The 25th Parachute Division ( French: 25^e Division Parachutiste, 25^e D.P) was an airborne division of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

, part of the French Airborne Units. Consisting mainly of air

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

specialized in airborne combat,

air assault Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as helicopters, to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy l ...

and established in 1956; the Parachute Division took principal part only in the

Algerian War The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...

Creation and different designations

* 1 June 1956 : Creation of the 25th Parachute Division * 30 April 1961: the 25th Parachute was dissolved * In 1961 : following the putsch, the 10th Parachute Division and 25th Parachute Division were dissolved and formed on 1 May 1961 with the 11th Infantry Division (), the 11th Light Intervention Division, which would later become the 11th Parachute Brigade.

Constitution

On 1 June 1956 the 25th Parachute Division was created in the 5th military region from the 25e DIAP and the Colonial Parachute Brigade. The division included five airborne infantry Regiments, two airborne cavalry regiments and one unit of Parachute Artillery: Organigramme 25e DP

* Command and Support Structure ** 75th Headquarters Company (75^e CGQ) ** 75th Transmission Company (75^e CT) ** French Army Light Aviation (ALAT)

Platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

** 513th Transport Group ( GT 513) ** 75th Parachute Engineer Company (75e CGAP) ** 75th Repair Division Company (75^e CRD) ** 75th Medical Company (75e CM) ** 75th SRI ** General Command Staff of the 1st Brigade ** General Command Staff of the 2nd Brigade * Airborne Infantry and artillery **

2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment () is the only airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of the four infantry regiments of the 11th Parachute Brigade and part of the spearhead of the French rapid reaction force. Si ...

(1956-1961). ** 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1e RCP) ** 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (14e RCP) ** 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (18e RCP) ** 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment (8e RPC), created 28 February 1951 in

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

as the 8th Colonial Parachute Battalion; recreated on 1 May 1956 as the 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment; renamed on 1 December 1958 the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment. * 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (35e RAP) * Parachute Cavalry Structure **

13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment The 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes () or 13e RDP is a special reconnaissance unit of the French Army. It belongs to the French Army Special Forces Command, and therefore to the Special Operations Command (France), Special Operations Comm ...

( 13^e RDP) ** 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment ( 1^er RHP) During tenure, the Division witnessed changes: * On 1 July 1957 the

was reassigned and attached to the 10th Parachute Division. * On 1 April 1960 the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment relieved the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, part of the 10th Parachute Division. On 1 December 1958 the Colonial Parachute Regiments underwent a designation change to Marine Infantry Parachute Regiments while retaining their numerical designation.

Division Commanders

* 1956 - 1956 :

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Jean Gilles * 1956 - 1958 : General Henri Sauvagnac * 1958 - 1960 : General Ducournau * 1960 - 1961 : General Autrand

History

Battle of the Frontiers

Two of the five airborne infantry regiments of the division; mainly, the 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment and the 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment; participated from January to May 1958 in the Battle of Frontiers. Accordingly,

Raoul Salan Raoul Albin Louis Salan (; 10 June 1899 – 3 July 1984) was a French Army general and the founder of the Organisation armée secrète, a clandestine terrorist organisation that sought to maintain French Algeria by preventing Algerian indepen ...

, superior commander in Algeria, delegated all five airborne infantry regiments to General Paul Vanuxem; commander of the zone est-constantinois (ZEC). The battle took place at both the Morice Line and Challe Line and lasted for about 5 months.Collectif, Histoire des parachutistes français, Société de Production Littéraire, 1975.In ''Histoire des parachutistes français''(History of French Paratroopers), pages 501 to 508

References

Sources and bibliography

* Collectif, ''Histoire des parachutistes français'', Société de Production Littéraire, 1975. * J. Baltzer & E. Micheletti, ''Insignes et brevets parachutistes de l'armée française'', Histoires et collections, 2001, .

External links

History of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment and 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment
{{Authority control Airborne divisions of France Military units and formations established in 1956 Military units and formations disestablished in 1961 1956 establishments in France 1961 disestablishments in France