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| 2e Régiment étranger de parachutistes | |
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 Badge of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment |
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| Active | 9 October 1948–present |
| Country | France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Type | Airborne Infantry |
| Role | Air Assault |
| Size | 1,190 men |
| Part of | 11th Parachute Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Calvi, France |
| Motto | Honneur et Fidélité (Honour and loyalty) |
| Colors | Green and red |
| March | Regimental March: La Legion Marche, Legion Etrangere's March: Le Boudin |
| Anniversaries | Camerone Day (30 April), Saint-Michel Day and Christmas |
| Engagements | First Indochina War *Battle of Route Coloniale 4 *Battle of Hoa Binh *Battle of Na San *Battle of Dien Bien Phu Algerian War |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Eric Bellot des Minieres |
| Notable commanders |
Rémy Raffalli, Paul Arnaud de Foïard |
The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (French: 2e Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes, 2e REP) is an Airborne regiment in the French Foreign Legion. It is a part of the 11e Brigade Parachutiste and the spearhead of the French Rapid reaction force.
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History
Indochina
As a consequence of the successes of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1er BEP) in the First Indochina War, the 2eme Battalion Étranger de Parachutistes or 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion (2e BEP) was formed on 9 October 1948, at Legion's main cantonment at Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria. The battalion was deployed to Indochina in January 1949, where 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 in October 1950, the battalion was transported by ship to North Vietnam. The battalion took part in several battles, including the first battle of Nghia Lo (October 1951), the Black River (November-December 1951), and the fight for Route Coloniale 6 (January-February 1952) during the Battle of Hoa Binh.
The battalion made a parachute drop on Dien Bien Phu as reinforcement during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (March-May 1954). Fighting without reinforcements, remnants of the 1er and 2e BEP were overwhelmed after a final assault by Viet Minh forces; fewer than 100 legionnaires of the 2e BEP were taken prisoner. On 1 December 1954, after the surviving members of the battalion had returned from captivity after the Armistice, the 2e BEP was later reconstituted with replacements, and returned by ship to French Algeria.
On 5 June 1956, the 2e BEP was enlarged to a full regiment, and was redesignated the 2e Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes (2e REP), or 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment.
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 died in the occupation.
Today
The 2nd REP forms part of the 11e Brigade Parachutiste as well as the French Rapid Reaction Force, and is based near the town of Calvi on the island of Corsica, just south of mainland France.
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 Soldiers landing in Calvi for a training course |
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 warfare1
- 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
Commanders
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Officers and legionnaires
Battle Honours
Notes
- ^ Originally specialised in Night and Anti-tank warfare.
- ^ Camerone is a Battle Honour shared by all Foreign Legion Regiments, no matter when it was formed.
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 link
