MANGIN, Joseph, French general : b. 1865. Descended from a distinguished Lorraine fam ily, he served from his 24th year in Tonkin and in every part of Northern Africa, and ac companied Marchand on his historic journey from the Congo to the Nile in 1898. He first came under public notice in 1911, when, as military instructor to the Moroccan forces of Sultan Mulai Hafid, he defended Fez against the rebellious Berber tribes. In August 1912 he led a flying column of 4,000 men from Fez to Marakesh, effecting a dramatic rescue of nine French prisoners held by the pretender El Hiba. He received the congratulations of his government and was made a commander of the Legion of Honor. At the outbreak of the Euro pean War he was given a brigade command in the 5th Army, which took the shock of the first German onset at Charleroi. At the Manic he led a division and was heavily engaged at the battle of the Aisne. After participating in vari ous other battles he arrived at Verdun with his division in March 1916. Here he led his men
to the recapture of La Caillette Wood and (22 May) to the brilliant but shortlived reconquest of Douaumont. He was placed in command of the new 3d Colonial Corps in June and given charge of the crucial sector on the right bank of the Meuse. In October his command re captured Douaumont and also Fort Vaux, with nearly 5,000 prisoners. He deprived the Ger mans of a wide sweep of territory around Ver dun in December, and in the spring, conducted a big offensive between Soissons and Rheims, which was suddenly stopped. Mangin was re lieved of his command and relegated to an ob scure post through a cabinet crisis. With the accession of Clemenceau, Mangin was sent back to the field. In the summer of 1918 he com manded the French-American forces operating between the Aisne and the Marne, delivering smashing blows against the German lines which contributed enormously to ultimate victory.