FRENCH AIRBORNE TROOPS IN 1935–1945

FRENCH AIRBORNE TROOPS IN 1935–1945

In 1935 an airborne center is created by capitaine Geille on Avignon-Pujaut. The first French airborne troops were called "infanterie de l'air" and officially created on 1st April 1937, after a decision taken on October 20, 1936. Two "Groupes de l'Infanterie de l'Air" (GIA.) were formed (601st in Reims and 602nd in Baraki in Algeria).

Each group is composed of :
• one HQ
• one transport aircraft squadron
• one airborne infantry company (= CIA = Compagnie d'Infanterie de l'Air) : 175 men organized in 3 platoons + 1 support platoon (with 2 37mm TR infantry guns and 2 Hotchkiss Mle1914 HMGs).

Groupe de l'infanterie de l'air 601 (1937)
• commander : commandant Mayet
• commander of the infantry company : capitaine Sauvagnac assisted by lieutenant Glaizot (the lieutenants in the squads are Le Bourhis, Mayer, Audebert, Lespina, Fournier and Foucault)

Groupe de l'infanterie de l'air 602 (1937)
• commander : commandant Michel
• commander of the infantry company : capitaine Loizeau assisted by lieutenant Dupouts (the lieutenants in the squads are Fleury, Morel, Chevalier, Lemaître, Lemire and Bastouil)


Each 12-men squad is armed with Mousqueton Berthier Mle1892 M16, 2 FM 24/29 LMGs per squad, one VB launcher and hand grenades (36 carbines and 6 LMGs in one platoon) ... and later Erma Vollmer SMGs in the corps francs. The MAS36 CR39, a MAS 36 with foldable stock specially designed for airborne troops was never put into service before the armistice. Seven Boys anti-tank rifles were also already used in the Corps Francs in 1939. The 37mm infantry guns and HMGs are launched in separate containers in the bomb bay of the planes but the small arms are attached to the men during the drop.
The doctrine and formation are inspired from the big Russian trainings observed in Kiev in 1935. Many specific equipments, girdles for the fixation of various equipments, the leg bag etc. are specially studied and realized by the French Air Force. These equipments were presented to the British forces in 1939 and adopted by the British SAS. The parachutes are first British Irvin sport models imported by the SGP (Société Générale des Parachutes) and Russian copies of the Irvin model and later French models : the Aviorex 120 and 130 models.

On 7th October 1937, capitaine Sauvagnac beats the world record of free fall without inhalator with 74 seconds.

At First the doctrine is concerning the use of small saboteurs groups for the destruction of factories or bridges. Many trainings were organized for the new airborne troops. For example in August 1937 the 601st CIA seized a bridge on the Durance and in September 1937 after a drop of 100m only in a rainy sky they seized by surprise the HQ of a whole division.

In October 1938 the whole 601st CIA is dropped on BA112 airbase by 5 planes and in less than 3 minutes after the beginning of the dropping the first 37mm rounds were shot. The German observers invited to this presentation were impressed and unlike the French high command they used these lessons.

In September 1939, the 601st is based in Avignon-Pujaut and the 602nd in Montélimar. In November 1939 they are directed towards Calais where they keep on alert, ready to embark in Farman 224s during one week. They were thought to jump over the Flessingue airbase and Arnemuisen isthmus in the Netherlands but the operation was never launched.

The French airborne companies are then used to form 4 "groupes francs" (52 men from the 601st CIA and 91 men from the 602nd CIA commanded by capitaine Glaizot) under the authority of the 28th alpine infantry division in Alsace. These groups are based in the No Man's Land, in Lembach (Alsace), 12km NE of Niederbronn (in the operational area of the 7th and 27th BCA - bataillon de chasseurs alpins -, alpine troops).

On February 14, 1940, the four "Groupes Francs" :
• Lieutenant Chevalier (based in Lembach)
• Lieutenant Le Bourhis (based in Lembach)
• Lieutenant Audebert (based in Obersteinbach, at 15 km)
• Lieutenant Lemaître (based in Obersteinbach, at 15 km)
are commanded by capitaine Henri Glaizot whose HQ is in Lembach.

Usually the work is divided into 3 days of patrol and 1 resting day during which capitaine Glaizot who is also a pilot, uses a recon plane from the observation squadron of Haguenau.

From 14th February to 11th March 1940 they led 28 patrols and 23 ambushes, sometimes more than 3 km behind the German lines. They lost only 2 KIAs (sergent Baratte - 602nd CIA - on 24th February and sergent Solacroup - 601st CIA - on 7th March) and 3 WIAs. They scored about 30 German soldiers.
From 11th to 17th March, they returned in Niederbronn in the French lines and 54 French parachutists were awarded citations and on 22nd March the corps francs are disbanded, the men return to their infanterie de l'air companies.

On 24th April, a group of 30 men from the 601st CIA under the commandment of capitaine Mayer was used for the protection of the French Air Force HQ and the General Vuillemin.

On 29th April, the 601st CIA left Avignon-Pujaut for Vimory next to Montargis (like the 602nd a bit later) and on 11th June the 601st CIA went to Avord. On 12th June a Farman 224 is shot down by a Me110 making 2 KIAs and 4 WIAs. During the different retreats of the French army, they organized the defense of different towns along the Loire river but they saw grossly no combat. The French airborne troops led only offensive actions during the phoney war.

Between 17-27th June 1940, the "infanterie de l'air" is transferred in North Africa and on 25thAugust 1940, the units are disbanded.

The French airborne units of the free French forces were then created by General de Gaulle on 29th September 1940, under the command of Captain Georges Bergé (father of the French SAS). The first platoon was Jump certified at Christmas with the first British paratroopers in Central Landing Establishment - Ringway. In March and May 1941, two missions under the control of the SOE were completed in occupied France under the command of G.Bergé. ("Savanah" and "Josephine B").
These two missions were the first realized by allied forces in France. They have shown the ability to introduce a commando in occupied territory and exfiltrate it after the mission completed.
In June 1941, the 1st company was cut in three Platoon. The first was assigned to the BCRA - the secret service of Free French - for special missions in occupied France. The two other platoons were the new 1st Air Infantry company (= CIA = Compagnie d'Infanterie de l'Air).

