- 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=13e Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère
caption=Badge of the 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade
dates=20 February 1940 -
country=France
branch=French Army
type=Infantry
role=Mechanised Infantry
size= One battlegroup
command_structure=Légion Étrangère
garrison=Djibouti
nickname=
motto="Honneur et Fidélité" (Honour and loyalty)
colors=
march=Le Boudin
mascot=
battles=World War II
*Battles of Narvik
*Battle of Gabon
*Syria-Lebanon Campaign
*Battle of Bir Hakeim
*Second Battle of El Alamein
*Tunisia Campaign
* Italian Campaign
*Colmar Pocket
*Western Allied invasion of Germany First Indochina War
*Battle of Hoa Binh
*Battle of Dien Bien Phu Algerian War
*Operation Jumelles
anniversaries=Camerone Day (April 30 ) andChristmas
commander1=Colonel Marchand
notable_commanders=Dimitri AmilakvariGabriel Brunet de Sairigné Jules Gaucher Bernard Saint-Hillier The 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade ( _fr. 13e Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère, 13e DBLE) is aninfantry demi-brigade in theFrench Foreign Legion . It is the only permanent demi-brigade in theFrench Army .History
The 13 DBLE was raised in February
1940 atSidi Bel Abbes inAlgeria , with itscadre drawn from 1e REI. The 13 DBLE fought duringWorld War II for theFree French Forces including service at the Battle of Narvik and theBattle of Bir Hakeim . The unit fought in theFrench Indochina War and suffered heavy losses at theBattle of Dien Bien Phu .Narvik 1940
In January 1940, the British and French high commands had decided to dispatch an expedition to
Finland , to support Finnish independence against theSoviet Union in theWinter War . The French decided to allocate a demi-brigade of legionnaires to the expedition - and 13 DBLE was born.In March 1940, the 13 DBLE comprised 55 officers, 210
non-commissioned officer s ("sous-officiers"), and 1,984 legionnaires. The average age of the legionnaires was between 26 and 28 years old, and most counted 4 to 5 years service. Many of its veteran NCOs had served in the Legion for 10 or more years. Its commander wasRaoul Magrin-Vernerey , a hero ofWorld War I , wounded 17 times in battle, who had served with the Legion since 1924. Porch, P466.]Finland capitulated to the Soviet Union on
12 March , and the British and French high commands decided to dispatch their expedition instead toNorway - to deny the Germans access to the Norwegian ports. The 13e DBLE was transported to the Norwegian coast in thetroopship "Monarch of Britain", before transferring toRoyal Navy motor torpedo boats and whalers on the morning of13 May for the landing beaches atBjerkvik , 8 miles (13 km) below Narvik. Once ashore, the 13 DBLE's companies deployed and moved to seize the high ground to the north and south of the town. The legionnaires overran the German camp atElvegårdsmoen and forced the German rearguard out of Bjerkvik. Porch, P468.]On
28 May , the 13e DBLE moved onNarvik . The legionnaires crossedRombaksfjorden and landed squarely in the middle of the German positions. German air attacks forced the supporting British ships to withdraw, leaving the 13e DBLE ashore without fire support. The legionnaires engaged in the difficult task of clearing-out German machine gun nests located in railway tunnels and concealed terrain. Lieutenant-Colonel Magrin-Vernerey commanded from the front, patrolling his front-lines to point out German positions to his troops with his walking stick. Porch, P469.]During the next 10 days, the Allied troops pushed the Germans to within 10 miles (20 km) of the Swedish frontier. Then, with it was decided to cancel the Narvik operation and withdraw. The 13 DBLE evacutated Narvik on
7 June and was withdrawn to England. The unit had lost 7 officers, 5 NCOs, and 55 legionnaires during the campaign.Free French Forces
In June 1940, the 13e DBLE moved to a camp at
Trentham Park nearStoke-on-Trent inEngland where the legionnaires joined other French troops who had been evacuated from Dunkirk. The 13e DBLE comprised 1,619 of the 4,500 French soldiers present in England. Porch, P470.]In France, Prime Minister
