History of the main French Combat Jumps in Indochina

[fantassin]

http://www.cdes.terre.defense.gouv.fr/sitefr/Objdoc/cahier_retex/retex12.pdf

This is a direct link to a study and lessons learnt from some the main combat jumps undertaken by French paratroopers during the war in Indochina (1945-1954).

The text is bilingual, first part in French then second, identical, translated in English.

French paras undertook more than 250 combat jumps during that war.

[Roger Rabbit]

I haven't read that site yet but i will say this. My knowledge of the French paras in Indochina was that they took many casualties but often won any battles they took part in. I'll read that site and see if i learn anything.

[Loco]

http://www.cdes.terre.defense.gouv.fr/sitefr/Objdoc/cahier_retex/retex12.pdf

This is a direct link to a study and lessons learnt from some the main combat jumps undertaken by French paratroopers during the war in Indochina (1945-1954).

The text is bilingual, first part in French then second, identical, translated in English.

French paras undertook more than 250 combat jumps during that war.
Once I read a trilogy about frenchs paras in Indochina and Algeria, written by a man called Jean Larteguy, if I remember he was war journalist in those conflicts, "The centurions", "The mercenaries" and "The praetorians". Did you read those books? It was first time I knew about those units. In the first novel he relates when a group of paras being liberated of Vietminh jails after the war, all them former IIWW vets, they meditated a lot of vietminh way of fighting in terms of tactics and policy, they said it was the same thing, so they created a new Para regiment after Indochina for fighting in Algeria with new methods. Although of course most of material is fiction, I suppose many characters must be based in real persons so I´m sure a french knows more than me about that.
Were any para regiment in Algeria similar to the one of Colonel Raspeguy?
And all those characters as Col. Raspeguy, captain Boisfeauras, capt.Esclavier, etc, are based in true frenchs officers? And if yes, who are the real ones?

[fantassin]

You are right on all counts...

Jean Lartéguy was a para officer in the French army during WW2 and Korea; he then left and wrote many books including those you have mentioned. They were widely quoted in the US in the 60s when the SF studied revolutionary warfare. A film was made based on the Centurions with Anthony Quinn as Raspéguy.

The true Raspéguy is Général Bigeard; he started as a private in 1936 and retired as secretary for defence in 1976, having fought in WW2, Indochina and Algeria. He got a DSO from the Brits in WW2 as a Free French SF officer working behind German lines and countless other decorations for his incredible tales of bravery and cunning command. In Indochina, he made a point of never carrying a rifle in combat, just a cane, to inspire his soldiers and show that war was not so terrible after all if he could wander the battlefield without a rifle...

In Algeria he was in command of the 3rd Regiment de Parachutistes Coloniaux, the unit you mention. He then took command of a special counter-revolutionary warfare school.

The main exponent of CRW was major Trinquier (another colonial para) who studied the Vietcong tactics in Indochina; he wrote several books and was invited by the US SF in Ft Bragg.

In fact, all the French para regiments (there were two para division then...) were influenced by the lessons learnt in Indochina fighting a revolutionary war. Those units were ruthlessly effective, the FLN (anti-colonial algerian guerilla) being crushed by a series of wide scale operations in 1959-1960 which also saw helos used on a large scale.

But the time was no longer right for colonies so General de Gaulle pulled most French troops out and by 1962 the war was over.

[Loco]

I didn´t know Larteguy was a parachutiste too. I remember a program of spanish public tv many years ago, about Algeria war and all events around that war, Fln, Oas, etc, and there was a round table and Larteguy was one of the speakers, and previous to the round table they broadcasted that movie of Anthony Quinn, and if I remember well, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. I searched about general Bigeard in google, woh, actually, he was more succesful in his career than Col. Raspeguy, that in the fiction finished almost exiliated and deprived of being promoted to general. Anyway I´d pay money for talking with general Bigeard only 15 minutes.
And about the 3rd Regiment de Parachutistes Coloniaux, was any real difference between this regiment and the others parachutistes regiment in Algeria? and the operations they did, any special charasteric? I´m referring to the 3rd exclusively, compared with the others para regiments.

[fantassin]

3°RPC was operating pretty much like the other regiments; they did a combat jump in Timimoun in Algeria in 1957 to destroy a rebel group. It was better known because its boss was then LTC Bigeard.

Other combat jumps were made by the 2°RPC in Suez in 1956 (complete success) and in Tunisia in 1962 when the local government thought it could try and kidnap french sailors on the Bizerte french navy base. Once again the 2°RPIMa (new name, because "colonial" did not sound good at the beginning of the 60s) made short work of the Tunisians.

About 600-900 were KIA against about 25 French paras...

[duck]

Fantassin: If it is not too much work, could you please list all the present airborne/para-qualified troops in the french army, navy and air force. Also, which gendarmerie and police troops are airborne?

[fantassin]

From the 11th ABN Brigade

1 rcp, 3 rpima, 8rpima, 2 rep, all infantry, 35 rap and one by of 57 ra for the arty, 17 rgp for the engineers and 1 rtp for loggies

1 rpima and 13 rdp for sf

one co of 2 rpima in the reunion island in the indian ocean

epign and gign for gendarmerie

all five naval commandos for commando marine units

cpa 10 air force unit and some members of cpa 20 and 30

some members of the police raid unit are halo qualified

all medically able army officers follow basic airborne training during officer s school

[duck]

Thank you for the facts.

[fantassin]

Sorry, forgot 1 rhp, the light cavalry component equipped with erc 90 and vbl that provides the 11 brigade with its recce and atk strength since it has a recce and atk squadron with 24 milans

[duck]

Is the 11th Abn Brig committed to any EU or NATO rapid deployment force or does it remain under french command at all times?

[fantassin]

It is always under french command but some of its components are currently forming the backbone of the NATO Rapid reaction Force NRF that did a demo in Turkey a couple of weeks ago; some pics are available under strictly photos and videos, around november the 22nd I think.

[fantassin]

This year was the 25th anniversary of the Foreign Legion jump over Kolwezi in Zaire in 1978.

5 legionnaires KIA, 25 WIA against 163 rebels from the Katanga KIA.