In July 1941, the 1st Air Infantry company went in North-Africa. After a time in Lebanon, the company becomes 1st "Compagnie de Chasseurs Parachutistes" (= CCP)and did a para training course in the Kabret Para Training Centre.
In September, Bergé who was now a great friend of David Stirling, obtained the authorization of General de Gaulle to be 3rd Squadron SPECIAL AIR SERVICE BRIGADE, because the ancestors of the famous General have fight in middle-age with the King of Scotland. The French General was along his life a great friend of Scottish. In November the 3rd Squadron - 1st CCP (Compagnie de Chasseurs Parachutistes) (50 Officers, NCOs and men) began its SAS specialized training. During this time in Great Britain a new Para Unit was created to welcome volunteers in a 2nd CIA.

From June to November 1942, a lot of missions were completed successfully by French and British SAS together on airfields and logistic bases on the coast of Lybia and Cyrenaïca. At this time the mission under the command of Bergé and Lord Jellicoe in Creta island was completed, but unfortunately Bergé and two paras were captured, and one was killed in Heraklion. Some weeks after Stirling also failed and was captured. Along the war Bergé and Stirling were interned in the Colditz fortress in Germany.

At the end of December the 1st CCP has finished its operations in middle-east and went back in Great-Britain. At this time, a new 2nd SAS Para Company was created to operate in Tunisia with some officers and veterans of the French SAS Squad. After some successful fights, in January and February the 2nd company went also back in Great-Britain. The first page of French SAS history was written.

The French SAS received as a great award and tribute the famous SAS wings and three gold inscriptions on their battle-honour. In March 1943, the veterans of the 1st and 2nd SAS companies were totally integrated to the French forces in Great-Britain and formed the 1st and 2nd "Bataillon d'Infanterie de l'Air" (= BIA = Air Infantry Battalion).
In November a 3rd BIA was created in Lebanon and Algeria and was sent to Great-Britain. On 11th January 1944, 1st BIA (renamed 4th BIA) and 3rd BIA were integrated to the new SAS Brigade under the command of General Mac Leod as 4th SAS and 3rd SAS. From February to May the French SAS trained sometimes with the 1st Polish Para Brigade in Largo to prepare the landing in Europe and the operations to liberate occupied territories.

During the night of 5th June 1944, 4 sticks of 4th SAS were dropped on north and south Brittany to prepare SAS bases ("Samwest", "Dingson", "Grog"), to take contact with local Resistance and established DZ and LZ for the battalion. The mission of the French SAS was to destroy all communication lines, to prepare ambushes and sabotages in order to prevent all enemies movements toward Normandy. These men were amongst the first allied soldiers engaged for D-Day operations with allied pathfinders units. This fact was a decision of General Montgomery. Immediately after his landing, the stick from lieutenant Marienne had to fight against German troops (Ukrainians from Vlassov's army), and corporal Bouétard was wounded and killed by a German NCO. It is often said it was the first allied soldier KIA during D-Day operation.
One night after the D-Day, 18 French SAS teams known as "Cooney parties" were dropped on all parts of Brittany to accomplish sabotages on railways, roads etc. in order to cut hinder all German movements towards the Normandy beachheads. At this time in Brittany about 150,000 Germans were ready to head for the Normandy landing areas. Night after night, sticks of French SAS -4th Battalion- and containers were dropped in the area of St-Marcel (Morbihan) -"Baleine DZ"- to led ambushes and sabotages and all actions were successful. They grouped also about 10,000 French resistants to fight with them. The French SAS were never more than 450 men in that area. On 18th June, in the villages of Saint-Marcel and Serent a battle was led by 200 French SAS, 4 armed jeeps and 2500 men of the French resistance (FFI) against more than 5000 Germans supported by 81mm mortars. Along the day, the French resisted to the attacks helped in the afternoon by CAS provided by P47s from the USAF but at night they had to leave the battle area and get back in the maquis. Today a Resistance Museum with a SAS display is located in the village of Saint-Marcel. After this combat, the SAS were strongly hunted and many retaliation acts were realized against the civilians.

During July, the French SAS accomplished many missions in order to delay the German forces. Less than 500 men were opposed to very importance enemy forces. In August, the 3rd US Army (Patton) came in Brittany. The 2nd Squadron of 3rd SAS was dropped in Brittany to reinforce 4th SAS. Also a lot of armed jeeps landed by gliders (the only one glider SAS operation of WW2). At the end of the Brittany campaign the French SAS had lost more than 65% of their men. Immediately, the SAS wings worn directly on left breast were awarded to 4th SAS renamed 2nd RCP (= Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes). The 3rd SAS became 3rd RCP. At the end of the Brittany campaign the French SAS had received for the first time the red beret. It is worn with the para cap-badge but without the lion and the crown.
From 1942 to September 1944 the French SAS have had the black beret with the same insignia. Only on 11th November, the 2nd RCP got the red beret with the SAS winged dagger embroidered cap badge to parade in Paris on the "Champs Elysées". A few time after the 3rd RCP received also the red beret with SAS cap-badge.

In August a team of 4th SAS was the first to fight in Paris for the liberation of the city. They are the first allies to enter into Paris. From September to November 1944, many SAS operations were realized in France by the two French regiments : "spencer", "harrods", "barker", "bullbasket2", "dickens", "moses", "derry", "samson", "salesman", "marshall", "snelgrove", "jockworth", "newton" and "abel". In the same time the 1st and 2nd SAS operated successfully in central and eastern France while 5th SAS operated in Normandy and on the Belgian border.
On 4th September, in the small town of "Sennecey le Grand" took place an epic combat. 4 jeeps of 3rd RCP under the command of Lieutenant Combaud de Roquebrune attacked a strong enemy convoy. Many Germans were killed, but unfortunately, the jeeps were destroyed by tanks. Now, in Sennecey le Grand stays the Inter-allied Memorial of the SAS Brigade, as a wish of David Stirling himself. At Christmas, 2nd RCP was engaged in the battle of the Bulge during operation "Franklin". Only at the end of January 1945 the regiment went back to France. After a time of training in Great Britain, the SAS were prepared for a new mission, the last of the war.

In April 1945, the last and the most important SAS operation of WW2 ("Amherst") under command of Brigadier General M. Calvert, was completed in northern Holland by 700 men of the two French regiments (this was the biggest SAS operation of WW2). Dropped, as an arrow head for the 1st Armoured Canadian Corps, during night and with very bad meteorological conditions, the sticks landed far from planed DZ. The operation was successful. In the same time British SAS had realized operation "Keystone".

