looking back on previous posts I'd like to talk about the Muslims who by feat of bravery liberated Italy as much as anyone else at Magenta and San Martino Solferino.
officer by le cimier on offer from them at ten eurosAs for the Crimean campaign, the army of Africa was called to provide a quota for the Italy campaign.Taken from their battles against fellow arabs (above)in the desert they came to fight another enemy. Each of the three Algerian Tirailleurs regiments had to provide a battalion of 1,100 soldiers to create a provisional Regiment of Algerian Tirailleurs, consisting of three battalions to six companies each. The command was given to Laure , colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Algerian Tirailleurs This regiment showed their mettle especially in the battles of magenta and Solferino.
Henri Dunant wrote: "the attack of Mount Fontana saw the Algerian rifles decimated, their colonels Laure and Herment were killed, their officers succumbed in large numbers, which redoubled their fury: they strove to avenge their deaths and rushed with the rage of the African and the Muslim fanaticism on their enemies, they massacred with frenzy or lay dead as Tigers bathed in blood" . 
In the history of the 3rd Tirailleurs, one can read: "in this day, bravery did more than military science, skirmishers caused admiration all over the army showing not only the incomparable shock tactics they had always been born with but still more stubborn defenders of the conquered yards, tireless fighters ready to start the fight, in a Word, demonstrating the most valuable qualities that distinguish a troupe of elite in defence as well as in attack" .These were the men of the half moon crescent , the men who fought to the bitter end maybe not for country but for honour and their comrades.
In two months, the regiment had 44 officers and 587 men killed or wounded .
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