Jacques Émile Massu ( French pronunciation: [ʒak masy] ; 5 May 1908 – 26 October 2002) was a French general who fought in World War II , the First Indochina War , the Algerian War and the Suez Crisis . He led French troops in the Battle of Algiers , first supporting and later denouncing their use of torture .
38-712: Jacques Massu was born in Châlons-sur-Marne to a family of military officers; his father was an artillery officer. He studied successively at Saint-Louis de Gonzague in Paris, the Free College of Gien (1919–1925) and Prytanée National Militaire (1926–1928). He then entered Saint-Cyr and graduated in 1930 as a second lieutenant in the promotion class " Marshal Foch " and chose the Colonial Infantry. Between October, 1930 and August, 1931, he served in
76-705: A lieutenant-colonel in the 2nd Armored Division (2e DB) serving with distinction at the Battle of Dompaire in September 1944 earning the US Silver star . He served with the division until the end of the war. In September 1945, he landed in Saigon and took part in the retaking of the city and of the South of Indochina . Massu took command of a mechanized infantry force of the 2e DB named Groupement Massu , comprising
114-549: A certain ambience in Algiers in 1957". Massu denied being present when Ighilahriz had been tortured and raped, saying he could not remember her, but expressed "regret" that the paras had engaged in torture and used rape as an interrogation tool, saying that there were things that had happened that he had wished had never happened in Algeria. Bigeard by contrast called Ighilahriz's story a "tissue of lies" designed to "destroy all that
152-658: A city in the desert. Chateau-Jobert followed up this success by beginning an attack on Port Fuad . Derek Varble, the American military historian, later wrote "Air support and fierce French assaults transformed the fighting at Port Fuad into a rout". During the fighting in the Canal Zone, the French paratroopers often practiced their "no-prisoners'" code and executed Egyptian POWs. A brigadier general in June 1955, Massu commanded
190-476: A controversial depiction of the events in Algiers between 1954 and 1957 banned in France for five years after release for alleged pro-Algerian leanings, the principal French character Col. Mathieu is a composite based on Massu and several of his subordinates, likely including Roger Trinquier and Marcel Bigeard . The Algiers putsch of 1958 began when the current government suggested that it would negotiate with
228-466: A reconnaissance squadron with M8 Greyhound armoured cars from 7e Escadron, 1er Régiment de Marche de Spahis Marocains ; a squadron of M5A1 Stuart light tanks of 1e Compagnie, 501e Régiment de chars de combat ; a provisional infantry force of the 4e Bataillon, Régiment de marche du Tchad and the French Navy ’s Régiment Blindé de Fusiliers-Marins , with M3 Half-tracks ; and engineer elements of
266-580: A showcase of the French Imperial Army, a theatrical propaganda display, where French citizens could meet the army and watch parades. Each year the camp was transformed into a town of tents and wooden chalets. The camp survived the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, but changed into a training camp and a departure point for troops engaging in overseas operations. The camp is used for military manoeuvres, and cavalry training, along with
304-663: A woman who had been a member of the FLN, accused Massu and Marcel Bigeard in an interview published in Le Monde newspaper of being present when she was tortured and raped by the French Army at a military prison in 1957. Ighilahriz had come forward with her story as she wanted to thank one "Richaud", an Army doctor at the prison, for saving her life, saying that Dr. Richaud was a most kindly man who always treated her injuries. In response, Massu told Le Monde that "torture had been part of
342-470: Is twinned with: The Camp de Mourmelon (formerly known as Camp de Châlons ) is a military camp of circa 10,000 hectares located near Mourmelon-le-Grand 22 kilometres (14 miles) north. It was created at the behest of Napoleon III and opened 30 August 1857 during the Second French Empire . The initial purpose was simply for practising military manoeuvres, but it quickly turned into
