The 5th Battalion of Vietnamese Paratroopers (or 5th BPVN or 5th Bawouan) is a parachute unit of the French Army formed on September 1, 1953 in Hanoi in Indochina.
Creation and different denominations
It was formed from the transfer of the command post and the 3rd and 23rd Indochinese parachute companies of the 3rd colonial parachute battalion dissolved the day before and repatriated to France.
It is one of the five battalions of Vietnamese paratroopers created between 1951 and 1954 (with the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th BPVN), following the policy of De Lattre de Tassigny aiming at the creation of a Vietnamese army. /P>
Its workforce was around 1,080 men, mainly Asian, but with many metropolitan executives.
Leaders
Captain Jacques Bouvery:September 1, 1953 - December 14 or 15, 1953
Commander André Botella:December 20, 1953 - May 1954
Captain Tholy:June 1954 - July 1954
Captain Lesaux:July 1954
History of garrisons, campaigns and battles
Operation Brochet in September - October 1953
Operation "Castor" - November 1953
Battle of Diên Biên Phu:it was dropped on March 14, 1954.