On 8th May 1945, at the end of WW2 in Europe, the two French SAS regiments were assigned to French Air Force. The flag of the French SAS presented to 4th BIA in Edimburgh on 11th May 1944, was a gift of the French-Scottish association. It was one of the most awarded allied unit during WW2. On 11th November 1944, General De Gaulle during a famous parade on Champs-Elysées in Paris added the Cross of Liberation to the flag of the French SAS. The 2nd and 3rd RCP were disbanded (September 1945) and a new 2nd RCP was created. Later a SAS half-brigade was created to fight in Indochina (1946-1948) and the 2nd RCP was disbanded in Algeria at Philippeville which was also the garrison of British 2nd SAS after the landing in North-Africa in November 1942. After the half-brigade was also disbanded in 1948, the Para-Commandos of Oversea Forces took the traditions of the French SAS.
Since 1981, 1st RPIMa (1st Parachute Marine Infantry Regiment) has the missions and the traditions of the French SAS as an airborne intelligence and special operation unit. The SAS wings of WW2 with in the middle the Chimera of Indochina are worn as a special qualification on the left breast like British SAS wings, after three missions. "Who Dares Wins" is also the motto of French SAS "Qui Ose Gagne". The missions were completed in Africa, in Middle-East, during Desert Storm, in Kosovo, Yugoslavia, on Serbian border and in Afghanistan etc.

French airborne troops in 1935-1945 [Archive] - Military Photos

 

Once more a very interesting reading! I learned lots of things here. For instance, I didn't know they lost 65% of their men in 1944. thanks for posting this.

 

Nice post JC now for your next excellent piece of info how about the Belgian SAS

 

Here ya go !!

http://www.ww2f.com/battle-europe/25382-belgium-sas.html

 

great infos.

It is true that at first, De Gaulle refused to give those man to stirling. Stirling said then "he is as stubborn as an english." De gaulle asked him why he said that and stirling answered that it was because he was from scotland (the same for thez french administrator Coulet when he met monty. Monty was quite cold until he learntthat Coulet was a protestant).

 

French Paratrooper

 

Here is a list of the operations that the SAS French Squadron were involved in :

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Abel - 82 soldiers of 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) conduct blocking actions and hit-and-run raids in conjunction with Maquis units during the battle for the vital Belfort Gap. (Eastern France, 27 Aug to 22 Sept 1944)

Amherst - 3 and 4 French Parachute Battalions (3 and 4 SAS) inserted to support the Canadian First Army as it advanced into Holland, also tasked with preserving an airfield at Steenwijk and preventing the destruction of important bridges. (April 1945)

Barker - 27 men from 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) jumped into the Saone-et-Loire area, tasked with the disruption of enemy movements and to support the local Maquis. (France, Aug - Sept 1944)

Cooney - French Parachute Battalion (4 SAS) inserted between St. Malo and Vannes, cuts a number of railway lines before dispersing and joining up with larger commando group. (France, 07 June '44)

Derry - 89 men of 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) parachuted into Finisterre, Brittany and tasked with harrassment operations against German forces and the protection of viaducts at Morlaix and Plougastel. (France, August 1944)

Dickens - 65 men from 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) parachuted into the Nantes/Saumur area of western France and tasked with gathering intelligence, organizing resistance, and general harrassment of German forces. (July - October 1944)

Dingson - 160 men and 4 jeeps of 4 French Parachute Battalion (4 SAS) parachuted into Vannes area of Brittany to organize local resistance, establish a local base of operations, and harrass enemy forces in the area. (July - October 1944)

Franklin - 186 men from 4 French Parachute Battalion (4 SAS) deploy in 31 jeeps to support US VIII Corps during the German Ardennes Offensive. (Belgian Ardennes, December 1944 - January 1945)

Harrod - 85 men from3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) tasked with providing support to the right flank of the U.S. Third Army as it moved east to Germany. (August - Sept. 1944)

Jockworth - 57 men of 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) parachuted into southeast France with orders to disrupt emeny movement and organize local resistance forces. (August - September 1944)

Lost - Seven men from 4 French Parachute Battalion (4 SAS) parachuted into Brittany, France to meet up with parts of 4 SAS and conduct large scale operations against the enemy in the area. (June - July 1944)

Marshall - 32 men of 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) parachuted into the Correza area of France with orders to interfere with enemy troop movements and better organize local resistance operations. (August 1944)

Moses - 47 men of 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) tasked with disrupting enemy communications near Poitiers in southwestern France. (August - October 1944)

Musketeer - The British 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment along with the French 10th Parachute Divison parachute onto Gamil airfield, Suez to retake the canal after its closure by Egypt's President Nasser, backed up by a simultaneous amphibious assault led by the Royal Marine Commandos (5-6 November 1956).

Newton - 57 men of 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) tasked with reinforcing existing SAS bases and conducting limited operations against the enemy. (August - Sept. 1944)
The battle involved a small jeep column led by Capitaine Guy de Combaud Roquebrune. Together with other groups and the Resistance they had been disrupting the enemy’s means of communication for weeks, carrying out attacks and ambushes in the area. On 3 September 1944 the order was given to block the retreat of a large German column, which was forming up in Sennecey le Grand. At dawn on 4 September 1944, the four jeeps of Guy de Combaud Roquebrune drove up the main street of Sennecey le Grand, where some 3000 Germans in convoy were formed up. With machine guns blazing at point blank range they drove through the town causing great confusion and many casualties (figures suggest 500) in the convoy. By bad luck their only escape route was blocked and they were left with no alternative but to drive back through the town. One by one the jeeps were destroyed by the now alert Germans. Only the fourth jeep, out of control with its crew seriously wounded managed to get through. By a miracle two members (Joseph Tramoni and Alexis Baude) were rescued by the Resistance, who picked them up and evacuated them through to nearby woods.

Noah - 41 men from the Belgian Independent Parachute Company (5 SAS) parachuted into the French Ardennes to gather intel on the enemy presence in the area. (August - Sept. 1944)

Samson - 24 men from 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS) parachuted into the area west of Limoges, southern France to disrupt enemy road traffic and bolster local resistance forces.

