Operation Leopard
Original French Poster
Operation Leopard 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) :
Handguns Mle 1892 Revolver 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 ).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Modele d’Ordonnance Mle 1892 Revolver - 8 x 27mm SR Error creating thumbnail: File missing Marcel Debruyn shows the revolver to his son. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Georges holds the revolver. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Bia Kombo with the revolver. MAC Mle 1950 French officers and warrant officers carry MAC Mle 1950 pistols. They are mostly seen in holsters.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing French MAS Mle 1950 pistol - 9x19mm Parabellum Error creating thumbnail: File missing An officer and two radio operators carry pistols in holsters. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A radio operator holds a pistol. Unidentified revolver In one scene a Katanga fighter carries a nickel plated revolver in holster.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A man at the right carries a revolver in holster. Submachine Guns MAT-49 Many French paratroopers and some Katanga fighters are armed with MAT-49 SMGs.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing MAT-49 Submachine Gun - 9x19mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter with MAT-49. Error creating thumbnail: File missing One of the members of the firing squad is armed with a MAT-49. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter searches for escaped Europeans. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Adjudant-chef (Sgt. Maj.) Fédérico (Giuliano Gemma ) with MAT-49.Error creating thumbnail: File missing Fédérico in action with his MAT-49. Rifles and Assault Rifles MAS-49/56
Most French paratroopers are armed with MAS-49/56 rifles. Some of these rifles are used to fire rifle grenades.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing MAS-49/56 - 7.5x54mm French Error creating thumbnail: File missing A sentinel at the entrance in the barracs of 2nd Paratrooper Regiment holds a MAS-49 with bayonet. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Paratroopers with MAS-49/56 rifles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A paratrooper holds a MAS-49/56 with a rifle grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Niokolo (Joseph Momo ) fires a rifle grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The same scene after the grenade is shot. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A soldier in ambush with a MAS-49/56 with a rifle grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A paratrooper fires his rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Niokolo fires an AT rifle grenade at an enemy armoured car. AKM Most Katanga fighters are armed with AKMs .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing AKM, Stamped Steel Receiver w/ slant muzzle brake - 7.62x39mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter with AKM in Delbart's house. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter threatens Annie Debruyn. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter is shot by a French sniper. MPi-KM-72 Katanga fighters are also armed with East German MPi-KM-72 rifles, distinguishable by their hybrid plastic / wooden handguards and plastic stocks.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter with a MPi-KM-72 enters Debruyn's house. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter searches the hotel for escaped Europeans. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of the MPi-KM-72. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A firing squad with MAT-49 , MPi-KM-72 and FN FAL . FN FAL 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing FN FAL "G Series" - 7.62x51mm NATO Error creating thumbnail: File missing FN FAL 50.00 - 7.62x51mm NATO Error creating thumbnail: File missing A tall African at the left carries an FN FAL with wooden furniture. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter carries an FN FAL with black furniture. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter with FN FAL stops Phillipe Damrémont when he tries to escape. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Belgian paratrooper at the left holds a FAL. Note the lack of the magazine. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter with a FAL is seen through the sniper scope. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Belgian paratroopers with FALs escort the evacuate Europeans. M16A1 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing M16A1 with 20 round magazine - 5.56x45mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Katanga fighter with a captured M16 in hands escorts the Europeans to the so called "people's tribunal". Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pierre Delbart draws the hidden M16. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Delbart in action. MAS FR F1 French snipers are armed with MAS FR F1 rifles. In reality the Kolwezi operation was the first using of newly introduced FR F2 sniper rifles.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing MAS FR F1 Sniper Rifle - 7.5mm French Error creating thumbnail: File missing A sniper aims his rifle, using bipod. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A sniper holds the rifle with folded bipod. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Murat (Eric Sergent ) aims his FR F1. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another close view of the rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A sniper with FR F1 is seen on the promotion still. Berthier Mle 1916 In one scene two Berthier Mle 1916 carbines are seen on the wall of the office of high-rank Zairian general.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Berthier Model 1916 Carabine - 8x50R mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing Machine Guns MAS AA-52 MAS AA-52 machine guns are used by French paratroopers.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing MAS AA-52 GPMG - 7.5x54mm French Error creating thumbnail: File missing A paratrooper at the foreground carries an AA-52. Error creating thumbnail: File missing AA-52 in action. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A view from the back. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of the belt. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A paratrooper aims his machine gun at a target on a rooftop. Unidentified machine gun Two Berliet light APCs, used by Katanga fighters, are armed with unidentified machine guns.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Machine guns, mounted on APCs, fire at descending paratroopers. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of the same scene. Other Weapons LRAC F1 Rocket Launcher French paratroopers use several LRAC F1 rocket launchers, in full accordance with the actual events.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing LRAC F1 - 89mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing A paratrooper runs with a LRAC F1 launcher. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A paratrooper with LRAC F1. Error creating thumbnail: File missing He aims at an enemy armoured car. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A view from behind. Panzerschreck In one scene a rocket launcher that looks like Panzerschreck is briefly seen in hands of a Katanga fighter.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing RPzB 54 "Panzerschreck" rocket launcher - 88mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Panzerschreck is seen in the window. Rifle Grenade Some French paratroopers fire rifle grenades with their MAS-49/56 rifles. Both anti-personnel and anti-tank grenades are seen.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A paratrooper holds a MAS-49/56 with a rifle grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Niokolo (Joseph Momo ) fires an anti-personnel rifle grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Niokolo fires an AT rifle grenade at an enemy armoured car. X F1 Hand Grenade 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing X F1 practice grenade Error creating thumbnail: File missing A shot Katanga fighter drops a grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Adjudant-chef Fédérico (Giuliano Gemma ) carries two grenades.Error creating thumbnail: File missing Capt. Maurois (Jean-Claude Bouillon ) carries two grenades. 81-mm mortar French paratroopers use several mortars during the battle for Kolwezi. They appear to be of 81-mm caliber, most likely of French origin.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The paratroopers carry the baseplate and the bipod. The shape of the baseplate matches several models of French mortars. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The mortar in action on the promotion still. Trivia Two dismounted tank turrets, supposedly used as last-ditch pillboxes, are seen near the building of Zairian ministry of defence.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing AMX-13 turret. Error creating thumbnail: File missing M4 Sherman turret. 
