The 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment (french: 2^e Régiment de

Chasseur ''Chasseur'' ( , ), a French term for "hunter", is the designation given to certain regiments of French and Belgian light infantry () or light cavalry () to denote troops trained for rapid action. History This branch of the French Army orig ...

s Parachutistes) or 2^e RCP, is one of the most decorated French units of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the only land unit awarded the red

fourragère The ''fourragère'' () is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fou ...

in that war, including six citations at the orders of the armed forces. The

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

1500-ton class

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

Casabianca also accumulated six citations at the orders of the armed forces and therefore its crewmen were entitled to wear the same

. The unit was commonly referred to in the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...

as the 4th SAS.

Creation and naming

* 1 July 1943: creation of the 1st Air Infantry Battalion. * 1 November 1943: renamed 4th Air Infantry Battalion. * 1 April 1944: redesignated 4th SAS Regiment or 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment 2^e RCP in the French army. * 30 September 1946: dissolution of the regiment.

History, garrisons, campaigns and battles

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Unit structure

The 1st Air Infantry Battalion (1^e B.I.A) was formed July 1, 1943 in the

Old Dean The Old Dean is a suburb of Camberley in Surrey, England. The area starts approximately 1 km NNE from the town centre. The estate is built on the Olddean or Old Dean Common falling within the district of Surrey Heath Borough Council. It is ...

camp at

Camberley Camberley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately south-west of Central London. The town is in the far west of the county, close to the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire. Once part of Windsor Forest, Cambe ...

from volunteers and from the 1st Air Infantry Company and 2nd Air Infantry Company (1^e C.I.A, 2^e C.I.A) formed September 15, 1940. The unit notably deployed in

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

and

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

, winning a citation (Air Force). The

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

joined the

Free French Air Forces The Free French Air Forces (french: Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres, FAFL) were the air arm of the Free French Forces in the Second World War, created by Charles de Gaulle in 1940. The designation ceased to exist in 1943 when the Free Frenc ...

, which was entrusted to Commandant Pierre Fourcaud. At the time the battalion had 398 men, in four combat

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

. These men then received parachute training at the

Central Landing Establishment The Central Landing Establishment was the Second World War British development centre for airborne warfare at RAF Ringway airfield near Manchester.Thompson 1989, p. 4. Establishment Following Prime Minister Winston Churchill's decision to crea ...

(C.L.E) of

RAF Ringway The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. The unit was renamed the 4th Air Infantry Battalion (4^e B.I.A) on November 1, 1943 and in February 1943 transferred to the command of Commandant Pierre-Louis Bourgoin, an amputee who had lost his arm during a

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

mission in Tunisia. The 4^e B.I.A was joined with the

3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment The 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment (french: 3e Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes) or 3e RCP was a French unit of Second World War known in the British Army as the 3rd SAS Regiment and originally named the 3rd Air Infantry Battalion. Involved ...

(3^e RCP) of Commandant Pierre Chateau-Jobert to form a

demi-brigade A ''demi-brigade'' ( en, Half-brigade) is a military formation used by the French Army since the French Revolutionary Wars. The ''Demi-brigade'' amalgamated the various infantry organizations of the French Revolutionary infantry into a single ...

commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Durand. Many French volunteers (244) followed a parachute training at the Air Instruction Center of the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade at

Upper Largo Upper Largo or Kirkton of Largo is a village in the parish of Largo, near the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. It rests on the southern slopes of Largo Law and half a mile north of Largo Bay and the rather larger village of Lower Largo. It is the h ...

, in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. In April 1944, the B.I.A, who had in December 1943 joined their British and Belgian namesakes at the SAS Brigade of the Army Air Corps, were given their name and regimental designation: the 3^e and 4^e B.I.A became respectively the 3rd and 4th SAS

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

s under the British and a little later, the 2nd (2^e) and

(3^e) under the French.

Operations in Brittany

During the night of 5 to 6 June 1944, four SAS (36 men) respectively under the orders of Lieutenants Marienne,

Henri Deplante Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the 'List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.'' * Henri I de Montm ...

, Botella and Deschamps took off in two four-engined

Short Stirling The Short Stirling was a British four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It has the distinction of being the first four-engined bomber to be introduced into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Stirling was designed during t ...

s of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

with the destination of

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

. The first two teams parachuted into the sector of

Plumelec Plumelec (, ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of the Brittany region, in north-western France. Geography Plumelec is west of Rennes via the RN24 road, and north-west of Nantes via the RN165 road. The commune is situated on the Br ...