Samwest - 116 men of 4 French Parachute Battalion dropped into northern Brittany to establish a base near St. Brieuc and conduct operations to prevent the movement of German forces from western Brittany to Normandy following D-Day. (June 1944)

Snelgrove - 28 men of 3 French Parachute Battalion (3 SAS), parachuted into southern France with orders to disrupt enemy troop movements an support local Maquis resistance fighters. (August 1944)

Spenser - 317 men of 4 French Parachute Battalion (4 SAS) mounted on 54 jeeps, infiltrated emeny lines and conducted operations designed to effect major casualties to the retreating German Army. (August - Sept. 1944)

Gain - D Squadron, 1 SAS parachuted into southwest France to meet up with the Maquis and conduct operations to disrupt enemy communications. (1944)
Ian Fenwick was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Leicestershire Yeomanry in 1937. After serving with the Royal Artillery and King’s Royal Rifle Corps, he joined the Special Air Service, having gained his wings with the Army Air Corps. He commanded “D” Squadron, 1st S.A.S., during operation ‘Gain’, parachuted into France on the night of 16th/17th June 1944, with six men. Working on foot some thirty to fifty miles south of Paris, in the gap between the Loire and the Seine, they proceeded to blow up railway lines and, working with the French Resistance, Fenwick’s party derailed many trains. This was all occurring too near the Gestapo’s Paris stamping ground to be long tolerable, and finally a double agent enabled the Gestapo to raid Fenwick’s base. On the 7th August, 1944, the base was surrounded by a large enemy force. The base party was successful in breaking out, while Ian Fenwick was out on an operational patrol at the time. On his way back he received garbled reports which must have indicated that most of his party had been captured. “It was typical of him” wrote another officer, “that his first thought should be for the safety of his men. It was in an attempt to relieve them immediately that, after successfully attacking an enemy column, he was ambushed in his jeep and killed instantaneously. Thus died a very gallant Englishman.

Loyton - 91 men from 2 SAS and a Phantom team parachuted into eastern France to conduct intelligence gathering operations, attack enemy operations, and cooperate with local Maquis resistance fighters. (August - October 1945) Note: Phantom was the name given to F Squadron, GHQ Liason Regiment which was attached as a signal section to the SAS Brigade during WW2.

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Excellent input, I'm learning a lot here, thank you for adding this useful information.

 