Paul Reynaud resigned on16 June and Marshal Pétain took control of the French government. Pétain announced his intention tocapitulate to the Germans and sign anarmistice . On 18 June, General Charles de Gaulle, under-secretary of defence in the Reynaud government, broadcast an appeal to the French people to continue resistance.On
1 July , the French troops at Trentham Park were given the choice ofrepatriation to Vichy-controlled North Africa, or joining theFree French Forces under De Gaulle. The decision split the 13e DBLE between pro-Vichy and pro-De Gaulleclique s. The split was particularly felt amongst theofficer corps , with 31 of the regiment's 59 officers chosing repatriation. Amongst the legionnaires, which included manyrefugee s fromNazi andFascist countries, around 900 volunteered to continue the fight. Porch, P473.]The 13th included a number of junior officers who would later rise to
general rank, such as CaptainPierre Koenig , CaptainJacques Pâris de Bollardière , and LieutenantBernard Saint-Hillier . Other officers, such as Captain Dimitri Amilakvari and CaptainGabriel Brunet de Sairigné would also achieve fame on the battlefield. Second LieutenantPierre Messmer would later serve as one of De Gaulle's prime ministers.On
30 August the "Free French" 13th Demi-Brigade sailed fromLiverpool for operations against Vichy forces that would include the abortiveBattle of Dakar and the storming ofLibreville .Eritrea 1941
Syria 1941
Bir Hakeim 1942
The 13 DBLE was reorganized in two
battalion s following its participation in the successful Allied invasion ofSyria (Operation Exporter). A disputed number ofLegionnaires from the pro-Vichy6th Foreign Infantry Regiment volunteered for service with the Free French 13e DBLE – the remainder of the pro-Vichy Legionnaires wererepatriated to France in August1941 .In
1942 , the two battalions of 13e DBLE – designated 2nd battalion (II/13e DBLE) and 3rd battalion (III/13e DBLE) - were assigned to the 1st Free French Brigade commanded by General Koenig and joined thebrigade atBir Hakeim inLibya , approximately 90 miles (140 km) south ofTobruk . The French position sat astride theAfrika Korps ' line of advance and represented afortified "pocket" of resistance that had to be eliminated by General Erwin Rommel.The
Battle of Bir Hakeim commenced on26 May 1942 . The 2/13e DBLE held positions along the east facade of the French line. The 3/13e DBLE formed mobile reserve groups to reinforce French positions at any threatened point. In bitter irony, the Legionnaires of 13e DBLE faced Afrika Korps troops that included the German 361st "Afrika" Infantry Regiment which contained former fellow-Legionnaires of German extraction who had been repriated from Vichy Legion units in North Africa.Hoa Binh 1952
The 13 DBLE participated in the
Battle of Hoa Binh from14 November 1951 to24 February 1952 . Hoa Binh (the name means "peace" in Vietnamese) was the capital of theMuong ethnic minority. By road, Hoa Binh lay a mere 67 kilometers of map distance from Hanoi via Colonial Route 6 (Fr: "Rue Coloniale 6"). TheViet Minh had controlled Hoa Binh since October1950 and used the district as a logistics staging area for operations in north central Vietnam. The French commander in Indochina, GeneralJean de Lattre de Tassigny , ordered the retaking of Hoa Binh in late 1951.The 2nd Battalion of 13e DBLE fought in a key engagement at
Xon-Pheó from8 January -9 January 1952 . The legionnaires held a vital hill at Xon-Pheó astride Colonial Route 6, and they fortified their positions withtrenches ,bunkers ,barbed wire , andminefields . On the night of 8 January, troops from theViet Minh 88th Infantry Regiment inflitrated through the minefields and attacked the 2/13e DBLE positions. The Viet Minh forces overran the 5th Company position and destroyed bunkers with TNTsatchel charges andbangalore torpedo es. With many of their officers and NCOs killed or wounded, and half of their position overrun, the legionnaires counterattacked with fixed bayonets andhand grenade s.The legionnaires later counted 700 Viet Minh dead around the position at Xon-Pheó.