380-594: Is a city in the Grand Est region of France . It is the capital of the department of Marne , despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims . Formerly called Châlons-sur-Marne , the city was officially renamed in 1995. It should not be confused with the Burgundian town of Chalon-sur-Saône . The city was a Gallic and later a Gallo-Roman settlement known in Latin as Catalaunum , taking its name from
418-417: Is also served by an international airport devoted to shipping ( Châlons Vatry Airport [1] ), with an average of 16,0000 tons of freight passing through each year. Local transportation is provided by SITAC BUS buses. ESPE Basket Châlons-en-Champagne is a Châlons' basketball team. A temporary firing range was used for some shooting events at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Châlons-en-Champagne
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#1732773295111456-448: Is decent in France", going on to say this "Richaud" had never existed. Bigeard was contradicted by Massu, who confirmed the existence of "Richaud", saying that Ighilahriz was referring to Dr. François Richaud who had been the doctor stationed at the prison in 1957. Massu died at Conflans-sur-Loing on 26 October 2002, aged 94. Ch%C3%A2lons-sur-Marne Châlons-en-Champagne ( French pronunciation: [ʃɑlɔ̃ ɑ̃ ʃɑ̃paɲ] )
494-511: Is served by the TGV network with service to and from Paris Gare de l'Est . Other destinations are Reims, Saint-Dizier, Nancy, Bar-le-Duc and Verdun. Additionally, Châlons is connected with the Champagne-TGV station, near Reims , with high speed trains going to Lille , Nantes , Rennes and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport . Châlons is located at the intersection of two major axes: Châlons
532-571: The Catalauni , a Belgic tribe dwelling in the region of modern Champagne . Châlons is conjectured to be the site of several battles including the Battle of Châlons fought in 274 between Roman Emperor Aurelian and Emperor Tetricus I of the Gallic Empire . The Catalaunian Fields was the site of the battle of Châlons in 451 which turned back the westward advance of Attila . The Gare de Châlons-en-Champagne railway station
570-739: The Red Army well after the war; production continued in the Soviet Union until 1947 and into the 1950s in Czechoslovakia . It was withdrawn from Soviet service in 1967 but many vehicles were transferred to reserve stocks. Some exist to this day in the Russian Army holding facilities. Many Warsaw Pact countries also used the SU-100, as did Soviet allies such as Egypt, Angola and Cuba . A few SU-100 were delivered to Yugoslavia after
608-583: The SU-85 was quickly rendered obsolete as a new tank design featured the same gun on the T-34-85 . This prompted the design of a more advanced turretless tank destroyer with an even more powerful cannon. Development was conducted under supervision of L. I. Gorlitskiy , chief designer of all medium Soviet self-propelled guns. The work started in February 1944 and the first prototype of the SU-100, "Object 138",
646-483: The groupe parachutiste d'intervention and from 1956 the 10th Parachute Division. Massu's division was sent to Algeria in response to a wave of armed attacks and terrorist bombings coordinated by Algerian FLN . Massu ultimately won the Battle of Algiers in 1957, during which French forces were able to identify and arrest the leadership of the FLN in Algiers through the use of coercive methods of interrogation and torture on members of subordinate cells. In July 1958, he
684-775: The 16th Senegalese Tirailleur Regiment (16th RTS) in Cahors . He was sent to Morocco with the 5th RTS and took part in the fighting around Tafilalt where he earned his first citation. He was promoted to lieutenant in October 1932 and took part in the operations in High Atlas , earning a new citation. In 1934 Massu was transferred to 12th RTS at Saintes , Charente-Maritime . He served in Togo from January 1935 to February 1937 performing military and civilian duties in Komkombas. Then he
722-885: The 1970s, and in some countries, even later. The Su-100 saw service during the Yugoslav Wars , but was quickly retired due to a lack of spare parts, despite its satisfactory performance. The SU-100 remains in use by the Vietnam People's Army and the Korean People's Army Ground Force . SU-100s entered service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China after 1 December 1950 when Soviet forces left Dalian . The armaments in Dalian were sold to China, including 99 SU-100s, 18 IS-2 heavy tanks, and 224 T-34s, with which PLA formed its 1st Mechanised Division. In April 2015,
