The End in the Sahara - Campaign Series: Middle East 1948 -1985

[Timimoun, southern Algeria]: [SIDE A/H2H][HISB][CSL]: Unable to launch in 1957 the anticipated military campaigns on Algerian territory, the FLN tried to operate from the Sahara. The French spent the fall of 1957 and spring of 1958 assaulting the FLN strongholds in the Sahara. One of the last was in the outlying villages the mid-Saharan town of Timimoun. On November 7th, seven members of a French oil exploration team and nine Legionnaires are massacred by the FLN. Two days later an airborne operation was launched against the town of Timimoun and outlying villages. The battle lasted until November 21st resulting in the FLN being effectively eliminated from the area. On a side note, the most lasting innovation to come out of French experience in Algeria was the heavy reliance placed on the helicopter. France made aggressive use of helicopters in Algeria, both as troop transports and gunships. The basic helicopter unit, the Détachment d'Intervention Héliportée (DIH) became, in effect, the organic air force of airborne infantry task force. Bell 47s or Alouette IIs performed reconnaissance and command-and-control duties, while H-21s or H-34s transported the troops and H-34 Pirates provided the some or all of the routine fire support for the operation. [ALL: NOVV][NONE][1.00]