Dien Bien Phu 1953-1954
1st battalion (1/13e DBLE) and 3rd battalion (3/13e DBLE) fought at the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu during theFrench Indochina War . At the commencement of the campaign, the demi-brigade was commanded by Lieutenant-ColonelJules Gaucher . During the early stages of the battle, 1/13e DBLE occupied positions at the “Claudine”fortifications and 3/13 DBLE occupied positions at the “Beatrice” fortifications.Lieutenant-Colonel Gaucher was killed on
13 March when hiscommand post suffered a direct hit fromViet Minh artillery. Suffering from serious wounds – the loss of both arms, severe injuries to both legs, and an open chest wound – he died at the hospital. Gaucher was replaced as 13e DBLE commander on23 March by Lieutenant-Colonel Lemeunier who was helicoptered into the fortress. Until the end of the battle, Lemeunier would be the senior Foreign Legion officer present at Dien Bien Phu. Fall, P139-141.]The unit suffered heavy casualties during fighting in March and April. On
14 April the Dien Bien Phu garrison reported that 1/13e DBLE was reduced to 354 effectives and 3/13e DBLE was reduced to 80 effectives. Fall, P248.]On
30 April , the Legionnaires at Dien Bien Phu celebrated the anniversary of the Legion’s historic Battle of Camerone. The celebration took place at the 13 DBLE command post where Lieutenant-Colonel Lemeunier read the traditional Camerone proclamation over a radio hook-up that could be heard throughout Dien Bien Phu. Fall, P347.]The 13e DBLE was the only French unit present at Dien Bien Phu that saved one of its battle flags from destruction or capture. The
guidon of 4th Company, 1/13e DBLE was initially captured by the Viet Minh during the assault on “Beatrice” on 13 March. On19 May , while the Viet Minh were celebratingHo Chi Minh ’s birthday, Sergeant Beres, a Hungarian Legionnaire serving with 1 BEP, crawled into a Viet Minh command post and rescued the flag. The seriously wounded Beres was evacuated by helicopter from Dien Bien Phu on24 May with the guidon hidden under his clothes. Fall, P431.]During its 9-year service in Indochina (1946-1955), the 13e DBLE suffered 2,721 killed in action (2334 légionaries, 307 warrant officers, 80 officers). This included two commanding officers - Lieutenant-Colonel de Sairigne and Lieutenant-Colonel Gaucher.fr icon [http://www.defense.gouv.fr/ Défense ] ]
Algeria 1955-1962
The 13e DBLE was reconstituted in May 1954 using the 2nd battalion (2/13e DBLE) as a cadre. In June
1955 , the unit left Indochina and redeployed to FrenchNorth Africa . During theAlgerian War , the 13 DBLE served inAlgiers , Constantine, and theAurès Mountains . In1958 , the unit was assigned to duty as "un régiment d'intervention" for operations throughout Algeria.Commanding Officers
Commanding Officers (Fr: "Chefs de corps") of 13 DBLE from 1940 to present: http://fr.wikipedia.org/]
*
Lieutenant-Colonel Raoul Magrin-VernereyFebruary 1940 -16 September 1940
* Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Cazoud,16 September 1940 -30 September 1941
* Lieutenant-Colonel Dimitri Amilakvari,1 October 1941 -24 October 1942 (killed at Battle of El Alamein)
*"Chef de bataillon" Gabriel Bablon,24 October 1942 -16 October 1944
* "Chef de bataillon" Paul Arnault,17 October 1944 -24 March 1945
* Lieutenant-ColonelBernard Saint-Hillier ,25 March 1945 -31 December 1945
* Lieutenant-Colonel Gabriel Bablon,1 January 1946 -20 August 1946
* Lieutenant-ColonelGabriel Brunet de Sairigné ,21 August 1946 -3 March 1948 (killed in ambush on "Route deDalat " Indochina)
* Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Arnaud,4 March 1948 -31 March 1949
* Lieutenant-Colonel Clement Morel
* Lieutenant-Colonel Guigard
* Lieutenant-ColonelJules Gaucher (killed at Battle of Dien Bien Phu)
