“SACRIFICE SQUADS"

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 301, 4 December 1936, Page 6

“SACRIFICE SQUADS"

IN FRENCH AIR FORCE. Two more “sacrifice squads.” composed of parachutists whose task in war time will be to drop behind the enemy lines to organise bombing of vital objectives, such as pow< r works, have been added to the French Air Force. The formation of these squads of picked men. designated for the most dangerous of tasks, has led the French authorities to examine methods of using giant aeroplanes to drop large numbers of men by parachute into enemyterritory. In certain circumstances these men could be armed and in uniform. In others they might be in civilian clothes. and “plant” bombs in munition factories or otlmr strategic points, and make their escape as best they could. They might even be picked up again by a ’plane. One squad of these “parachutist chasseurs” is stationed at Churl res and the other at Algiers. 'i’hr e more are in course of formation. All the men concerned serve for five years and are paid 2000 francs a month; an enormous sum conipar. d with the average conscript’s pay. Each squad is divided into two sections of 13 men, composed o. ten privates, two corpora's, and a sirgeant. France’s ally, Soviet RusU'i, has recently conducted large scale experiments in dropping soldi.is from ’planes by rara"hnto.