2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=2e Régiment étranger de parachutistes


caption=Badge of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
dates=9 October 1948-
country=France
branch=French Army
command_structure=11th Parachute Brigade
type=Infantry
role=Air Assault
size= One battalion
current_commander=Colonel E. Bellot des Minieres
garrison= Calvi
nickname=
motto="Honneur et Fidélité" (Honour and loyalty)
colors=
march= Regimental March: La Legion Marche, Legion Etrangere's March: Le Boudin
mascot=
battles=First Indochina War
*Battle of Route Coloniale 4
*Battle of Hoa Binh
*Battle of Na San
*Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Algerian War
notable_commanders=Rémy Raffalli,
Paul Arnaud de Foïard
anniversaries=Camerone Day (April 30), Saint-Michel Day and Christmas The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment ( _fr. 2e Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes, 2e REP) is an Airborne Commando regiment in the French Foreign Legion. It is a part of the 11e Brigade Parachutiste and the spearhead of the French Rapid reaction force.

History

Indochina

It was formed on October 9, 1948 as the 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion at the Legions HQ, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria. The reason was the success of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion in the First Indochina War.

The battalion arrived in Indochina in January 1949, they served as 'sector troops' from February to November.

In 1950, the battalion became a part of the General Reserve in Indochina. Following the French defeat on Route Coloniale 4 (Cao Bang) in October 1950, the battalion was sea-transported to North Vietnam.

It took part in the first battle of Nghia Lo (October 1951) and in the combats on the Black River (November-December 1951) and on Route Coloniale 6 (January-February 1952) during the battle of Hoa Binh.

The battalion was dropped on Dien Bien Phu as reinforcement during the battle of Dien Bien Phu (March-May 1954). It was annihilated in the battle.

Zaire

In May 1978, a force of "gendarmes katangais" entered the Katanga province of Zaire from Angola and occupied the mining town of Kolwezi. They began to loot the town and kill government soldiers and civilians (including several Belgian and French employees of a mining company). At the request of the government of Zaire, 2 REP was airlifted to Kinshasa and dropped on Kolwezi. The operation was a success and the town was quickly recaptured with minor casualties in the ranks of the paratroopers. Some 120 civilian hostages had died in the occupation.

Today

The modern Legion paratrooper is an airborne commando unit, that operates from the island of Corsica, just south of mainland France.

Composition

It consists of 1160 men divided into 9 companies.

*A command and logistics company
*A administrative and support company
*Four combat companies, each made up of one command section and four combat sections.
**"'1st Company specialises in Urban warfareOriginally specialised in Night and Anti-tank warfare.]
**"'2nd Company specialises im Mountain warfare
**"'3rd Company specialises in Amphibious warfare
**"'4th Company specialises in sniping and demolitions
*A reconnaissance and support company
*A Maintenance Company
*A reserve company

Battle Honours

*Camerone 1863 Camerone is a Battle Honour shared by all Foreign Legion Regiments, no matter when it was formed.]
*Indochine 1949-1954

Notes

References

*Porch, Douglas. "The French Foreign Legion." New York: Harper Collins, 1991. ISBN 978-0-06-092308-2
*Braby, Wayne & Windrow, Martin. "French Foreign Legion Paratroops." London: Osprey Publishing, 1985. ISBN 978-0-85045-629-5

External links

* [http://www.legion-2rep.com/ 2 ème Régiment étranger de parachutistes]
* [http://www.kepi.cncplusplus.com Kepi - moments and pictures from current life in 2REP, training, missions (2002-present)]
* [http://www.troon-promotions.com/ntd.htmLife in the French Foreign Legion by CCH Alex Lochrie11 years of service in the 2eme REP. Images and introduction to the Legion today.