At exactly 2230 hours on Christmas Eve 1942, two Douglas C-47s loaded with paratroopers took off from Thelepte airfield outside Algiers. Suspended under the belly of each was a drop container holding 200 pounds of explosives. On board were 32 Americans from the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion and two French paratroopers who had been ordered to destroy the vital railroad bridge at El Djem, Tunisia.
Once an insignificant spot on the rail line from Tunis to Gabes, it now linked the brilliant German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel — battling British General Bernard L. Montgomery’s Eighth Army in the south — to vital supplies being sent by rail from northern Tunisia. During the initial stages of the North Africa campaign, the fighting had taken place primarily in Egypt and Libya, far to the east of the El Djem bridge. Since Montgomery’s autumn offensive had forced Axis armies to retreat westward from the Egyptian frontier toward Tunisia, however, the bridge at El Djem had become an important link between supply depots and Axis front lines.
Italian reverses in Egypt and Libya had forced Adolf Hitler to send German forces into North Africa to boost his faltering Axis partner. In February 1941, the Führer sent Rommel to North Africa to stabilize the front, promising him two divisions. An aggressive commander, Rommel instead went on the offensive and turned what Hitler and his general staff had previously considered a sideshow into a major theater of war. By 1941, maintaining control of the North African coast had become essential to the Allied cause. Aside from Great Britain, the region was the Allies’ only potential route into Axis-dominated Europe. In addition, control of North Africa was critical to dominance of the Mediterranean and access to the Suez Canal and to the Middle East’s rich oil fields.
Rommel’s offensive had been marked by brilliant maneuvers on the rocky North African terrain. As with all campaigns — but even more so in barren North Africa — the pace of the fighting was governed by the flow of the supplies of food, ammunition and gasoline. With the bulk of the Wehrmacht’s resources being sent to the Soviet Union, the German commander was forced to rely on inconsistent resupply from either Axis countries or captured Allied materiel. These difficult logistical arrangements, coupled with British determination, finally halted Rommel’s offensive at El Alamein in December 1941. After stopping the German advance, Montgomery’s army counterattacked and eventually pushed the Afrika Korps back to the southern reaches of Tunisia.
As seesaw battles raged along the coast of North Africa, American forces prepared to enter the war. Since Allied hopes of an immediate invasion of France had been dashed by the disastrous raid on Dieppe in August 1942, control of North Africa assumed additional importance. British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill and Soviet Premier Josef Stalin pressured American President Franklin D. Roosevelt to support Allied efforts in the Mediterranean. Since Roosevelt’s desire was to confront the Germans as soon as possible, everything pointed to North Africa as the only likely Allied invasion site from which to begin a new campaign.
On November 8, 1942, Operation Torch, the Western Allies’ first offensive against Hitler, was launched. The operation called for amphibious landings at three locations along the coast of North Africa, all to the west of Rommel’s position. The landings trapped Rommel between two advancing armies. Although cornered, however, Rommel was still full of fight. The ‘Desert Fox’ realized that he could take advantage of interior lines once he had retreated to Tunisia. Since he held the middle ground between the British to the east and the Americans to the west, he could effectively engage them both if he utilized his resources carefully. While Rommel recognized that his future in North Africa was in doubt, he hoped to gain enough time to evacuate his valuable, battle-hardened troops to Europe.
Rommel knew that he would have time to regroup as Montgomery gathered enough resources after his victory at El Alamein to renew his advance. The Desert Fox now planned to hold Montgomery in the south with nonmotorized troops and strike north against the American forces with his few remaining tanks. After defeating the relatively inexperienced Americans, he planned to return to the south and attack before Montgomery was prepared to fight. Rommel hoped this plan would score one final triumph for the Afrika Korps before it safely made its escape to Europe.
On December 19, 1942, however, Rommel received an order from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the nominal head of Axis forces in North Africa, to ‘resist to the utmost with all troops of the German-Italian Army.’ Upon receiving this order, Rommel wrote to his wife, Lucy, ‘What is to happen now lies in God’s hands.’ To resist with everything he had spelled almost certain doom for the Afrika Korps. While the Italian dictator sent directives filled with platitudes and orders that were impossible to follow, the field marshal’s supply situation worsened. Rommel was consuming 400 tons of fuel daily but receiving a scant 152 tons each day — most of which was used for withdrawals or consumed by transport vehicles bringing the fuel to Rommel’s mechanized units.
Allied aircraft tried to slow the trickle of supply ships coming into the ports of Tunis and Bizerte with materiel for General Juergen von Arnim’s Fifth Panzer Army in northern Tunisia and Rommel’s Afrika Korps in southern Tunisia. Rommel quarreled daily with the Luftwaffe and Italian high command because they could not protect his vulnerable supply ships. Their failure only added to Rommel’s difficulties and his desire to withdraw his army while he still could.
When Hitler learned that Rommel planned an evacuation, he bellowed that the Desert Fox was not going to do what his generals ‘had wanted to do last winter in Russia.’ Hitler yelled, ‘I refused to allow it. I am not going to allow it in Africa either.’ Hitler then made a promise to Rommel to send him ‘more arms, ammunition, and troops.’
Meanwhile, Allied leaders redoubled their efforts to cut German supply lines. A primary target for American planes was the railroad bridge at El Djem, on the main north­south coastal railroad line connecting the ports of Tunis and Bizerte with Rommel’s positions behind the Mareth Line. For weeks Allied aircraft tried to destroy what was believed to be a fragile bridge both with high-altitude bombing and low-level fighter attacks. Neither met with success. Frustrated, Allied planners decided that a demolition team parachuted into the vicinity of the bridge might have better luck.
Selected for the mission was the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the first American airborne unit shipped overseas and the first to close with the enemy in combat. During the opening phases of Operation Torch, the 509th achieved another first by leading the way for the Allied invasion of North Africa after a 1,600-mile flight from England.
Lieutenant Colonel Edson D. Raff commanded the battalion, which he had also trained. Known to his men as ‘Little Caesar,’ he had acquired the nickname through his demanding and meticulous training methods and his short, stocky physique. The tough training irked many of his troopers. After their first taste of combat, however, many admitted Little Caesar’s hard training had been invaluable.
Raff selected the inexperienced Lieutenant Dan A. DeLeo to lead the mission. Unlike most of the 509th’s officers, DeLeo had yet to see combat. The 24-year-old officer had lagged behind the rest of the battalion in England in order to supervise the transport of replacements, plus the battalion’s heavy baggage and equipment, by ship.
When DeLeo arrived in North Africa, Raff summoned him to his headquarters. The lieutenant later recalled that the briefing was short. ‘He told me that I was to lead a parachute raiding party to the El Djem bridge, blow it up, after which we were to make our way back through enemy territory for 90 miles to friendly lines.’
DeLeo remembered that Army Air Forces Lt. Col. Phil Cochran was present at the briefing as well. Raff had selected Cochran to command the two-plane flight since, after several failed air attacks, he was very familiar with the physical layout of the bridge and key terrain features in the general vicinity of the target area. DeLeo also recalled that Cochran said he would drop the paratroopers along the railroad line just north of the objective. Once they were on the ground, it was thought that all the paratroopers had to do was march south along the tracks until they reached the bridge, and blow it.
Following the briefing, DeLeo began preparing for the mission. Among the 32 paratroopers he selected for the raid were five demolitions experts and two French soldiers. Sergeant Jean Guilhenjouan and Corporal Paul Vullierme had served in North Africa for a considerable time, knew the countryside and were fluent in Arabic. The Frenchmen were to guide the raiders back to friendly lines once the bridge was destroyed.
Raff had tried to postpone the raid until a more effective method of retrieving the raiders could be organized. He had wanted a C-47 to land somewhere near the blown bridge just after dawn. As Cochran’s fighters flew cover, DeLeo’s men would scramble on board and the C-47 would fly them back to Allied lines. But since this plan could not be coordinated in time, the raiders would be forced to escape on foot. As a result, many members of the 509th believed DeLeo’s men were being sent on a suicide mission.
