1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company

1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company (1re Compagnie étrangère parachutiste de mortiers lourds)
Company Insignia
Active	September 1953 - August 1954
Country	France
Allegiance	French Foreign Legion
Branch	French Army
Type	Airborne forces
Role	Infantry support
Size	71 men
Garrison/HQ	Quynh Loi, Hanoi, French Indochina
Colors	Green & Red
Equipment	Eight 120mm mortars
Engagements	Operation Castor Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Disbanded	August 1954

The 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company (French: 1re Compagnie étrangère parachutiste de mortiers lourds, 1re CEPML) was an airborne heavy mortar company that briefly existed during the First Indochina War from September 1953 to 31 May 1954.

History

Members of the 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company in Indochina.

The company was established in Hanoi on September 1, 1953 from elements of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion and the 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion,^[1] mostly of artillery specialists. It was attached to the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion^[1] for administrative purposes. The 1re CEPML was created with the challenge to be operational within two months of its foundation. In this regard the 1re CEPML was successful and the company was able to participate in Operation Castor making it's first combat jump on November 20, 1953 over Dien Bien Phu.^[2] The 1st CEPML made a combat jump alongside Chef de Battalion Marcel Bigeard's 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion.

See also

• Dien Bien Phu order of battle

Notes

References

• Braby, Wayne & Windrow, Martin. French Foreign Legion Paratroops. London: Osprey Publishing, 1985. ISBN 978-0-85045-629-5

v d e French Foreign Legion History of the French Foreign Legion— Képi Blanc (publication) Current Foreign Legion Units Administrative 1st Foreign Regiment — Foreign Legion Command — Foreign Legion Recruiting Group Infantry 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment — 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment — 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment — 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade — Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte Cavalry 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment Engineering 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment — 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment Training 4th Foreign Regiment — Jungle Training Center — Combat Training Center at Arta Beach Defunct Foreign Legion Units Administrative and Training Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments Airborne 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment — 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment — 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company Infantry 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment — 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment — 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment — 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment — 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers — 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers — 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers Cavalry 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment — 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division Miscellaneous Armored Train of the Foreign Legion — Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East