Post by lew on Jan 26, 2015 12:41:09 GMT -5
Terms and definitions
-TTA: TouTes Armes; All Arms. Regular infantry, artillery, air defense artillery, logistics (unités du Train, etc…), gendarmes, zouaves, chasseurs de pied, chasseurs d’Afrique, Spahis, armored and mechanized units.
Many support, logistics, air defense artillery, and regular artillery units were converted to infantry . The FLN’s lack of aircraft obviated the need for air defense artillery units. The logistics network and military support system in Algeria was already in place and well-developed before the war began, so many of those units were not needed in their original role. The nature of a counterinsurgency demands an infantry-focused army, so manpower was shifted and re-trained to fulfill that requirement. Incidentally, one of the most successful units of the war was the 509th (maybe it was the 508th) Bataillon du Train (BT).
-TAP: Troupes Aéportées; airborne. Colonial and Metropolitan airborne units (RPC/RPIMa’s and RCP’s, respectively); 1e, 2e, and 3e Foreign Legion parachutists; 1e, 11e, and 12 Bataillons Parachustistes de Choc, Commandos de Marine, Commandos de l’Air, 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes (13e RDP), 1e Régiment de Hussars Parachustistes (1e RHP), 60e and 75e CGAP (Compagnie de Génie Aéroportés), 20e GAP (Groupement de Artillerie Parachutistes) and 35e RAP (Régiment de Artillerie Parachutistes), plus support units.
-Non-airborne Foreign Legion units had their own system, but mostly adhered to the TTA standard. The same generally applies to the Navy’s Fusiliers Marins. The Chassuers d'Alpin typically possessed TTA equipment, but had some distinct pieces of uniform and specialized mountaineering equipment.
On to the gear:
1) Musette Mle. 50 TTA
The Musette Mle. 50 TTA was the standard issue pack for all TTA units beginning in the early 1950’s. I have not seen evidence of any TAP units using this pack. The Musette Mle. 50 could be worn as a musette (satchel) suspended off one of the wearer’s shoulders or, whit the strap re-routed, worn as a backpack with two loops for the arms. It has a very simple layout with one main pocket and an internal divider. As a musette, it lacks any sort of frame.
2) Sac à dos Mle. 51 TTA Bergam
The sac à dos (backpack, rucksack) Mle. 51 “Bergam” (named after the Norwegian “Bergen” packs of WW2 fame) was standard issue to almost all units, TTA or not. FFL units used this pack extensively, and it would not be out of place in an airborne unit, where it was appreciated for heavier loads due to the greater internal volume over the Mle. 55 and the “X” frame on the back panel. Lafuma was the primary maker of this rucksack. As indicated by the model designator, this pack saw extensive use in Indochina. Mle. 50 packs for the period should have natural/russet leather. The yellow (jaune) leather appeared in late-1962 (after Algeria), and the green leather in the early ‘70’s. The pack continued in military use through the 1980’s. Many were repurposed by civilians after the war. Most of the surplus packs will be in good condition, usually just requiring some oil on the leather.
I have not been able to ascertain if this is a separate model or just a version of Mle. 50, but there is a variant with a different frame arrangement. Unlike the integral “X” frame on most of the Bergams, there is another version that is based off the US WW2 Mountain Rucksack olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_gear_mountain_rucksack.php with an external wire loop frame attached with leather straps. I have one that wore a cloth ID tag for a captain of the 1e RTA (Régiments de Tirailleurs Algériens).
3) Sac à dos Mle. 50, Mle. 51 TAP
The sac à dos Mles. 50 and 51 were prevalent in the Indochina War and saw some limited use in the first couple years in Algeria. These packs are simple green cotton canvas affairs with two side pockets, one main pocket with an internal divider, one sleeve pocket at the front of the pack (against the wearer’s back), and a flap over the main pocket with two closure straps. The layout of the Mle. 50 and 51 are the same, but the method of closure on the pockets is different: “lift-the-dot” fasteners on the 50 and snaps on the 51. These packs were used extensively, and are thus very rare today.
4) Sac à dos Mle. 51 Chasseurs d’Alpins
The variant of the sac à dos Mle. 51 was intended for use by- and limited to les bataillons de Chasseurs d’Alpins (“alpine hunters”, mountain troops). In Algeria, the Chasseurs d’Alpins’ area of operations was almost exclusively confined to the regions of Grand et Petit Kabylie, which is a mountainous area home to the Kabyle people between Algiers and Constantine. This pack was basically the same as the Mle. 51 TTA “Bergam” but differed with the addition of a few extra leather lashing straps and a leather ice ax loop at the bottom center of the back of the pack. [Images shamelessly borrowed from La Tranchée Militaire.]