Once the bridge was blown, according to the raiders’ instructions, they were to move only after dark — during the day, they would hide out. If they met a superior enemy force, they were to break into small groups and make their way back to friendly lines as best they could. After they had been briefed and issued the necessary equipment, DeLeo’s men boarded the waiting C-47s that would take them to their drop zone.
Once on board, the men settled in and made final checks of their equipment. At 2230 hours, the transports lifted off. As the C-47s neared the objective, they began to descend, since most jumps were made from an altitude of no more than 1,000 feet in a combat situation. Just as they flew over the drop zone, Cochran and the pilot flying the second C-47 pulled a switch, and each 200-pound bundle of explosives dropped from the planes. As the parachutes on the containers deployed, the green lights came on inside each plane, alerting the paratroopers that it was time to jump.
One of the troopers, Private Roland W. Rondeau, remembered that after he jumped it was so dark he could see nothing, not even the ground below his feet. Suddenly Rondeau slammed into the ground. He lay still, listening for any sound of enemy activity. His fellow raiders, landing around him, made the only noises he could hear.
Quickly getting to work, DeLeo located the railroad line and signaled to his men to assemble. A search for the two bundles of explosives produced only one — losing equipment on night jumps was common, so DeLeo was not too alarmed. He believed that the demolition men would be able to blow the bridge with what was available. Dividing the explosives among themselves, the raiders prepared to move on their objective.
As DeLeo’s men were preparing to leave the drop zone, two Arabs appeared out of the darkness. DeLeo instructed his two French paratroopers to tell the Arabs that if they did not betray the raiders to the Germans, they could help themselves to the silk chutes scattered around in the sand. After collecting several, the Arabs went back the way they had come. DeLeo then wondered if he should have allowed the Arabs to leave.
Since Cochran had planned to drop DeLeo’s force north of the bridge, the raiders began to move cautiously southward down the rail line. DeLeo told them to move with utmost care, and to tighten up any loose straps and equipment. After two hours of hiking, however, the raiders had not reached their objective. Alert, weapons at the ready, the troopers began to cross what they believed was the last mile or so to the bridge.
After another tense 30 minutes of marching, DeLeo’s nerves were straining. They should be almost on top of the bridge, he thought. He sent two scouts ahead to see if they could find it. They tried and failed. DeLeo now became worried. If they did not find the bridge soon, the approaching daylight would expose his tiny raiding party. After another hour’s march, and still no bridge, DeLeo called a halt. Now he was certain that Cochran had dropped them farther away than the planned five miles.
The only thing to do, DeLeo reasoned, was to keep moving south. Many raiders hoped a supply train or, better yet, one carrying troops, would come steaming along. If it did, they planned to blow up the tracks and derail the entire force.
As the sky continued to lighten in the east, DeLeo halted his men. Within minutes it was light enough for him to take compass bearings on a number of surrounding hilltops. He now knew why they had not found the bridge. They had been dropped in the wrong place. DeLeo told his men, ‘We are nearly twenty-two miles south of the bridge!’ The raiders had spent half the night walking away from their objective.
With little hope of reaching the bridge undetected in daylight, DeLeo decided to do as much damage as possible from where he was. He told his men to set their explosives along a 100-yard stretch of track. Off to the side of the track was a small building that housed electrical switching equipment. The raiders decided to destroy the building along with the track. Just as everything was set to explode, DeLeo’s sentries came running up to report that enemy troops were moving in along the tracks from both north and south. The paratroopers were caught in a trap.
As his men cursed the pilots who had fouled up the drop and the Arabs who had apparently betrayed them, DeLeo shouted to his raiders, ‘All you men not involved with setting demolitions, get out of here now while the getting is still good.’ Breaking into prearranged buddy teams, the paratroopers began jogging west, away from the railroad, toward Allied lines. The demolition men lit three-minute fuses and sprinted into the desert. All at once 200 pounds of explosives sent railroad track and debris spiraling into the early morning sky. The raiders took a quick look at the destruction, then continued running.
Privates Charles Doyle and Michael P. Underhill were among the troopers fleeing into the desert. It was not long before they were out of sight of the rest of the group. The two hid in a haystack for the remainder of the day but were captured in some woods by three Italian soldiers the next evening. They were bounced around from place to place in an old truck until they were finally placed in a makeshift prisoner-of-war camp. The two paratroopers managed to escape within 24 hours and eventually made it back to friendly lines.
After the destruction of the railroad, the troopers who had remained with DeLeo headed west. In the group were Sergeant John Peters, Privates Frank Romero and Rondeau, plus the two French soldiers who had jumped with the team. DeLeo decided to hide out that first day. After dark, the group headed west. As dawn approached, the raiders came upon a road with a fair amount of traffic. DeLeo moved his men into a thick stand of woods along the road. All through the morning the paratroopers watched scores of enemy vehicles headed west.
Around noon, DeLeo decided to commandeer a truck and drive toward Allied lines. He hoped to capture a truck with a canvas cover, which would conceal them as they tried to escape. Fortunately, the first truck that came down the dusty road had a canvas tarpaulin draped over the back. DeLeo removed his helmet, walked to the center of the road and waved at the driver of the truck. In his other hand he held a .45-caliber pistol behind his back. When the truck stopped, DeLeo jumped onto its running board and shoved the .45 into the face of the Italian driver. Running from cover, the remainder of DeLeo’s group piled into the truck, making sure the canvas top hid them from view. Speaking perfect Italian, DeLeo ordered, ‘Start driving! No monkey business or I’ll blow your head off!’
Soon the commandeered truck was rolling past column after column of German infantrymen. Since DeLeo was riding in the cab, he decided to disguise himself as an Arab. Using some old rags and strips of material, he fashioned an Arab headpiece for himself. He received only cursory notice from passersby for the next 30 miles. After a few more miles of traveling, the old truck broke down and the Italian driver steered it off the road. The raiders were still some 50 miles from American lines. Resorting to the original plan, DeLeo’s team hid out during the day and traveled at night, taking turns keeping watch over the petrified truck driver.
When their rations were gone, the troopers began to barter with Arabs for food. For three weeks DeLeo’s team wandered westward, avoiding German patrols and trying to scrounge enough to eat. Finally the exhausted group was directed to a French army outpost. As the raiders neared the post, French soldiers dashed out of the buildings and waved frantically at them. When the paratroopers reached them, they learned that they had all just walked across a minefield.
Of the original group of men who had jumped on Christmas Eve, only six quickly made it back to friendly lines. Eventually, 16 more of DeLeo’s raiders returned to their outfit. The enemy were believed to have killed the remaining men.
The raid on the El Djem bridge was the 509th’s last parachute operation of the campaign. German engineers were able to quickly repair the damage DeLeo’s men had done to the railroad. However, the end of the fighting in Africa came soon, as all Axis forces were pushed back and bottled up in the northeast corner of Tunisia. Although Rommel’s plan to evacuate his force from Africa was finally put into action, it was too late to save most of his troops. By May 1943, Allied naval forces had established an effective blockade that allowed ground units to capture nearly 250,000 German and Italian troops, including most of Rommel’s battle-hardened Afrika Korps. Rommel himself, on Hitler’s orders, was flown to Germany for alleged medical reasons before the end of the campaign.
When the fighting in North Africa was over, Dan DeLeo visited the bridge at El Djem. What he saw there shocked him. He recalled, ‘No wonder the air corps bombs and rockets hadn’t been able to collapse the span.’ Giant stone pillars guarded a dual set of tracks. Once he saw the bridge up close, the paratroop officer knew that his men had done as much damage as they could have even if they had actually located the bridge. At the same time, DeLeo wondered how many more of his men would have made it back to friendly lines if they had been dropped in the right spot. If they had not wasted precious hours marching south, DeLeo’s men would have had more time to get away before daylight. By any estimation, DeLeo’s mission had been a failure that reflected the relative inexperience of American airborne planners. Despite that, DeLeo was proud of his men. They had displayed courage, determination and the ability to persevere even when the odds were stacked against them. Later, these qualities, and experience gained in almost continuous combat in Italy, would make the 509th one of the most accomplished of all American paratrooper formations.

