) were soldiers of several regiments of local ethnic Indochinese infantry organized as Tirailleurs by the French colonial authorities, initially in Vietnam from 15 March 1880. The most notable and first of these units were the Tonkinese Rifles (French: Tirailleurs tonkinois, Vietnamese: Quân đoàn bộ binh Bắc Kỳ).

In the early days of the unit the charge was often made that the Lính tập were prone to desertion. However the regiments formalized and became a formidable force. On 10 February 1930 fifty soldiers of the Tonkinese Rifles rose in support of the VNQDD in the Yen Bai mutiny, which was quickly suppressed but resulted in increased recruitment of non-Vietnamese soldiers. In 1945 Lính tập regiments offered resistance to the Japanese occupation of Vietnam, the "3e RTT" (fr:3e régiment de tirailleurs tonkinois) offering fierce resistance but being annihilated. Other Vietnamese soldiers fought at the Battle of the Meuse.

Regiments
The regiments were founded in each of the territories of Tonkin, Annam and Cambodia.

Tirailleurs tonkinois ("Tonkinese Rifles")

 * 1er régiment de tirailleurs tonkinois
 * 2e régiment de tirailleurs tonkinois
 * 3e régiment de tirailleurs tonkinois
 * 4e régiment de tirailleurs tonkinois

Tirailleurs annamites

 * 1er Régiment de tirailleurs annamites
 * 2e Régiment de tirailleurs annamites
 * Bataillon de tirailleurs montagnards du sud Annam

Tirailleurs cambodgiens

 * Bataillon de tirailleurs cambodgiens
 * Régiment de tirailleurs cambodgiens