The regular French troops consisted of four battalions of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6e REI (according to Dentz, these were the best troops available to the Vichy French command) and three battalions of the 24th Colonial Infantry Regiment (French regulars enlisted for overseas service). The latter were brought up to strength by amalgamating them with two garrison battalions of Senegalese troops to form the "Mixed Colonial Regiment" (Regiment Mixte Coloniale).[1]