Raid on Rommel’s Railroad in Tunisia During World War II » HistoryNet

 

On paper there were two companies of French paratroopers in 1940, but they were not at full strength. They were nevertheless considered “ready for action”, and their deployment was planned as part of the Allied entry in the Netherlands, but eventually they were not dropped. Their “standard” plane was the Potez 650.
The corps franc is a special infiltration and deep reconnaissance unit. It is the equivalent of the German Stosstruppen. Concerning WW2, these corps francs were created in September 1939 with specially selected volunteers at the battalion, regimental and/or divisional level. These elite troops had the mission to infiltrate behind the enemy lines, to collect information, to organize ambushes or raids and to take prisoners.

The smallest element of a corps franc is a team of 6 men called “l’équipe” (= the team) or “sizaine”. All the members of the team have a combat knife, a handgun (revolver or pistol) and many grenades for close combat. These men are usually armed with the mousqueton (carbine) Berthier Mle1892 M16 and in each team there are usually 1-2 SMGs (typically Erma-Vollmer but also MAS38 SMGs, Suomi M31 from which 150 had been sent on the north-eastern front in 1939 and even German captured SMGs and even German captured SMGs) and 1 FM 24/29 LMG to increase the firepower (some captured MG34s are also used). Some shotguns were also used during the patrols. They carried also satchel charges if the mission required explosives. Several teams could be grouped together, for example a squad of 12 men will include 2 FM 24/29 LMGs and 2-4 SMGs and has therefore more automatic weapons than a regular infantry squad. The bigger unit including several teams is called the “groupe franc” (or “trentaine”) with 5 teams (30 men), it corresponds roughly to a platoon. The “groupe franc” is generally commanded by a lieutenant and is completely independent. Several “groupes francs” can be grouped for a specific mission into a “groupement franc”. Such a “groupement franc” includes usually a maximum of 6 “groupes francs” (180 men), roughly a company.
The “SES” = “Section d’Eclaireurs Skieurs” (ski-scouts platoons) are elite deep reconnaissance troops. They play the same role than the corps francs but they are specialized in mountain warfare and winter conditions. They are included in the mountain infantry units.
———–
The first French airborne troops were e.g. used as groupes francs in 1939.
Fred Geille was born on 19 November 1896. In November 1914, at 18 years old he enlisted in the infantry and fought bravely on different fronts. He is wounded during an assault in April 1915. In 1917, his platoon leader is killed; he takes the command of the unit and pulls the Germans back. He is then promoted 2nd lieutenant and is awarded a citation by the division.
But Geille had a passion for aviation and in 1917 he is formed as aerial observer and enlisted in the BR 7 squadron. He behaved with the same bravery as in the infantry during various missions over the enemy lines. On 15 November 1918, he is awarded a second citation. In July 1919, he is sent in Poland in general Haller’s “blue division”, which was fully armed and equipped in French gear. He earns in Poland a third citation as excellent observer. On 25 May 1919, he flew during a reconnaissance over Tarnopol, 150km behind the enemy lines. The aircrafts was damaged by enemy fire at low altitude but he managed to bring back precious intelligence. Note that he married a Polish wife and had 3 girls with her: Danouta, Maryla and Héléna.

Back in France, he earned is pilot wings on 7 October 1920 and served successively in France, in North Africa and in the Levant (Syria and Lebanon), where he is promoted captain at Christmas 1927. Back in France, he will be in 1935-1937 at the origin of the first French airborne troops.
In 1935 an airborne training center is created by capitaine Geille at Avignon-Pujaut. The first French airborne troops were called “infanterie de l’air” and officially created on 1 April 1937, after a decision taken on 20 October 1936. Two “Groupes de l’Infanterie de l’Air” (GIA.) were formed (601st in Reims and 602nd in Baraki in Algeria).
Each group is composed of:
• one HQ
• one transport aircraft squadron
• one airborne infantry company (= CIA = Compagnie d’Infanterie de l’Air) : 175 men organized in 3 platoons + 1 support platoon (with 2 37mm TR infantry guns and 2 Hotchkiss Mle1914 HMGs).
Groupe de l’infanterie de l’air 601 (1937)
• commander : commandant Mayet (after commandant Arsac)
• commander of the infantry company: capitaine Sauvagnac assisted by lieutenant Glaizot (the lieutenants in the squads are Le Bourhis, Mayer, Audebert, Lespina, Fournier and Foucault)
Groupe de l’infanterie de l’air 602 (1937)
• commander : commandant Michel
• commander of the infantry company: capitaine Loizeau assisted by lieutenant Dupouts (the lieutenants in the squads are Fleury, Morel, Chevalier, Lemaître, Lemire and Bastouil)
Each 12-men squad is armed with Mousqueton Berthier Mle1892 M16, 2 FM 24/29 LMGs per squad, one VB launcher and hand grenades (36 carbines and 6 LMGs in one platoon). The MAS36 CR39, a MAS 36 with foldable stock specially designed for airborne troops was never put into service before the armistice. Seven Boys anti-tank rifles were also already used in the Corps Francs in 1939. The 37mm infantry guns and HMGs are launched in separate containers in the bomb bay of the planes but the small arms are attached to the men during the drop.
The doctrine and formation are inspired from the big Russian training observed in Kiev in 1935. Many specific equipment, girdles for the fixation of various equipments, the leg bag etc. are specially studied and realized by the French Air Force. This equipment were presented to the British forces in 1939 and adopted by the British SAS. The parachutes are at first American Irvin sport models imported by the SGP (Société Générale des Parachutes) from the factory in England and Russian copies of the Irvin model and later with French models: the Aviorex 120 and 130 models.
Concerning the transport aircrafts squadrons:
• GIA 601 started with Potez 650 and received Farman 224 in September 1939
• GIA 602 started with LeO 213 and was equipped with Potez 650 in March 1938
On 7 October 1937, capitaine Sauvagnac beats the world record of free fall without inhalator with 74 seconds.
At First the doctrine is concerning the use of small saboteurs groups for the destruction of factories or bridges. Much training was organized for the new airborne troops. For example in August 1937 the 601st CIA seized a bridge on the Durance and in September 1937 after a drop of 100m only in a rainy sky they seized by surprise the HQ of a whole division.
In October 1938 the whole 601st CIA is dropped on BA112 airbase by 5 planes and in less than 3 minutes after the beginning of the drop the first 37mm rounds were shot. The German observers invited to this presentation were impressed and unlike the French high command they used these lessons.
In September 1939, the 601st CIA is based in Avignon-Pujaut and the 602nd CIA in Montélimar. In November 1939 they are directed towards Calais where they keep on alert, ready to embark in Farman 224 planes during one week. They were thought to jump over the Flessingue airbase and Arnemuisen isthmus in the Netherlands but the operation was never launched.
The French airborne companies are then used to form 4 “groupes francs” (52 men from the 601st CIA and 91 men from the 602nd CIA commanded by capitaine Glaizot) under the authority of the 28th alpine infantry division in Alsace. These groups are based in the no man’s land, in Lembach (Alsace), 12 km NE of Niederbronn (in the operational area of the 7th and 27th BCA - bataillon de chasseurs alpins -, alpine troops).
On February 14, 1940, the four “Groupes Francs”:
• Lieutenant Chevalier (based in Lembach)
• Lieutenant Le Bourhis (based in Lembach)
• Lieutenant Audebert (based in Obersteinbach, at 15 km west of Lembach)
• Lieutenant Lemaître (based in Obersteinbach, at 15 km west of Lembach)
are commanded by capitaine Henri Glaizot whose HQ is in Lembach.
Usually the work was divided into 3 days of patrol and 1 resting day during which capitaine Glaizot who is also a pilot, uses a recon plane from the observation squadron of Haguenau.
From 14 February to 11 March 1940 they led 28 patrols and 23 ambushes, sometimes more than 3 km behind the German lines. They lost only 2 KIAs (sergent Baratte - 602nd CIA - on 24 February and sergent Solacroup - 601st CIA - on 7 March) and 3 WIAs. They scored about 30 German soldiers KIA.