* Lieutenant-Colonel Lemeunier,19 March 1954 -12 May 1954 (captured by Viet Minh at fall of Dien Bien Phu)
* Lieutenant-Colonel Rossi
* Lieutenant-Colonel Marguet,30 April 1956 -5 January 1957
* Lieutenant-Colonel Sanges
* Lieutenant-Colonel Roux,8 December 1958 -6 February 1961
* Lieutenant-Colonel Vaillant
* Lieutenant-Colonel Dupuy de Querezieux,11 July 1961 -23 August 1962
* Lieutenant-Colonel Lacote
* Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey,13 May 1965 -13 July 1968
* Lieutenant-Colonel Foureau
* Lieutenant-Colonel Buonfils,14 July 1970 -17 July 1972
* Lieutenant-Colonel Pêtre
* Lieutenant-Colonel Lardry,12 August 1974 -15 August 1976
* Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Claude Coullon
* Lieutenant-Colonel Gillet,17 July 1978 -16 August 1980
* Lieutenant-Colonel Loridon
* Lieutenant-Colonel Vialle,19 August 1982 -16 August 1984
* Lieutenant-Colonel Rideau
* Lieutenant-Colonel Champeau,31 July 1986 -30 July 1988
* Lieutenant-Colonel Le Flem
* Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Beth, 1996-1998
* Lieutenant-Colonel Debleds, 1998-2000
* Colonel Jean Maurin, 2000-2002
* Lieutenant-Colonel Henri Billaudel
* Colonel Marchand,29 July 2006 Current organization & deployment
From
1962 to the present, the 13 DBLE duty station has beenDjibouti in theHorn of Africa . The unit is a battlegroup and comprises 800 men, of whom 320 are permanent party.
* Compagnie de Commandement et de Soutien (CCS) - command and support company, permanent party.
* Compagnie de Maintenance (CM) - maintenance company, permanent party.
* Escadron de Reconnaissance (ER) -reconnaissance squadron equipped withERC-90 light tank and P44x4 tactical vehicles, permanent party.
* Compagnie d'Infanterie - aroulement infantry company drawn from either 2 REI or 2 REP, equipped with VABarmoured personnel carriers andVLRA 4X4 tactical vehicles.
* Compagnie de Génie - a roulement engineer company drawn from either 1 REG or 2 REG.Current operations
In addition to its security responsibilities in Djibouti, the 13 DBLE has participated in
military operations that include Operation ORYX and Operation ONUSOM II inSomalia (1992 -1993 )Operation ISKOUTIR (1993-1995 ), Operation TURQUOISE inRwanda (1994 ), and Operation UNICORN in theIvory Coast (2002 ) http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerre_civile_de_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire]Contact
:13ème DBLE - Djibouti:Quartier MONCLAR:SP 85030:00815 ARMEES
Honours
Battle Honours
*Camerone 1863 Camerone is a Battle Honour shared by all Foreign Legion Regiments, no matter when they were formed.]
*Bjervik-Narvik 1940
*Keren-Massouah 1941
*Bir-Hakeim 1942
*El Alamein 1942
*Rome 1944
*Colmar 1945
*Authion 1945
*Indochine 1946-1954Decorations
*
Ordre de la Libération Notes
References
* Fall, Bernard.
1966 (2002). "Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu". Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81157-9
* Porch, Douglas. "The French Foreign Legion." New York: Harper Collins, 1991. ISBN 978-0-06-092308-2
* Windrow, Martin.2004 . "The Last Valley". Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81386-3External links
* [http://www.defense.gouv.fr/sites/terre/decouverte/presentation_de_l_armee_de_terre/armes_et_composantes/legion_etrangere/13e_demi_brigade_de_legion_etrangere 13e demi brigade de légion étrangère - French Ministry of Defense (official)]
* [http://www.legion-recrute.com/en/ French Foreign Legion recruitment portal]
* [http://www.lalegionetrangere.fr/historique-13dble.php History of 13° DBLE (French text)]
* [http://www.bivouac-legion.com/historique13emeDBLE.php Historique des Regiments - 13° Demi-Brigade Legion Etranger]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.