The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment was an airborne unit of the French Army

French Army

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...

. It was formed during the Algerian War, during which it fought its most notable engagement: the Battle of Souk Ahras

Souk Ahras

Souk Ahras is a province in Algeria, named after its capital, Souk Ahras. It stands on the border between Algeria and Tunisia.- Geography :Souk Ahras is situated in the extreme north east of Algeria, it is 4360 km²....

. It didn’t take part in the 1961 Algiers Putsch. The regiment took part in numerous overseas operations before it was dissolved in 1999. The regiment was the heir to the traditions, battle honours and decorations of the 9th Infantry Regiment.

History

The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment was created on 1 June 1956 in Algeria from the 4th Battalion, 18th RIPC and receives its standard from General Sauvagnac in Batna

Batna City

Batna is the main city of Batna Province, Algeria. With a population of 285,800 it is the fifth largest city in Algeria. It is also one of the principal cities of the Chaoui area and is considered the capital of the Aures.-History:...

 on 11 November. It becomes part of the 25th Parachute Division and was mostly based on the Algerian-Tunisian border. The most notable action took place in April 1958 at Souk Ahras

Souk Ahras

Souk Ahras is a province in Algeria, named after its capital, Souk Ahras. It stands on the border between Algeria and Tunisia.- Geography :Souk Ahras is situated in the extreme north east of Algeria, it is 4360 km²....

 where the sacrifice of the regiments 3rd Company permits the elimination of a large FLN group that was trying to break the Morice Line

Morice Line

The Morice Line was a defensive line constructed in the 1950s and finished in September 1957. It was built to prevent Algerian FLN guerrillas from entering the French colony of Algeria from Tunisia and Morocco. It was named after the French Minister of Defence André Morice.-Design:The center of the...

 to reinforce the FLN forces in Algeria.

The regiment didn’t take part in the 1961 Algiers putsch and after the end of the Algerian War it moved to Toulouse on mainland France. The regiment takes part in operations within the UNIFIL in Lebanon and other overseas operations. The regiment was dissolved in 1999 as a part of a restructuring of the French Army.

Regimental commanders

Lt Col Buchoud (1956-1959) Lt Col Jean Bréchignac Jean Bréchignac Jean Bréchignac was a French Army officer that fought in World War II, First Indochina War and Algerian War. He led the 2nd Battalion, 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment in Indochina, most notable during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment in Algeria...  (1959-1961) Lt Col Defert (1961) Col Moniez (1961-1963) Lt Col Cordier (1963-1965) Lt Col Audema (1965-1967) Lt Col Barthez (1967-1969) Lt Col Liron (1969-1971) Lt Col Lartigue (1971-1973) Lt Col Guichard (1973-1975) Lt Col Granger (1975-1977)

Lt Col Bechu (1977-1979) Lt Col de Courreges (1979-1981) Lt Col Loridon (1981-1983) Col Pormente (1983-1985) Col Godinot (1985-1987) Col Pinatel (1987-1989) Col Champtiaux (1989-1991) Col Amarger (1991-1993) Col Oberto (1993-1995) Col Buchoud (1995-1997) Col Servera (1997-1999)

Battle Honours

• Austerlitz 1805
  Battle of Austerlitz
  The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
  
  
• Wagram 1809
  Battle of Wagram
  The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
  
  
• La Moskova 1812
• Sebastopol 1856
• Verdun 1916
  Battle of Verdun
  The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
  
  
• Soissonnais 1918
  Third Battle of the Aisne
  The Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
  
  
• L’Ailette 1918
• AFN 1952-1962

Decorations

• Croix de guerre 1914-1918
  Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France)
  The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 is a French military decoration.-Creation:Soon after the outbreak of World War I, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created...
  
  with three palms, one vermeil star and one argent star
• Médaille d'or de la Ville de Milan