Operation Leopard (La légion saute sur Kolwezi): Difference between revisions
Operation Leopard (La légion saute sur Kolwezi): Difference between revisions - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
Operation Leopard (La légion saute sur Kolwezi): Difference between revisions
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-7.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A Katanga fighter is shot by a French sniper.]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-7.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A Katanga fighter is shot by a French sniper.]]
== MPi-KM-72 ==
== MPi-KM ==
Katanga fighters are also armed with East German [[AK-47#MPi-KM/MPi-KMS-72|MPi-KM-72]] rifles, distinguishable by their hybrid plastic / wooden handguards and plastic stocks.
Katanga fighters are also armed with East German [[AK-47#MPi-KM/MPi-KMS-72|MPi-KM]] rifles, distinguishable by their hybrid plastic / wooden handguards and plastic stocks.
[[Image:MPIKM72Wood.jpg|none|thumb|none|400px|East German MPi-KM-72 with fixed stock - 7.62x39mm. This was the transitional MPi-KM-72 that still used the wooden lower hand grip from the MPi-KM. These were common from 1965-1972. The Side folding stock was not widely distributed until 1973.]]
[[Image:MPIKM72Wood.jpg|none|thumb|none|400px|East German MPi-KM with fixed stock - 7.62x39mm. This was the "transitional" MPi-KM that still used the wooden lower hand grip from the early MPi-KM. These were common from 1965-1972. The Side folding stock was not widely distributed until 1973.]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-1.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A Katanga fighter with a MPi-KM-72 enters Debruyn's house.]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-1.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A Katanga fighter with a MPi-KM enters Debruyn's house.]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-9.jpg|thumb|none|500px|]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-9.jpg|thumb|none|500px|]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-3.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A Katanga fighter searches the hotel for escaped Europeans.]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-3.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A Katanga fighter searches the hotel for escaped Europeans.]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-4.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A close view of the MPi-KM-72.]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-4.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A close view of the MPi-KM.]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-6.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A firing squad with [[MAT-49]], MPi-KM-72 and [[FN FAL]].]]
[[File:La legion saute sur Kolwezi-AK-6.jpg|thumb|none|500px|A firing squad with [[MAT-49]], MPi-KM and [[FN FAL]].]]
Operation Leopard (original title La légion saute sur Kolwezi, "The Legion jumps in Kolwezi") is a 1980 French war movie directed by Raoul Coutard. It depicts the Battle of Kolwezi in Zaire in May 1978. A large number of European and local citizens of a mining town of Kolwezi were held as hostages and partially massacred by Katanga rebels. A Franco-Belgian airborn operation ("Operation Léopard") was organised, and paratroopers of French 2nd Parachute Regiment of French Foreign Legion and Belgian Paracommando Regiment liberated the town and saved the hostages. The movie is mainly based on memoirs of French officer Pierre Sergent and follows the real events quite closely.
The following weapons were used in the film Operation Leopard (La légion saute sur Kolwezi):
Marcel Debruyn (Pierre Rousseau), the chief manager of the mining company in Kolwezi, owns an Mle 1892 Revolver. Later it is seen in hands of his son Georges (uncredited) and the local medic Bia Kombo (Gérard Essomba).
Belgian paratroopers are armed with FN FAL rifles. Due to unclear reason, all these rifles are seen unloaded. Some of Katanga fighters also carry FN FALs. Different versions of FAL are seen, with wooden and black furniture.
Zairian government troops in Kolwezi are armed with M16A1 assault rifles. In one scene Pierre Delbart (Bruno Cremer) stores an M16, taken from the slain soldier, and later uses it during the battle for the town.
All French soldiers and officers carry hand grenades that appear to be X F1 training grenades (identified by the blue color) with Mle 1935 fuze. Some Katanga fighters also use these grenades.