760-690: The 71er Bataillon du Génie. This force was landed at Saigon between 10 and 15 October 1945, and was immediately deployed to recapture Mỹ Tho in the Mekong Delta from the Viet Minh . In 1956, the 10th Parachute Division was sent to Egypt to take back the Suez Canal during the Suez Crisis . The 10th Parachute Division landed at Raswa. Raswa imposed the problem of a small drop zone surrounded by water, but Massu assured Andre Beaufre that this
798-598: The FLN, bringing the instability and ineffectiveness of the Fourth Republic to a head. On 13 May right-wing elements seized power in Algiers and called for a Government of Public Safety under General de Gaulle . Massu became chairman of the Public Safety Committee and one of the leaders of the revolt. The putschists threatened to conduct an assault on Paris, involving paratroopers and armoured forces based at Rambouillet , unless Charles de Gaulle
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#1732773295111836-543: The SU-100 had major improvements over the SU-85 ; the thickness of the front armour was increased from 45 to 75 mm (1.8 to 3.0 in) with a constructional armour slope of 55 degrees, making armour as effective as 125 mm, which forced the Panzer IV and StuG III to all but the closest ranges and the Tiger I having to close in at less than 1 km. Additional improvements were the commander's workplace, as it now
874-630: The SU-85. Mass production began in September 1944. The SU-100 was introduced in October 1944 and quickly became popular with Soviet tank crews as its gun could penetrate virtually any German tank then in service until being outmatched by the Tiger II . The gun was excellent, being able to penetrate the Tiger I at 2 km with APCBC rounds while its APHE rounds could penetrate a max of 218 mm of armour. The SU-100 especially saw extensive service during
912-576: The events of May 68 . Massu assured de Gaulle of his support, but according to some sources conditioned it upon an amnesty for French soldiers involved in the Organisation armée secrète who had opposed Algerian independence and attempted to assassinate de Gaulle on several occasions. Massu retired from military duty in July 1969 and spent the rest of his life in his home at Conflans-sur-Loing writing his memoirs. On 15 June 2000, Louisette Ighilahriz ,
950-531: The last year of World War II and saw service for many years afterwards with the armies of Soviet allies around the world. The SU-85 was developed from the chassis of the T-34 tank replacing the turret with a larger, fixed superstructure that allowed a larger gun to be fitted: the 85 mm D-5 gun , providing dramatically upgraded firepower compared to the T-34's 76.2 mm models. Introduced to service in 1943,
988-673: The last year of the war. It was used en masse in Hungary in March 1945, when Soviet forces defeated the German Operation Frühlingserwachen offensive at Lake Balaton . And although not intended for it, the SU-100 was also used in the Battle of Berlin because its gun could deal with heavy fortifications. However, its lack of a machine gun made it need aircraft and infantry support. By July 1945, 2,335 SU-100s had been built. The vehicle remained in service with
1026-475: The neighbouring, 2,500 hectare, Camp de Moronvillers . Firing of live ordnance (rockets, missiles) is prohibited. Châlons-en-Champagne was the birthplace of: Châlons-en-Champagne was the death place of: SU-100 The SU-100 ( Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 100) is a Soviet tank destroyer armed with the D-10S 100 mm anti-tank gun in a casemate superstructure . It was used extensively during
1064-613: The policy of de Gaulle in 1960, Massu was fired from his position of military governor of Algiers. In 1962 he became military governor of Metz and of the Sixth military region in France. He was promoted to général de corps d'armée (4 stars) in 1963. In March 1966, he became général d'armée (5 stars) and was made chief of the French forces in Germany. On 29 May 1968, de Gaulle came to visit him at his headquarters in Baden-Baden during
1102-451: The power. It did not show it yet, because the opportunity did not arise. But the Army will use its power in one precise occasion (...) it encourages settlers to constitute paramilitary organisations and provides them weapons. Massu was immediately summoned to Paris where he was relieved of command and posted to Metz . He was replaced in Algeria by General Jean Crépin . After his criticism of
