Michal, I can answer one question. But have another...
Junker is (almost) spelled correct, it is the old "Auntie JU" of WWII fame; the Junkers JU-52. It was all the air transport the French had available in the early post-war years before America started to percieve the Indochina War as a part of the global struggle against Communism and support it instead of merely a colonial struggle to maintain overlordship.
I am pretty certain the last combat jump from Junkers JU-52 was "
Operation Tulipe", the first phase of the Battle for Hoa Binh where the 1er BEP jumped near Cho Ben on 10th November 1951. And I think that perhaps it would be suitable with an end date for the Junkers of 12-51? Don? Andy?
Meanwhile, in your exhaustive list (GJ) you write:
Quote:
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#075 Ferret Mk 1 - I don't know how about Mk 1, but the French for sure used Mk 2/3 turreted version (there is a photo from Algeria from 1964).
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What source is this? I am pretty certain that the last French units left Algeria in 1962 as the French government (De Gaulle) granted Algeria independence from 1962 and the nature of the war had left the French rather unpopular in those quarters. It was, after all, a pretty nasty affair... Actually very nasty. You would have to look at Russia in Chechnya to find something worse.