5) Sac à dos Mle. 50/53 TAP
The sac à dos Mle. 50/53 TAP is a beast of pack that weighs close to ten pounds unloaded. The pack consists of an external frame with a shelf at the bottom and a crude suspension system with a band that rests against the back part of the wearer’s waist. Attached to the frame is a very large olive drab pack bag with confusing array of straps, one large main compartment, two side pockets with snap closures, and a wide middle pocket on the back with a zipper. This pack saw little if any field use in Indochina or Algeria, which not surprising considering how large, cumbersome, and uncomfortable it is. The only evidence I have of it is one packbag lashed to the spare tire of a Hotchkiss M201 (French license-made Jeep copy) and a line of packs on the upper shelf in the barracks of an ariborne unit (11e BPC, if I recall correctly). So, I surmise that the packs were issued, relegated to tasks where they didn't have to be carried, or just not used, stuck in a corner, and turned back in after a soldier’s time was up.
6) Musette TAP Mle. 55
After its introduction in late 1955, by a slight margin the most prevalent rucksack amongst all TAP troops was the Mle. 55. It is based on the earlier Mle. 50 and 51 TAP packs with the same pocket layout. The pack body is made of gree cotton canvas. The side and front pockets are closed with a snap each. There is a hanging/carry loop at the top between the two pack straps, and the flap is closed with two straps. On the bottom edge of the flap are two grommets for attaching gear, although some packs did not have these.
7) Musette Mle. 1892, 1892/34
The musette Mle 1892 and 1892/34 were the basic breadbag/haversack carried by French troops pre-WW2. It is a simple bag closed by two zinc buttons. This bag was well on its way out by the time trouble started brewing in Vietnam, but many were in the supply system and used for a wide range of tasks- anything you could think of, really. Not really something a collector needs to go out of their way to add, but they were there. Pictures of some TTA units- 9e RZ, in particular- can be seen with these musettes in the field in late 1954/early 1955.
8) Musette infermier (Mle. 45?)
This bag was the standard medic bag and a direct copy of the US WW2-era olive drab cotton canvas medic bag. It features one strap for closure passing through a slider and the bottom laces up to reduce the volume. The contents were four Mle. 49 bandages, four gauze rolls, morphine syrettes, scissors, water treatment tablets, and a few other items and medications. In addition to the individual bandages and TAP first aid kits, this musette was often carried for squad-level first aid support.
9) Sac à dos de primer secours (first aid)
I have little information on this, but there was a backpack about the size of the Mle. 55 for a medic and supplies for about a platoon’s worth of soldiers by the looks of it. The bag is olive drab canvas with canvas straps. It seems to have made an appearance later in the war. [Images shamelessly borrowed from La Tranchée Militaire.]
10) I have no information on this 45L water carrier, and have not seen any documentation of its use, but I've included it anyway. [Images shamelessly borrowed from La Tranchée Militaire.]
-TTA: TouTes Armes; All Arms. Regular infantry, artillery, air defense artillery, logistics (unités du Train, etc…), gendarmes, zouaves, chasseurs de pied, chasseurs d’Afrique, Spahis, armored and mechanized units.
Many support, logistics, air defense artillery, and regular artillery units were converted to infantry . The FLN’s lack of aircraft obviated the need for air defense artillery units. The logistics network and military support system in Algeria was already in place and well-developed before the war began, so many of those units were not needed in their original role. The nature of a counterinsurgency demands an infantry-focused army, so manpower was shifted and re-trained to fulfill that requirement. Incidentally, one of the most successful units of the war was the 509th (maybe it was the 508th) Bataillon du Train (BT).
-TAP: Troupes Aéportées; airborne. Colonial and Metropolitan airborne units (RPC/RPIMa’s and RCP’s, respectively); 1e, 2e, and 3e Foreign Legion parachutists; 1e, 11e, and 12 Bataillons Parachustistes de Choc, Commandos de Marine, Commandos de l’Air, 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes (13e RDP), 1e Régiment de Hussars Parachustistes (1e RHP), 60e and 75e CGAP (Compagnie de Génie Aéroportés), 20e GAP (Groupement de Artillerie Parachutistes) and 35e RAP (Régiment de Artillerie Parachutistes), plus support units.
-Non-airborne Foreign Legion units had their own system, but mostly adhered to the TTA standard. The same generally applies to the Navy’s Fusiliers Marins. The Chassuers d'Alpin typically possessed TTA equipment, but had some distinct pieces of uniform and specialized mountaineering equipment.
On to the gear:
1) Musette Mle. 50 TTA
The Musette Mle. 50 TTA was the standard issue pack for all TTA units beginning in the early 1950’s. I have not seen evidence of any TAP units using this pack. The Musette Mle. 50 could be worn as a musette (satchel) suspended off one of the wearer’s shoulders or, whit the strap re-routed, worn as a backpack with two loops for the arms. It has a very simple layout with one main pocket and an internal divider. As a musette, it lacks any sort of frame.