From 11 to 17 March, they returned in Niederbronn in the French lines and 54 French parachutists were awarded citations and on 22 March the groupes francs are disbanded, the men return to their infanterie de l’air companies.

http://warandgame.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/corps-francs/

 

"The first French paratrooper was an Air Force Captain who was trained as an airborne instructor in Russia in 1935. Two airborne companies were activated by the French air Force in 1937.

During the opening month of World War II the two companies were employed as raiding and patrolling forces in Eastern France. In June 1940 the remnants of the companies were withdrawn to England and Algeria.
These men formed the nucleus for the 1st RCP (Regiment De Chasseurs Parachutistes) and the ‘Shock Battalion’(Battalion de Choc) established in 1943. The 1st RCP was trained and integrated into the US 82nd Airborne Division and suffered heavy losses during the autumn of 1944 in eastern France. The Shock Battalion dropped in Southern France in August 1944, acting as the pathfinder force for the Allied Airborne Task Force.

In England a Free-French infantry company was integrated into the British special Air Service (SAS) Brigade. As the 3rd Squadron they engaged in clandestine operations in occupied France and raids on German installations in Crete, Syria, Libya and Tunisia. They expanded to the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the SAS Brigade and were used to create diversions in Brittany during the Normandy invasion, in central and eastern France and in Holland and Belgium in 1944.

After the war the decision was made to create an airborne division in France and North Africa and to send an airborne brigade to Indo-China. 1st RCP steered the development of airborne units stationed in France and North Africa, while the SAS Battalions were integrated into the French Colonial Forces Marine Corps and immediately despatched to Indo-China."

French Airborne Forces | ParaData

 

May have missed it but I didn't see mention of the 1er RCP. Two battalions, constituted in Morocco in 1943 and fought with De Lattre's forces in 1944-45. Reportedly, their commander was very frustrated that they never had an opportunity to jump into combat, but they saw plenty of combat nonetheless. In contrast to the 2e and 3e RCP's which were battalion-sized special forces units, the 1er RCP was an airborne infantry unit of true regimental size.

 

It is mentioned in post #11 right above yours .

 

Sure was!

Having seen the Choc Battalion mentioned, I can't resist pointing out that the French special forces were increased in size to three regiments (Groupement de Choc) by 1945 -- part of the many "non-program" units built by the French and which served as army-level reserves for De Lattre (like the 1er RCP).

Cheers

BW

 

I would like to find out more info on the Bataillon d'Afrique and Bataillon de Choc. But so far most sources are in French.

 

Here is some information, hope it is helpful.

The original structure and mission of the Bataillon de Choc versus that of the Groupe de commandos d'Afrique was comparable to the difference between postwar U.S. Army Green Berets (the Choc) and highly skilled assault troops (like U.S. WWII Rangers). The Choc's original mission was to parachute behind enemy lines and operate in small groups to disrupt enemy lines of communication and supply. Organizationally, a Choc squad (Groupe de combat) numbered 14 men -- one leader, one LMG gunner, two ammo bearers, a sniper, and nine men armed with sub machine guns. The heaviest weapons authorized for the Bataillon de Choc were the LMG's. Three Choc squads and a small HQ made up their platoons.

Confusingly, the companies in the Groupe de commandos d'Afrique (a battalion sized unit) were called "Commando de Choc", but were organized quite differently from the companies in the Bataillon de Choc. A commando platoon had 37 men and the battalion itself could call on support from organic 60-mm and 81-mm mortars, .50-cal and .30-cal machine guns, as well as 57-mm antitank guns and bazookas.

Two quotes will serve to illustrate some of the differences in these units.

These quotes are from L'Armée de la Victoire, Vol. 3, by Paul Gaujac.

On 18 October 1944, Gen. De Lattre announced the Choc Battalion would be re-equipped and re-trained as light shock infantry (infanterie légère de choc). On 1 November 1944, the Commandos d'Afrique and the Choc Battalion were joined as the Brigade de Choc, with the former Choc Battalion being the 1st Battalion of this new unit.

I'll do a bit of reading and see if I can find highlights of their combat actions.

Cheers

BW

 

Formed in spring 1944 in Algiers as a sister unit of the Bataillon de Choc; organized and trained identically, and also an airborne unit. Jumped into S France on 17 August 1944 and later participated in the liberation of Lyon. Subsequently was the first Allied unit to enter Dijon on 11 September 1944. Fighting in the Vosges, the Groupe de Commandos de France took part in the liberation of Belfort on November 19. This unit later fought in the Colmar Pocket and subsequently crossed the Rhine at Germersheim. Final combat actions took the Groupe through the Black Forest to the shores of Lake Constance. On May 7, 1945, the unit was located in Arlberg.

(taken from Les commandos parachutistes de france)

I expect this unit was also re-equipped and -trained as a result of De Lattre's orders in October 1944.

Cheers

BW

 

Formed 25 May 1943 in Algeria as the Bataillon d'Assaut but soon changed its name. Trained by the British S.O.E. Battalion landed in Corsica between 11 and 14 September 1943 and fought in subsequent actions that hastened the German departure from the island. On 17 June 1944 the battalion assaulted the island of Elba, neutralizing artillery batteries and command facilities to assist in the landing of the 9th Colonial Infantry Division. Elements of the battalion jumped into S France on 2 August 1944, followed by other elements on 15 August 1944. Fought in the Vosges, at Belfort, in the Colmar Pocket, and crossed the Rhine at Germersheim. Reached Sigmaringen on 26 April 1945 and advanced to Arlsberg by V-E Day. The battalion suffered 170 KIA and 800 WIA during the war.

Translated from: http://www.museedesparas.com/parachutiste_militaire/histoire/bataillon_de_choc.htm

Cheers

BW

 

Formed 25 July 1943 after the disbandment of the Corps Franc d'Afrique. This was not an airborne unit, it specialized in amphibious assaults. In contrast to the Bataillon de Choc, the Commandos d'Afrique had heavy weapons and vehicles. Unit had a strength of about 1,200 men. The unit raided the island of Pianosa in a nighttime operation, and harrassed the Germans without the loss of a single man. The unit fought on Elba in June 1944 with the 3rd Company receiving the Croix de Guerre from General De Gaulle. Landed in S France at 2200 hours on 14 August 1944, and linked up with other Allied forces the following day. Fought in the operations to liberate Toulon and Marseille. On 25 October, the unit rested after having been in action for 71 days. The unit later fought at Belfort and in Alsace at Colmar. Later crossed the Rhine, traversed the Black Forest, and ended up on the shores of Lake Constance. Some 400 men were KIA in this unit during the war.

Translated from Les commandos parachutistes d'afrique

Cheers

BW

 

Thanks.