35th Parachute Artillery Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment is the only airborne artillery unit of the French Army
, it forms the artillery component of the 11th Parachute Brigade. It is based in Tarbes
together with 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment
.
; the regiment was commanded by Colonel Ferdinand Foch
, future Marshal of France
and Supreme Allied Commander during World War I
, from 1903 to 1905. The regiment fought in World War I, receiving four citations in the order of the army, and World War II
. During the Battle of France in 1940 it was almost destroyed while covering the Dunkirk evacuation of Allied troops. The regiment was dissolved in 1942 after the invasion of Vichy France by Nazi Germany.
The regiment was reconstituted after World War II in 1947 and based at Tarbes, later it was reorganized into the 35th Parachute Light Artillery Regiment (Fr: 35e Régiment d’Artillerie Legere Parachutiste, 35e RALP). The regiment fought in the First Indochina War (1953), most notably during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
, and the Algerian War. With the end of the Algerian War it was repatriated to France and became part of the 11th Parachute Division.
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
, it forms the artillery component of the 11th Parachute Brigade. It is based in Tarbes
Tarbes
Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants....
together with 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment
1st Parachute Hussar Regiment
The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment is an airborne cavalry unit in the French army. It is stationed in Tarbes and is a part of the 11th Parachute Brigade.- Composition :The 1st RHP consists of:*Command and Logistics Squadron...
.
History
The 35th Artillery Regiment was created on 7 October 1873 in VannesVannes
Vannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west...
; the regiment was commanded by Colonel Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch , GCB, OM, DSO was a French soldier, war hero, military theorist, and writer credited with possessing "the most original and subtle mind in the French army" in the early 20th century. He served as general in the French army during World War I and was made Marshal of France in its...
, future Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
and Supreme Allied Commander during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, from 1903 to 1905. The regiment fought in World War I, receiving four citations in the order of the army, and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the Battle of France in 1940 it was almost destroyed while covering the Dunkirk evacuation of Allied troops. The regiment was dissolved in 1942 after the invasion of Vichy France by Nazi Germany.
The regiment was reconstituted after World War II in 1947 and based at Tarbes, later it was reorganized into the 35th Parachute Light Artillery Regiment (Fr: 35e Régiment d’Artillerie Legere Parachutiste, 35e RALP). The regiment fought in the First Indochina War (1953), most notably during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that...
, and the Algerian War. With the end of the Algerian War it was repatriated to France and became part of the 11th Parachute Division.
Organization
- Command and Logistics Battery
- Acquisition and Instruction Battery
- 1st Battery
- 2nd Battery
- 3rd Battery
- 4th Battery
- 5th Reserve Battery
Battle Honours
- Saint-Gond 1914
- Champagne 1915
- La Malmaison 1917Second Battle of the AisneThe Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....
- Noyon 1918Third Battle of the AisneThe Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
- Somme-Py 1918Second Battle of the MarneThe Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
- AFN 1952-1962
Decorations
- Croix de guerre 1914-1918Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France)The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 is a French military decoration.-Creation:Soon after the outbreak of World War I, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created...
(4 citataions)