French Units, Lebannon, 1982-84

[BobW]

Ran across some order of battle material ref title above when looking for something else. What I type below may not be entire unit; just a component or detachment, as per a footnote.

22 August 82 - 31 March 84

11th Airborne Division, Brig General Jacques Granger (24 Aug-14 Sep 82)
9th Marine Infantry Division
2d Foreign Legion Airborne Battalion
3d Marine Airborne Battalion
9th Headquarters Support Battalion
17th Airborne Engineers Battalion

11th Airborne Division BG Jacques Granger (Sep 82-Jan 83)
8th Marine Airborne Bn
1st Airborne Hussars Bn
2d Marine Infantry Infantry Bn
17th Airborne Engineers Bn
1st Headquarters Support Bn


9th Marine Infantry Division, BGen Michel Datin (Jan-ay 83)
2d Marine Infantry Bn
3d Marine Infantry Bn
11th Marine Artillery Bn
Marine Armored Infantry Bn

31st Brigade, BGen Jean-Claude Coulon (May-Sep 83)
21st Marine Infantry Bn
Engineers Company, 21st Marine Infantry Bn
2d Foreign Legion Infantry Bn
1st Foreign Legion Cavalry Bn
17th Airborne Engineers Bn


11th Airborne Div BGen Francos Cann (Sep 83-Jan 84)
3d Marine Airborne Bn
6th Airborne Infantry Bn
6th Airborne Bn (company)
1st Airborne Infantry Bn (company)
9th Airborne Infantry Bn (company)
1st Airborne Hussars Bn (platoon)
17th Airborne Engineers Bn (company)
12th Field Artillery Bn (battery)
7th Headquarters Airborne Support Bn (support detachment)

9th Marine Infantry Div BGen Datin (Feb-Mar 84)
9th Headquarters Support Bn (detachment)
501st Tank Bn (platoon)
Marine Armored Infantry Bn (platoon)
Gendarmerie (MPs) (platoon)
2d Marine Infantry Bn (2 companies)
12th Field Artillery Bn (battery) (later replaced by 68th Field Arty Bn)
59th Engineer Company
41st Transmission Bn (company)
===
===

May I ask for explaination of
"Hussars". Seeking information on what word means, the organization and function of unit if different than other airborne units.
Thanks in advance.

Hope above helps re the French Foreign Legion experience in Lebannon.

Warm regards,
BobW

 

[Eagle eye]

"Hussars"= posh cavalry mit 'spoon' officers: toffe-nosed officers with family trust/fund second income able to indulge in silver-spon cavalry orificer lifestyle: this breed was driven wheeled light armoured recce 'greenlid' or 'greentop' vehicles + jeeps in Beirut. Bumped into them on patrol in downtown Sabra-Chattila in mid-1983. Lebanese children dubbed them 'ice cream' vehicles by going up to UN-white painted vehicles and asking for it; while the soldiers involved reciprocated the humour by calling their role as the 'ice cream patrols'....

 

[BobW]

Thanks, Eagle Eye. I guessed a little but guessing doesn't count. Needed confirmation. I thought Hessars sounded like HessIANS from Hess Kassel.

Why am I now thinking about Panhard armored cars with gun?!

Warm regards,
BobW

 

[voltigeur]

The E.B.R's we used had panhard 24 cylinder pancake engines

 

[Denny]

"Husars" was a Czech name for quite elite units in Austrian-Hungarian army (before WWI). I have to find out more info about the history of that name - it is derived from Czech word "husa", english "goose". I am not sure if the French units have anything in common with this - just my 1 cent into the disscussion.
Regards,
Denny

 

[voltigeur]

My stepfather was a hussar in the Dutch cavalry The Dutch still had cavalry on horseback during WW2. As far I know they were not considered the elite of the Dutch army, just part of it.

 

[Peter Lyderik]

Two explanations about Hussars

http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/mil/html/mh_024100_hussars.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussars

 

[Denny]

Thanks for the links Peter,
interesting, almost every army in Europe had their Hussars. Hmm... not quite Czech origin, I am happy, it reads: "Less romantically, hussars were also known (and feared) for their poor treatment of local civilians. In addition to commandeering local food-stocks for the army, hussars were known to also use the opportunity for personal looting and pillaging." Simply Hussars.

 

[Eagle eye]

"Husars" was a Czech name for quite elite units in Austrian-Hungarian army (before WWI). I have to find out more info about the history of that name - it is derived from Czech word "husa", english "goose". I am not sure if the French units have anything in common with this - just my 1 cent into the disscussion.
Regards,
Denny

'les zouaves' or 'spahis' might be an equivalent but needs to be confirmed.

 

[Peter Lyderik]

Zouaves is infantry, was the elite of the French Army in the 19th cenury.

Spahis are North African cavalry. There is still a Regiment de Spahis in the French Army.

 

[Denny]

A link to Spahis - from Peter Lyderik's post on Hussars:
Spahis

 

[Rapace]

I confirmed what was said previously. « Hussards » (French spelling) regiments in the French army are light cavalry units, dedicated to recce missions. Their lineage goes back to the hussards regiments of the royal and then Napoleonian army when they were mainly composed of Hungarians. They are nowadays equipped with light wheeled armoured vehicles, fitted with a 90 mm cannon, called ERC Sagaie.
Zouaves is indeed infantry who illustrated themselves in particular during the Crimea war (French + Brits againts Russians) in 1853-56. There's one bridge in Paris called « Pont de l'Alma », named after a famous battle which took place during this campaign in 1854, where there's a statue of a zouave.
The last Spahi regiment is 1RS (Régiment de Spahis) and is located in Valence (between Lyon and Marseille). They are equipped with AMX10 RX wheeled armoured vehicle, like 1REC. Those 2 regiments are the two cavalry regiments of 6BLB (Brigade Légère Blindée), headquartered in Nîmes.

 

[Eagle eye]

I confirmed what was said previously. « Hussards » (French spelling) regiments in the French army are light cavalry units, dedicated to recce missions. Their lineage goes back to the hussards regiments of the royal and then Napoleonian army when they were mainly composed of Hungarians. They are nowadays equipped with light wheeled armoured vehicles, fitted with a 90 mm cannon, called ERC Sagaie.
Zouaves is indeed infantry who illustrated themselves in particular during the Crimea war (French + Brits againts Russians) in 1853-56. There's one bridge in Paris called « Pont de l'Alma », named after a famous battle which took place during this campaign in 1854, where there's a statue of a zouave.
The last Spahi regiment is 1RS (Régiment de Spahis) and is located in Valence (between Lyon and Marseille). They are equipped with AMX10 RX wheeled armoured vehicle, like 1REC. Those 2 regiments are the two cavalry regiments of 6BLB (Brigade Légère Blindée), headquartered in Nîmes.

I came across the Spahis in RCA in 1983 in the battle group in Bouar. Stunning cerimonial dress and cape from the desert days.

 

[BobW]

Last week I posted part of the French order of battle, Lebannon, 1982.

In the weekend edition (27-28 November) of the FINANCIAL TIMES, there was an article on the nightclubs of Beirut.

The article mentions =Crystal=, =Casablanca=, =B018=, and (the reason I am posting this) a place named =1975=, named for when the the civil war broke out.

The club 1975 "features a smokey atmosphere to suggest shelling, walls lined with sandbags and a ceiling covered with a dark green camouflage net. Waiters at 1975 wear battle fatigues and serve drinks from ammunition boxes loaded with ice and bottles of vodka." Dance Away The Heartache by Lina Saigol.

Remind me to decline a relaxing evening at 1975. I prefer the room at the flop house before viewing sandbags.

Warm regards,
BobW