Operation Leopard (La légion saute sur Kolwezi)

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.
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= 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).
== MAC Mle 1950 ==
French officers and warrant officers carry MAC Mle 1950 pistols. They are mostly seen in holsters.
== Unidentified revolver ==
In one scene a Katanga fighter carries a nickel plated revolver in holster.
= Submachine Guns =
== MAT-49 ==
Many French paratroopers and some Katanga fighters are armed with MAT-49 SMGs.
thumb|none|400px|MAT-49 Submachine Gun - 9x19mm
= 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.
== AKM ==
Most Katanga fighters are armed with AKMs.
== MPi-KM ==
Katanga fighters are also armed with East German MPi-KM rifles, distinguishable by their hybrid plastic / wooden handguards and plastic stocks. 
== 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.
== 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.
== 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.
== Berthier Mle 1916 ==
In one scene two Berthier Mle 1916 carbines are seen on the wall of the office of high-rank Zairian general.
= Machine Guns =
== MAS AA-52 ==
MAS AA-52 machine guns are used by French paratroopers.
== Unidentified machine gun ==
Two Berliet light APCs, used by Katanga fighters, are armed with unidentified machine guns. During the actual event, the rebels used captured Panhard AMLs.
= Other Weapons =
== LRAC F1 Rocket Launcher ==
French paratroopers use several LRAC F1 rocket launchers, in full accordance with the actual events.
thumb|none|400px|LRAC F1 - 89mm
==Panzerschreck RPzB 54==
In one scene a rocket launcher that looks like Panzerschreck RPzB 54 is briefly seen in hands of a Katanga fighter.
== APAV 40 Rifle Grenade ==
Some French paratroopers fire APAV 40 anti-personnel rifle grenades with their MAS-49/56 rifles.
== STRIM 65 Rifle Grenade ==
Some French paratroopers fire STRIM 65 AT rifle grenades with their MAS-49/56 rifles.
== 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.
== 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.
= Trivia =
Two dismounted tank turrets, supposedly used as last-ditch pillboxes, are seen near the building of Zairian ministry of defence. 
Category:Movie
Category:War
Category:Drama
Category:French Produced/Filmed