25th Parachute Division (France)

25th Parachute Division 25e Division Parachutiste
25eD.P. Shoulder Arm Insignia featuring Golden White Winged Spear
Active	1956–1961
Country	France
Branch	French army
Type	French Parachute Division
Anniversaries	Saint Michael, September 29
Engagements	Algerian War
Insignia
Indentification symbol
Abbreviation	25e D.P

The 25th Parachute Division (French: 25^e Division Parachutiste, 25^e D.P) was an airborne division of the French Army, part of the French Airborne Units. Consisting mainly of air infantry specialized in airborne combat, air assault and established in 1956; the Parachute Division took principle part only in the Algerian War.

Creation and different designations

• June 1, 1956  : Creation of the 25th Parachute Division
• April 30, 1961: the 25th Parachute was dissolved
• In 1961 : following the putsch, the 10th Parachute Division and 25th Parachute Division were dissolved and formed on May 1, 1961 with the 11th Infantry Division (French: 11^e Division d'Infanterie), the 11th Light Intervention Division,^[1] which would later become the 11th Parachute Brigade.

Constitution

On June 1, 1956, the 25th Parachute Division was created in the 5th military region from the 25^e DIAP and from the Colonial Parachute Brigade.^[2] Accordingly, the Parachute Division included 5 Airborne Infantry Regiments, 2 Airborne Cavalry Regiments and one unit of Parachute Artillery:

Organizational Chart of the 25th Parachute Division on April 1960

• Command and Support Structure
  • 75th Headquarters Company (75^e CGQ)
  • 75th Transmission Company (75^e CT)
  • French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) Platoon
  • 513th Transport Group ( GT 513)
  • 75th Parachute Engineer Company (75^e CGAP)
  • 75th Repair Division Company (75^e CRD)
  • 75th Medical Company ( 75^e CM)
  • 75th SRI
  • General Command Staff of the 1st Brigade
  • General Command Staff of the 2nd Brigade
• Airborne Infantry Structure
  • 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2^e REP) (1956-1961); former 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 2^e BEP (1948-1955).
  • 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1^er RCP)
  • 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (14^e RCP)
  • 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (18^e RCP)
  • 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment (8^e RPC), created February 28, 1951 in Hanoi as the 8th Colonial Parachute Battalion 8^e BCP; recreated on May 1, 1956 as the 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment; renamed on December 1, 1958, the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (8^e RPMIa)
• Parachute Artillery Structure

35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (35^e RAP)

• Parachute Cavalry Structure
  • 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment (13^e RDP)
  • 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (1^er RHP)

During tenure, the Division witnissed changes amongst :

• On July 1, 1957, the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment was reassigned and attached to the 10th Parachute Brigade.^[3]
• On April 1, 1960, the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (9^e RCP) relieved the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1^er RCP) part of the 10th Parachute Division.^[4]

On December 1, 1958, the Colonial Parachute Regiments (CPR) underwent a designation renomination to the Marine Infantry Parachute Regiments (RPIMa) while conserving their number regimental designation.

Division Commanders

• 1956 - 1956 : General 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, General Raoul Salan, 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.^[5]

Traditions

The Archangel Michael featured in Mont Saint-Michel and the Insignia of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment.

Except for the Legionnaires of the 2^e REP that conserve the Green Beret; the remainder of the French army metropolitan and marine paratroopers forming the 11th Parachute Brigade wear the Red Beret.

• 

  Circled Winged Armed Dextrochere of French Army Metropolitan Paratroopers

• 

  French and Foreign Legion Parachute Brevet.

• 

  Anchored Winged Armed Dextrochere of French Army Marine Infantry Paratroopers

• 

  Circled Winged Armed Dextrochere of French Foreign Legion Paratroopers

The Archangel Saint Michael, patron of the French paratroopers is celebrated on September 29.

The prière du Para (Prayer of the Paratrooper) was written by André Zirnheld in 1938.

Insignias

Just like the paratrooper Brevet of the French Army; the Insignia of French Paratroopers was created in 1946. The French Army Insignia of metropolitan Paratroopers represents a closed <<winged armed dextrochere>>, meaning a "right winged arm" armed with a sword pointing upwards. The Insignia makes reference to the Patron of Paratroopers. In fact, the Insignia represents <<the right Arm of Saint Michael>>, the Archangel which according to Liturgy is the <<Armed Arm of God>>. This Insignia is the symbol of righteous combat and fidelity to superior missions. The French Army Insignia of Marine Infantry Paratroopers is backgrounded by a Marine Anchor.

• 

  Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment

• 

  Insignia of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment

• 

  Insignia of 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment

• 

  Insignia of 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment

• 

  Insignia of 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment

• 

  Insignia of 35^e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste

• 

  Insignia of 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment

• 

  Insignia of 1^er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes

• 

  Insignia of 8^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine

See also

• Airborne units of France
• 10th Parachute Division
• 11th Parachute Brigade
• Pierre Côme André Segrétain
• Pierre Paul Jeanpierre
• Barthélémy Rémy Raffali
• Paul Arnaud de Foïard
• Hélie de Saint Marc
• Georges Hamacek

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, ISBN 2-913-903-118.

External links

• History of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment and 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment

Foreign Legion Command French Foreign Legion
Honneur et Fidélité History of the French Foreign Legion Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers) List of French paratrooper units Képi Blanc (publication)
Current Foreign Legion Units	Administrative Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments 1st Foreign Regiment Foreign Legion Command Foreign Legion Recruiting Group Infantry & Parachute Infantry 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte Cavalry 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment Engineer & Parachute Engineer 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment Training 4th Foreign Regiment Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach
Defunct Foreign Legion Units	Administrative and Training Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments Parachute Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion Foreign Air Supply Company 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company Infantry 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 3rd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment/Garibaldi Legion 1st Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers Cavalry 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division Transport Armored Train of the Foreign Legion Disciplinary Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East Foreign Legion Brigades 31st Brigade (France)