Pierre Tourret
Encyclopedia
Pierre Tourret was a French Army
officer who served in World War II
, the First Indochina War
, the Suez Crisis
and the Algerian War. He commanded the 8th Shock Parachute Battalion
during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
.
in 1939, takes part in the fighting around Sedan in 1940 and becomes a prisoner of war. He was liberated in 1945 by the US Army and joined the 9th Colonial Infantry Division bound for Indochina in 1946. In 1948 he commanded a company of the 23rd Colonial Infantry Regiment in Tonkin.
For his second tour in Indochina, he commanded a battalion
of the 24th Senegalese Regiment, before becoming second-in-command to Marcel Bigeard
in the 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion
in the spring of 1951. He took part in operations around Tulé and Lang Son, before he was given command of his own parachute battalion, the 8th Shock Parachute Battalion
, and becoming one of the key French commanders in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
. Like many other key French commanders, he received a promotion toward the end of the battle, in his case to Major.
He took part in Operation Musketeer during the Suez Crisis
in November 1956, and then transferred to the staff of General Gilles, head of the airborne forces in Algeria, working with special operations. General Challe
gave him command of the Parachute Commando Group of the General Reserve (Groupe de commandos paras de réserve générale, GCPRG).
In 1960 he was attached to the cabinet of Prime Minister Debré, and in 1961 he was assigned to Algiers again. He was chief of staff of the 10th Parachute Division until the Algiers putsch, when he followed orders from General Challe, one of the leaders of the Putsch. He was arrested and sent to Paris, where he was immediately released. He was posted to Mauritania for two years before leaving the French Army in 1964.
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...
officer who served in 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...
, the First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
, the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
and the Algerian War. He commanded the 8th Shock Parachute Battalion
8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
The 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment is an airborne regiment in the French Army. It is an elite unit that can be rapidly sent anywhere in the world...
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...
.
Biography
He graduates from Saint Cyr Military AcademyÉcole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
in 1939, takes part in the fighting around Sedan in 1940 and becomes a prisoner of war. He was liberated in 1945 by the US Army and joined the 9th Colonial Infantry Division bound for Indochina in 1946. In 1948 he commanded a company of the 23rd Colonial Infantry Regiment in Tonkin.
For his second tour in Indochina, he commanded a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the 24th Senegalese Regiment, before becoming second-in-command to Marcel Bigeard
Marcel Bigeard
Marcel "Bruno" Bigeard was a French military officer who fought in World War II, Indochina and Algeria. He was one of the commanders in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and is thought by many to have been a dominating influence on French 'unconventional' warfare thinking from that time onwards...
in the 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion
6th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
-Indochina:Formed as the 6th Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion in Quimper, Brittany on 16 May 1948 from elements of the 1st Colonial Commando Parachute Demi-brigade, disembarks in Saigon, French Indochina, in July 1949. The battalion distinguished itself in fighting throughout the First...
in the spring of 1951. He took part in operations around Tulé and Lang Son, before he was given command of his own parachute battalion, the 8th Shock Parachute Battalion
8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
The 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment is an airborne regiment in the French Army. It is an elite unit that can be rapidly sent anywhere in the world...
, and becoming one of the key French commanders in 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...
. Like many other key French commanders, he received a promotion toward the end of the battle, in his case to Major.
He took part in Operation Musketeer during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
in November 1956, and then transferred to the staff of General Gilles, head of the airborne forces in Algeria, working with special operations. General Challe
Maurice Challe
Maurice Challe was a French general during the Algerian War, one of four generals who took part in the Algiers putsch...
gave him command of the Parachute Commando Group of the General Reserve (Groupe de commandos paras de réserve générale, GCPRG).
In 1960 he was attached to the cabinet of Prime Minister Debré, and in 1961 he was assigned to Algiers again. He was chief of staff of the 10th Parachute Division until the Algiers putsch, when he followed orders from General Challe, one of the leaders of the Putsch. He was arrested and sent to Paris, where he was immediately released. He was posted to Mauritania for two years before leaving the French Army in 1964.
External links
- René de Salins, one of his comrades during the battle of Dien Bien Phu. Written in French.