The 2nd Foreign Legion Mortar Mixed Company (2e CMMLE) was one of the three mortar companies of the Foreign Legion participating in the First Indochina War in southeastern Asia. Its history started in October 1952 and ended in May 1954. It was the first heavy mortar company of the Legion constituted in then French Indochina (today’s Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). The company was destroyed during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954).
CMLE: Foreign Legion Mortar Company 1952-1953
1945 – 1946:
– First Indochina War started
– French Indochina reffers to French colonial territories in Southeast Asia
– in Indochina, a conflict started between the French and Ho Chi Minh
– Ho Chi Minh led the Viet-Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam)
– Viet Minh was a nationalist and (later) pro-Soviet Union movement
– in September 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared independence from France for Vietnam
– clashes between French forces and the Viet Minh started
– in early 1946, first Foreign Legion units landed in Indochina
October 1952:
– on October 23, a decision to create a heavy mortar company within the Legion
– it would participate in the war in French Indochina
November 01, 1952:
– Foreign Legion Mortar Company (Compagnie de Mortiers de la Légion Etrangère, CMLE)
– CMLE was officially created
– it was composed of elements from 5e REI, 3e REI and 13e DBLE
– the CMLE was led by Lieutenant Bart
– it comprised around 150 men and 25 local auxiliaries
– the companywas composed of a 120 mm heavy mortar platoon and two 81 mm mortar platoons
– it was administratively attached to the 5e REI
November 1952:
– the CMLE was stationed in the valley of Na San
– in Northern Vietnam
– an entrenched camp was built there
– the unit’s task was to provide the camp with mortar fire against the Viet Minh
November 23 – December 02, 1952:
– Battle of Na San
– the CMLE took part in
November 23, 1952:
– the CMLE supported a Foreign Legion position against the Viet Minh
– after several hours of fighting, the enemy was fought off
November 30, 1952:
– the second attack of the Viet Minh
– the CMLE supported the attacked positions
December 01 – December 02, 1952:
– the third and last attack of the Viet Minh
– the CMLE again successfully supported the attacked positions
– defended by two Foreign Legion battalions
December 1952 – June 1953:
– the CMLE stayed at Na San because of the Viet Minh operating in the region
2nd Foreign Legion Mortar Mixed Company 1953-1954
June 01, 1953:
– 2nd Foreign Legion Mortar Mixed Company (2e Compagnie Mixte de Mortiers de la Légion Etrangère, 2e CMMLE)
– the CMLE became the 2e CMMLE
– the 2e CMMLE continued to be stationed at Na San
August 1953:
– evacuation of Na San
– the French abandoned the camp
– the 2e CMMLE moved to the 5e REI’s HQ in Bac Ninh
December 27, 1953:
– the 2e CMMLE left Bac Ninh
– it was stationed in the valley of Dien Bien Phu
– the valley is located in Northern Vietnam
– at that time, the 2e CMMLE was commanded by Lieutenant Jean-Paul Fetter
– the 2e CMMLE consisted of two platoons and was eqipped with eight 120 mm mortars
January 1954:
– the 2e CMMLE was based at two outposts within the camp of Dien Bien Phu
– the platoon of Lieutenant Fetter was based at the Anne-Marie outpost
– the platoon of Lieutenant Clerget was based at the Gabrielle outpost
March 13 – May 7, 1954:
– Battle of Dien Bien Phu
– the 2e CMMLE participated in
March 13, 1954:
– the 2e CMMLE supported the 13e DBLE being stationed at the Beatrice outpost
– the outpost was attacked by the Viet Minh
– next day, Beatrice was seized by the Viet Minh
– the platoon of Lieutenant Fetter had to withdraw
March 14 – 15, 1954:
– the outpost Gabrielle was attacked by the Viet Minh
– all of four mortars of Lieutenant Clerget were destroyed
– Lieutenant Clerget and many of his legionnaires were killed or wounded
– in the morning, the French launched a counter-attack to save the survivors
– only a few legionnaires of the 2e CMMLE based at Gabrielle were rescued
– the rest of legionnaires were imprisoned, including Lieutenant Clerget
March 17, 1954:
– the platoon of Lieutenant Fetters had to left Anne-Marie
– it moved to the Claudine outpost
– the 2e CMMLE was regrouped there
March – May 1954:
– the 2e CMMLE was fighting permanently
– it supported several outposts by shelling the Viet Minh attackers
– the company lost the majority of its men
– they have also run out of ammunition
May 07, 1954:
– the Battle of Dien Bien Phu was over
– the Claudine outpost was seized by the Viet Minh
– Lieutenant Fetter and the rest of his legionnaires were imprisoned
– they were sent to POW (prisoner-of-war) camps
– only a few of them will survive, including both Lieutenants
May 31, 1954:
– the 2e CMMLE was officially disbanded
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Information source:
More-majorum.de
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See Legion’s other disbanded mortar companies:
1st Foreign Legion Mortar Mixed Company
1st Heavy Mortar Foreign Parachute Company
Foreign Legion’s disbanded regiments:
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment
2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment
3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment
4th Foreign Infantry Regiment
5th Foreign Regiment
6th Foreign Infantry Regiment
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The page was updated on: July 04, 2016
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