, 15 km from the

Maquis de Saint-Marcel The Maquis de Saint-Marcel was a force of French resistance fighters, 3000 men with 200 Free French SAS (Special Air Service), during World War II operating in Brittany, Morbihan. It was created just before the Normandy landings with the objectives ...

Morbihan Morbihan ( , ; br, Mor-Bihan ) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastli ...

, the two other teams into the wooded forest of

Duault Duault (; br, Duaod) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population The inhabitants of Duault are known in French as ''duaultois''. See also *Communes of the Côtes-d'Armor department The fol ...

in the

Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor (, ; ; br, Aodoù-an-Arvor, ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord ( br, Aodoù-an-Hanternoz, link=no, ), are a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.

. Their missions were to establish guerilla bases, respectively code named

Operation Dingson Operation Dingson (5–18 June 1944) was an operation in the Second World War, conducted by 178 Free French paratroops of the 4th Special Air Service (SAS), commanded by Colonel Pierre-Louis Bourgoin, who jumped into German occupied France ...

and Operation Samwest. Lieutenant Marienne's team was spotted. A large Georgian contingent encircled the team and during the skirmish which followed, corporal Emile Bouétard was wounded and killed. Bouétard was the first military casualty of "

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...

". During June and July, SAS paratroopers lived like hunters in the forest. Often, they mounted brutal attacks and fell back, going to ground camouflaged and blending into the forest the better to intervene at a more favourable opportunity. On the morning of 18 June, the camp of the SAS and the resistance was attacked. Following a day-long engagement, the French succeeded in retreating from Sérent and Saint-Marcel, blowing up their ammunition depot. At dawn on 12 July, enemy troops and militias managed to infiltrate to the command post of Lieutenant Marienne at Kerihuel,

where 18 men were posted, including paratroopers, maquis and farmers, who were machine-gunned and mutilated. The arrival on August 3 of the

armoured brigades Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especial ...

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

reached

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

, brought this to a halt. The 4th SAS regiment (2^e RCP), lost (killed, wounded and prisoners) 23 officers and 195 men of 50 officers and 500 men (77 killed during the liberation of Brittany).

End operations

SAS battles often have unconventional outcomes. At

Montceau-les-Mines Montceau-les-Mines () is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It is the second-largest commune of the metropolitan Communauté urbaine Creusot Montceau, which lies southwest of ...

, a group of paratroopers and a first section of the

Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...

, tricked a much larger opposing force number into believing themselves surrounded by the manpower of a

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

. Accordingly, they managed to take back hundreds of prisoners, tanks and cannons. At the end of the campaign, the

(3^eRCP) had lost 80 of 400 soldiers. In their time of existence, the regiment put thousands of opposing forces out of combat, along with some 383 vehicles. On

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

1944, the paratroopers of the SAS fought in the Belgian Ardennes, in Operation Von Rundstedt. On 11 November 1944, the men of the 2nd Parachute Chasseur regiment received from the hands of

Général is the French word for general. There are two main categories of generals: the general officers (), which are the highest-ranking commanding officers in the armed forces, and the specialist officers with flag rank (), which are high-level offic ...

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

the

Croix de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour ...

. In WW2, French SAS parachutists trained in the United Kingdom wore the black beret, and the 1er RCP, trained in North Africa, kept the blue Air Army ''calot''. All British parachutists wore an amaranth, or red, beret at the initiative of their leader, General Boy Browning. Beginning in August 1944, French parachutists of the 2e RCP/SAS wore the amaranth beret rather than the black. The 2e RCP marched in Paris on 11 November with this headgear bearing the cap badge (beret insignia) of the SAS. During this time, the SAS parachutists of the 3e RCP and the shock troops kept the black beret. In 1945, only the 2e RCP retained the right to wear the amaranth beret, extended to the SAS demi-brigade SAS (not at that time colonial) in 1946–1947. On 7 April 1945, the two Parachute Chasseur regiments (770 men) parachuted into the Netherlands in ( Operation Amherst).

Post-war

On 1 August 1945, the 3rd and 4th SAS regiments, became the French 2nd and 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiments in a transfer to the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

. They merged to form a single 2nd Parachute Chasseur regiment (2^e R.C.P), with a garrison at

Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the capital of Bigorre and of the Hautes-Pyrénées. It has been a commune since 1790. It was known as ''Turba'' ...

