June 1940 at Villers-en-Argonne

In June 1940, the town of Villers-en-Argonne was the scene of fierce fighting and was virtually destroyed by bombing and fire. On 11 and 12 June, the residents were evacuated from Villers as the front line was hard pressed. The men of the 2nd Battalion under Major Varrier were entrenched in an arc around Villers by 13 June, with the rest of the regiment in a line to their east. Their mission was to prevent access to the Forest of Argonne, the road from Villers to Passavant-en-Argonne, and the gap south of Villers, a front three kilometers long. The battalion command post was at Villers. The Regiment as a whole was commanded by Colonel Cazeilles from Montdesir farm (west of Passavant) to the east of Villers.

The unit received reports that German motorized and armored troops were approaching. The 2nd Battalion set up their anti-tank guns (5x 25 mm and 4x75mm) and machine guns in roadblocks around the town. The 6th Senegalese Tirailleurs Regiment 6^e RTS had been in contact with the enemy west of Villers in the direction of Braux-Saint-Remy and had retreated, reforming south of the 2nd Battalion positions in woods west of the village. On the morning of June 13, villages to the north, northwest and west of Villers were burning. At 1130, Major Varrier personally conducted two patrols on foot in front of Villers to the village of Ante and another by motorcycle to the Villers railway station (1 km west of the village) at 1330.

At 1430, two German tanks attempted to infiltrate on the left of the battalion in front of the 7th Company (Captain Allegrini) on the Ante road. Both tanks were knocked out by hits from 25 mm guns between 300 m and 200 m from the company's position. A wounded German was captured and his papers passed to the regimental command post. The 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment of the 35th Infantry Division retreated, passing Villers on its way.

During the evening, the Germans advanced to within 2.5 km. A company, commanded by Captain Marchenoir, of the 18th Light Infantry Battalion of Africa, was made available to Major Varrier on the night of June 13 to 14, to strengthen the western side of Villers. Considering the situation on the spot, Varrier decided to position them facing north and personally positioned the company on the ground intending to avoid encirclement. On the morning of the 14th, enemy movement across the front of the Battalion indicated that contact with enemy infantry was about to occur. Enemy aircraft, flying at low altitude, strafed the positions of the 2nd Battalion and the village of Villers during the morning.

Around 1330, the Germans begin to bombard the village and continued heavy artillery fire until 1500. Despite losses caused by the artillery, the 2nd Battalion remained steady under fire. The first shells were fired at the village, which within a few moments was heavily ablaze and was completely destroyed by the end of the bombardment. German infantry moved behind cover to about 800 m from the village and at 1500, the enemy, singing and shouting, probed the positions of the 2nd Battalion. The main effort occurred west of the village, falling on the 5th Company under Captain Charvet and the 6th Company under Captain Paganel. At the same time, with artillery support, the Germans pushed through the woods, on the flanks of the battalion, pressing on Captain Allegrini's 7th Company in an attempt to encircle its position. The 2nd Battalion received the attack steadily and their rifle, machine gun and grenade fire inflicted severe losses on the attacking infantry.

The Germans renewed their attacks for several hours, with close air support and artillery fire, until 1800. At points during these attacks, elements of the 5th and 6th Companies in the woods were engaged in very close range fights. During these attacks, Major Varrier requested artillery support. A battery of 155 mm howitzers located 9 km behind the battalion were able to give the requested support. Despite calling in target and ranging information on a telephone and only having a 1:50,000 scale map, this fire was effective.

By 1900, the battle was over and the 2nd Battalion was in high spirits and ready to hold its ground. However, Varrier was called to see Colonel Cazeilles at the regimental command post. The colonel expressed his satisfaction and congratulations, but communicated an order of withdrawal at 2130. Returning to his command post, Major Varrier gave the order to withdraw. The withdrawal was made very difficult by continuing contact with the enemy and darkness and was finally accomplished by 0245 on the 15th. After the last units passed, Varrier ordered a Lieutenant of Engineers and four men to come with him and blow the bridge over the Aisne, the Pont aux Vendanges between Villers and Passavant. The bridge was destroyed at 0255.

Following the orders they had received, the 2nd Battalion moved 15 km southeast of Villers and reformed between Triaucourt and Charmontois L'abbé along a 4 km front. The 2nd Battalion and the regiment as a whole were disappointed to have given up the ground they had held in the face of serious attack but their continued movements south were necessary to protect and cover the retreat of other units.^[1]

Other battles

• On June 15, 1940: the regiment disappeared in total along with the regimental commander, Colonel Cazailles.
• On September 1, 1940: recreation of the 21 Infantry Colonial Regiment 21^e RIC in the Armitistice Army.
• November 8, 1942: dissolution
• November 1, 1944: the 21^e RIC was recreated from the 4th Senegalese Tirailleurs Regiment 4^e RTS at the corps of the 9th Colonial Infantry Division 9^e DIC, the first army of général Jean de Lattre de Tassigny. Battles included the battles of the Mines de potasse d'Alsace, the Colmar Pocket, the liberation of Ensisheim, of Leimersheim and of Rastatt.
• Général Vial commanded the 1st Company of the 21^e RIC from 1944 to 1945. Leading his unit during an attack on Saint-Barbe in Alsace in February 1945, he was severely wounded and lost his sight.
• April 2, 1945, the 21^e RIC crossed the River Rhine near Leimersheim (Palatinate).
• The regiment was cited three times, the 21 Colonial Infantry Regiment added to the regiment's fourragere, the olive color of the croix de guerre 1939–1945.

Citations

• 4 citations at the orders of the armed forces 1914–1918 (1915, 1917, 1918)
• 3 citations at the orders of the armed forces 1939–1945 (1940, 1944, 1945)
• 2 citations at the orders of the armed forces in Overseas Theaters of Operation Indochina (1948, 1950)
• 1 citations at the orders of the brigade in Kosovo Kosovo (1999)
• 2 citations at the orders of the armed forces in Afghanistan (2001, 2010)
• 1 citation at the orders of the armed forces in Mali (2013)

Battle Honours

The regimental colors bear stitched in golden letters in the folds, the following inscriptions:^[3]

• Bomarsund 1854
• Saïgon 1859
• Puebla 1863
• Tuyen Quang 1885
• Bataille de Champagne (1914–1915)
• Bataille de la Somme
• L'Aisne 1917
• Bataille de la Marne (1918)
• Colmar 1944
• Leimersheim 1945
• Indochine 1945–1954
• AFN 1952-19626