25th Parachute Division (France)

The 25th Parachute Division (French: 25 division parachutiste or 25 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 takes part mainly 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

Following the Algiers putsch of 1961, the 10th Parachute Division and 25th Parachute Division were dissolved and formed on May 1, 1961 with the 11th Infantry Division, the 11th Light Intervention Division, 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 25th DIAP and from the Colonial Parachute Brigade. Accordingly, the Parachute Division inlcuded 5 Infantry Regiments, 2 Cavalry Regiments and one unit of Parachute Artillery:




 * Command and Support Structure
 * 75th Headquarters Company (75th CGQ)
 * 75th Transmission Company (75th CT)
 * French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) Platoon
 * 513th Transport Group ( GT 513)
 * 75th Parachute Engineer Company ( 75th CGAP)
 * 75th Repair Division Company (75th CRD)
 * 75th Medical Company ( 75th CM)
 * 75th SRI
 * General Command Staff of the 1st Brigade
 * General Command Staff of the 2nd Brigade


 * Airborne Infantry Structure
 * 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2nd REP)
 * 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment ( 1st RCP)
 * 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (14th RCP)
 * 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment ( 18th RCP)
 * 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment (8th RPC), created February 28, 1951 in Hanoi as the 8th Colonial Parachute Battalion; recreated on May 1, 1956 as the 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment; renamed on December 1, 1958, the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (8th RPMIa)

35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (35th RAP)
 * Parachute Artillery Structure


 * Parachute Cavalry Structure
 * 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment ( 13th RDP)
 * 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment ( 1st RHP)

During its tenure, the division witnissed changes amongst :


 * On July 1, 1957, the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment was reassigned and attached to the 10th Parachute Brigade.
 * On April 1, 1960, the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (9th RCP) relieved the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1st RCP) part of the 10th Parachute Division.

On December 1, 1958, the Colonial Parachute Regiments (CPR) change their name to the Marine Infantry Parachute Regiments ( RPIMa) while conserving their number.

Division Commanders

 * 1956 - 1956 : General Jean Gilles
 * 1956 - 1958 : General Henri Sauvagnac
 * 1958 - 1960 : General Ducournau
 * 1960 - 1961 : General Autrand

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; participate from January to May 1958 in the Battle of Frontiers. Accordingly, General Raoul Salan (Salan), superior commander in Algeria, delegated all five airborne infantry regiments to General 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.

Traditions


Except for the Legionnaires of the 2e 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.

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 < >, 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 Archangel which according to Liturgy is the <>. 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.

Sources et bibliographie

 * Collectif, Histoire des parachutistes français, Société de Production Littéraire, 1975.
 * J. Baltzer et E. Micheletti, Insignes et brevets parachutistes de l'armée française, Histoires et collections, 2001, ISBN|2 913 903 118.