2) Sac à dos Mle. 51 TTA Bergam
The sac à dos (backpack, rucksack) Mle. 51 “Bergam” (named after the Norwegian “Bergen” packs of WW2 fame) was standard issue to almost all units, TTA or not. FFL units used this pack extensively, and it would not be out of place in an airborne unit, where it was appreciated for heavier loads due to the greater internal volume over the Mle. 55 and the “X” frame on the back panel. Lafuma was the primary maker of this rucksack. As indicated by the model designator, this pack saw extensive use in Indochina. Mle. 50 packs for the period should have natural/russet leather. The yellow (jaune) leather appeared in late-1962 (after Algeria), and the green leather in the early ‘70’s. The pack continued in military use through the 1980’s. Many were repurposed by civilians after the war. Most of the surplus packs will be in good condition, usually just requiring some oil on the leather.
I have not been able to ascertain if this is a separate model or just a version of Mle. 50, but there is a variant with a different frame arrangement. Unlike the integral “X” frame on most of the Bergams, there is another version that is based off the US WW2 Mountain Rucksack olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_gear_mountain_rucksack.php with an external wire loop frame attached with leather straps. I have one that wore a cloth ID tag for a captain of the 1e RTA (Régiments de Tirailleurs Algériens).
3) Sac à dos Mle. 50, Mle. 51 TAP
The sac à dos Mles. 50 and 51 were prevalent in the Indochina War and saw some limited use in the first couple years in Algeria. These packs are simple green cotton canvas affairs with two side pockets, one main pocket with an internal divider, one sleeve pocket at the front of the pack (against the wearer’s back), and a flap over the main pocket with two closure straps. The layout of the Mle. 50 and 51 are the same, but the method of closure on the pockets is different: “lift-the-dot” fasteners on the 50 and snaps on the 51. These packs were used extensively, and are thus very rare today.
4) Sac à dos Mle. 51 Chasseurs d’Alpins
The variant of the sac à dos Mle. 51 was intended for use by- and limited to les bataillons de Chasseurs d’Alpins (“alpine hunters”, mountain troops). In Algeria, the Chasseurs d’Alpins’ area of operations was almost exclusively confined to the regions of Grand et Petit Kabylie, which is a mountainous area home to the Kabyle people between Algiers and Constantine. This pack was basically the same as the Mle. 51 TTA “Bergam” but differed with the addition of a few extra leather lashing straps and a leather ice ax loop at the bottom center of the back of the pack. [Images shamelessly borrowed from La Tranchée Militaire.]
5) Sac à dos Mle. 50/53 TAP
The sac à dos Mle. 50/53 TAP is a beast of pack that weighs close to ten pounds unloaded. The pack consists of an external frame with a shelf at the bottom and a crude suspension system with a band that rests against the back part of the wearer’s waist. Attached to the frame is a very large olive drab pack bag with confusing array of straps, one large main compartment, two side pockets with snap closures, and a wide middle pocket on the back with a zipper. This pack saw little if any field use in Indochina or Algeria, which not surprising considering how large, cumbersome, and uncomfortable it is. The only evidence I have of it is one packbag lashed to the spare tire of a Hotchkiss M201 (French license-made Jeep copy) and a line of packs on the upper shelf in the barracks of an ariborne unit (11e BPC, if I recall correctly). So, I surmise that the packs were issued, relegated to tasks where they didn't have to be carried, or just not used, stuck in a corner, and turned back in after a soldier’s time was up.
6) Musette TAP Mle. 55
After its introduction in late 1955, by a slight margin the most prevalent rucksack amongst all TAP troops was the Mle. 55. It is based on the earlier Mle. 50 and 51 TAP packs with the same pocket layout. The pack body is made of gree cotton canvas. The side and front pockets are closed with a snap each. There is a hanging/carry loop at the top between the two pack straps, and the flap is closed with two straps. On the bottom edge of the flap are two grommets for attaching gear, although some packs did not have these.
7) Musette Mle. 1892, 1892/34
The musette Mle 1892 and 1892/34 were the basic breadbag/haversack carried by French troops pre-WW2. It is a simple bag closed by two zinc buttons. This bag was well on its way out by the time trouble started brewing in Vietnam, but many were in the supply system and used for a wide range of tasks- anything you could think of, really. Not really something a collector needs to go out of their way to add, but they were there. Pictures of some TTA units- 9e RZ, in particular- can be seen with these musettes in the field in late 1954/early 1955.
8) Musette infermier (Mle. 45?)
This bag was the standard medic bag and a direct copy of the US WW2-era olive drab cotton canvas medic bag. It features one strap for closure passing through a slider and the bottom laces up to reduce the volume. The contents were four Mle. 49 bandages, four gauze rolls, morphine syrettes, scissors, water treatment tablets, and a few other items and medications. In addition to the individual bandages and TAP first aid kits, this musette was often carried for squad-level first aid support.
9) Sac à dos de primer secours (first aid)
I have little information on this, but there was a backpack about the size of the Mle. 55 for a medic and supplies for about a platoon’s worth of soldiers by the looks of it. The bag is olive drab canvas with canvas straps. It seems to have made an appearance later in the war. [Images shamelessly borrowed from La Tranchée Militaire.]
10) I have no information on this 45L water carrier, and have not seen any documentation of its use, but I've included it anyway. [Images shamelessly borrowed from La Tranchée Militaire.]