erek ▁Var ble , ▁the ▁American ▁military ▁historian , ▁later ▁wrote ▁" A ir ▁support ▁and ▁fier ce ▁French ▁assault s ▁transformed ▁the ▁fighting ▁at ▁Port ▁Fu ad ▁into ▁a ▁rout ". ▁During ▁the ▁fighting ▁in ▁the ▁Canal ▁Zone , ▁the ▁French ▁par atro op ers ▁often ▁pract iced ▁their ▁" no - pr ison ers '" ▁code ▁and ▁executed ▁Egypt ian ▁P OW s . ▁ ▁Al ger ia ▁A ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁Mass u ▁commanded ▁the ▁groupe ▁par ach ut iste ▁d ' inter vention ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁Par ach ute ▁Division . ▁Mass u ' s ▁division ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Al ger ia ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁wave ▁of ▁armed ▁attacks ▁and ▁terror ist ▁bomb ings ▁coordin ated ▁by ▁Al ger ian ▁F L N . ▁Mass u ▁ultimately ▁won ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Al gi ers ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁during ▁which ▁French ▁forces ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁identify ▁and ▁arrest ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁F L N ▁in ▁Al gi ers ▁through ▁the ▁successful ▁application ▁of ▁co er ci ve ▁methods ▁of ▁inter rog ation ▁and ▁out right ▁tort ure ▁on ▁members ▁of ▁sub ordinate ▁cells . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁général ▁de ▁division ▁and ▁took ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁army ▁corps ▁of ▁Al gi ers , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁functions ▁of ▁pre fect ▁for ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Al gi ers