1140-611: The war, under the designation M-44. The SU-100 saw service in the fighting that accompanied the 1956 Suez Crisis , in which the Egyptians used SU-100s against Israel's M4 Sherman tanks. The vehicle was also utilized in the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War . It was modified slightly to adapt it to the sandy conditions of the Middle East, thus creating the SU-100M variant . Exported SU-100s continued in service until
1178-727: The western bridge was swiftly secured by the paras, and F4U Corsairs of the Aéronavale 14.F and 15.F flew a series of close-air-support missions, destroying several SU-100 tank destroyers. F-84Fs also hit two large oil storage tanks in Port Said , which went up in flames and covered most of the city in a thick cloud of smoke for the next several days. Egyptian resistance varied, with some positions fighting back until destroyed, while others were abandoned with little resistance. The French paratroopers stormed and took Port Said's waterworks that morning, an important objective to control in
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1216-640: Was built at the UZTM (Russian abbreviation УЗТМ for Уральский Завод Тяжелого Машиностроения – Ural Heavy Machinery Factory, also called Uralmash ) in Yekaterinburg . The SU-100 quickly proved itself to be able to penetrate around 125 mm (4.9 in) of vertical armor from a range of 2,000 m (1.2 mi) and the sloped 80 mm (3.1 in) front armor of the German Panther from 1,500 m (0.93 mi) (with APCBC round). The hull of
1254-576: Was delivered in March. After intensive testing with different models of 100 mm gun Soviet engineers approved the D-10S gun for mass production. This gun was developed in Constructors Bureau of Artillery Factory No. 9 under the guidance of F. F. Petrov . After the Second World War this gun was installed on T-54 and T-55 tanks; these vehicles and their derivatives were in service forty years after initial development. It
1292-550: Was made in a small sponson on the right side of the hull; combined with the commander's cupola this improved the commander's effectiveness. Its German Jagdpanzer -family counterparts — the Jagdpanzer IV , Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger , by comparison, lacked this key piece of observational equipment. On the other hand, the SU-100's optics were a little inferior (4x optics vs German 5x optics). For better ventilation two ventilator units were installed, instead of only one as in
1330-573: Was not an insolvable problem for his men. 500 heavily armed paratroopers of the French 2nd Colonial Parachute Regiment ( 2ème RPC ), hastily redeployed from combat in Algeria, jumped over the al-Raswa bridges from Nord Noratlas 2501 transports of the Escadrille de Transport (ET) 1/61 and ET 3/61, together with some combat engineers of the Guards Independent Parachute Company . Despite the loss of two soldiers,
1368-618: Was placed in charge of the Republic. De Gaulle did so on condition that a new constitution would be introduced creating a powerful presidency in which a sole executive, the first of which was to be de Gaulle, ruled for seven-year periods. These changes were introduced and the Fifth Republic was born. On 14 January 1960, Massu gave an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in which he declared, The Army has
1406-420: Was promoted to général de division and took the head of the army corps of Algiers , as well as functions of prefect for the region of Algiers. It was said of Massu that he willingly admitted to the use of torture on suspected members of the FLN. He insisted that he would never subject anyone to any treatment that he had not first tried out on himself. In Gillo Pontecorvo's 1966 film The Battle of Algiers ,
1444-643: Was stationed in Lorraine with the 41st RMIC until June 1938, when he was sent to Chad to command the subdivision of Tibesti with headquarters in Zouar . He was serving in Africa when World War II broke out, and joined the Free French Forces . He took part in the battle of Fezzan with the armoured troops of General Leclerc . In 1941, he was in charge of the bataillon de marche du Tchad . He served as
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