1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company

1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company
1^re Compagnie Etrangère Parachutiste de Mortiers Lourds
Company Insignia
Active	1 September 1953 - 31 May 1954
Disbanded	August 1954
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Airborne forces
Role	Artillery observer Close-quarters combat Direct action Fire support Indirect fire Jungle warfare Mountain warfare Patrolling Raiding Reconnaissance
Size	120 men
Part of	Attached to 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion
Garrison/HQ	Quynh Loi, Hanoi, French Indochina
Colors	Green & Red
Equipment	Twelve (12) Brandt 120mm mortars
Engagements	Operation Castor Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Commanders
Notable commanders	Jacques Molinier Erwan Bergot Paul Turcy
Insignia
Identification symbol	1^er CEPML

The 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company (French: 1^re Compagnie étrangère parachutiste de mortiers lourds, 1^er CEPML) was an ephemeral airborne forces heavy mortar of the Foreign Legion which fought during the First Indochina War at the corps of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps.

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History

In August 1953, lieutenant Jacques Molinier serves in the 1st Vietnamese Parachute Battalion (1^er BPVN). Accordingly, he is tasked by the headquarters of Hanoi to form a heavy mortar parachute combat company integrated in the French Foreign Legion and based in Tonkin. Created on 1 September 1953, based on elements, mainly artillery specialist of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1^er B.E.P) and 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion (2^e B.E.P); the created combat company is administratively attached to the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1^er B.E.P).^[1] The rear base of the company is situated at Quynh Loï, South of Hanoï.

The first operation launched by the 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company (1^re C.E.P.M.L) was to support of the 1st and 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalions. The company also made a combat jump alongside Chef de Battalion Marcel Bigeard's 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion.

On 21 November 1953 Lieutenant Molinier jumped on Dien Bien Phu with the first wave of Operation Castor, at the border Landing Zone (L.Z) Natacha.^[2] at 1500, 67 enlisted and officers, as well as 8 Brandt 120mm mortars and 800 rounds of ammunition are dropped on the landing zone. At 1600, the company was in position to fire. This company is the first heavy 120mm mortar unit to be dropped in an airborne operation. The 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company had packed the mortars in alvéoles type compartments about 3 to 4 meters in diameter. Following the drop, the company received another drop of a supplementary 4 120mm mortars to make the total count of 12 120mm mortars available with 99 officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and legionnaires.

On 12 March 1954 Lieutenant Molinier was wounded during a recon operation conducted with the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 1^er BEP on “Béatrice”. Wounded by a dozen of pieces of shrapnel in the back and face, he is carried to the underground hospital of commandant-doctor Paul-Henri Grauwin, who had him evacuated by plane to Hanoi. For the officer, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu is over. Molinier passes command of the company to Lieutenant Paul Turcy who is killed on 14 March 1954. Accordingly, Lieutenant Erwan Bergot assumes interim command of the company until the parachute support of Lieutenant Jean Singland. On 7 May 1954 the final assault commenced and the French Foreign Legion fired their mortars in all directions during the defence.

On 1 June the 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company was dissolved. In its eight-month existence, the company fired more than 30,000 rounds and endured heavy losses: 24 killed, 43 wounded. At the liberation of the prisoners from the Viet-minh camps, only 17 had survived. Following the dissolution of the company, Lieutenant Molinier assumed command of the Command and Support Company (C.C.S) of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1^er B.E.P).

Organization

Traditions

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

French parachute brevet.

Insignias

The insignia of the Foreign Legion Paratroopers of France 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^{[dubious – discuss]} is the "Armed Arm of God". This Insignia is the symbol of righteous combat and fidelity to superior missions.

1^er B.E.P Insignia
1^re C.E.P.M.L
1st Vietnamese Parachute Battalion Insignia
Co. Para du 3^e REI in the 1^er REP and 1^er BEP
2^e B.E.P and 2^e R.E.P Insignia

Company Colors

Company Song

Decorations

Honours

Battle honours

Company Commander

1953 - 1954 : Lieutenant Molinier
1954 - 1954 : Lieutenant Turcy
1954 - 1954 : Lieutenant Erwan Bergot
1954 - 1954 : Lieutenant Singland

Notable Officers and Legionnaires

References

^ Braby & Windrow, Wayne & Martin (1985). French Foreign Legion Paratroops. Osprey Books Ltd. pp. 12. ISBN 978-0-85045-629-5.
^ Braby & Windrow, Wayne & Martin (1985). French Foreign Legion Paratroops. Osprey Books Ltd. pp. 13. ISBN 978-0-85045-629-5.

Braby, Wayne & Windrow, Martin. French Foreign Legion Paratroops. London: Osprey Publishing, 1985. ISBN 978-0-85045-629-5
Collectif, Histoire des parachutistes français, Société de Production Littéraire, 1975.
Jean Brunon et Georges Manue, Le livre d’or de la Légion étrangère (1831-1955), éditions Charles Lavauzelle et Cie, 1958.
Pierre Montagnon, Les parachutistes de la Légion 1948-1962, éditions Pygmalion, 2005, ISBN 978-2-85704-940-1.

French Foreign Legion

Current
units

General Staff Headquarters	Foreign Legion Command
Command Administrative	1st Foreign Regiment 4th Foreign Regiment Foreign Legion Recruiting Group
Music band	French Foreign Legion Music Band
Infantry & parachute infantry	1st Foreign Regiment 4th Foreign Regiment 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 13th Demi-Brigade Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte
Cavalry	1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment
Engineers & parachute engineers	1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
Training	4th Foreign Regiment Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach

Defunct
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 & marching regiments	Mounted companies Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion 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 Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment Marching Regiments of Foreign Volunteers 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers
Saharan Legion units	Saharan Companies of the French Foreign Legion
Pioneers & engineers	6th Foreign Engineer Regiment
Cavalry	2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division
Transport (armored trains & heavy weight)	Armored Train of the Foreign Legion Passage Company of the Foreign Legion (CPLE) 5th Heavy Weight Transport Company
Disciplinary companies	Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East
Brigades	31st Brigade

This page was last edited on 31 March 2024, at 11:31

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