. On 2 October 1945, British general

Michael Calvert Brigadier James Michael Calvert, (6 March 1913 – 26 November 1998) was a British Army officer who was involved in special operations in Burma during the Second World War. He participated in both Chindit operations and was instrumental in popul ...

, commandant of the SAS Brigade, visited the regiments and bestowed on the men of the 2^e RCP their respective

fanion A fanion is a small flag used by the French military; the equivalent of an American guidon or British company colour. The name derives from the Italian word gonfanone, or gonfanon. They were often attached to a small staff which was placed in th ...

s and

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

chapeau A chapeau is a flat-topped hat once worn by senior clerics. In heraldry In European ecclesiastical heraldry, it is used as a mark of ecclesiastical dignity, especially that of cardinals, where it is called the ''red chapeau''. It is worn over t ...

s, and on the 3^e RCP the

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

chapeau, a sign of friendship and fraternity in arms. The 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment (2^e RCP) was dissolved on 30 September 1946. Another 2^e RCP, not related to the SAS, was trained and entrusted with the regimental colours and the amaranth beret. At dissolution, troops were spread across the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment and the 1st Shock Airborne Infantry Regiment (1^er R.I.C.A.P), while the regimental colours were entrusted to the SAS Parachute Commando demi-brigade of Indochina. This commando demi-brigade went through the colonial

Troupes de marine The (TDM, ) is a corps of the French Army that includes several specialities: infantry, artillery, armoured, airborne, engineering, and transmissions (Signals). Despite its name, it forms part of the Army, not the Navy. Intended for amphibio ...

and later became the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, (1^er R.P.I.Ma), which kept the regimental colours,

decorations Decoration may refer to: * Decorative arts * A house painter and decorator's craft * An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc. * An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing Other ...

and traditions of the 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment/SAS.

Traditions

Motto

"Who dares wins" is the general motto of the SAS, translated in French to "Qui ose gagne".

Insignia

File:Insigne en tissu des Forces Française Libre..jpg, Para Chasseur Company of the Free French Forces (FFL). File:Ecusson des parachutites SAS de la France Libre.jpg, Free French Forces SAS, retained by the SAS paratroopers of Free France 1940–1945.

Regimental Colours

Battle honors

The regimental colors bear painted in golden letters the following inscriptions:Décision n°12350/SGA/DPMA/SHD/DAT du 14 septembre 2007 relative aux inscriptions de noms de batailles sur les drapeaux et étendards des corps de troupe de l'armée de terre, du service de santé des armées et du service des essences des armées, Bulletin officiel des armées, n°27, 9 novembre 2007 (Decision #12350/SGA/DPMA/SHD/DAT of September 14, 2007 on the inscription of battle names on flags and standards of Land Army troop units, Army Health Service and Army Essential Services, Official Army Bulletin No 27, published November 9, 2007) *

1942 *

1942 * Southern Tunisia 1943 *

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

1944-1945 *

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

in Belgium 1945 *

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

1945 *

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

1946-1954

Decorations

* Croix de la

Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

* Croix de Compagnon de la Libération * Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with six palms * Belgian

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

* Dutch Croix de Guerre *

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

(U.S.) Bears wearing : * Fourragere bearing the colors of the Légion d'honneur (with olive 1939–45) * Fourragère des T.O.E (Demi-brigade SAS Indochina) * Fourragère de Compagnon de la Libération since June 18, 1996 (received by the 1^er R.P.I.Ma - the heir)

Regimental Commanders

* Captain François Coulet: 1942 (1st Air Infantry Battalion, 1^er B.I.A) * Capitaine Lambert : 1943 (1st Air Infantry Battalion, 1^er B.I.A) * Chef de bataillon Pierre Fourcaud: July 1943 (1st Air Infantry Battalion, 1^er B.I.A) * Commandant Pierre-Louis Bourgoin: November 1943 (4th Air Infantry Battalion, 4^e B.I.A) * Commandant Pierre Puech-Samson: November 1944 (2^e R.C.P) * Lieutenant-colonel Jacques Pâris de Bollardière: 1 August 1945 (2^e R.C.P) * Colonel Reynier : 1945 (2^e R.C.P - non-SAS)

Notable members of the 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment

Lucien Neuwirth Lucien Neuwirth (18 May 1924 – 26 November 2013) was a French politician first elected to the National Assembly (France), French National Assembly in 1958. His namesake, the Neuwirth Law legalized birth control in France on 28 December 1967. ...

French député, known as "father of the Pill" for his proposed law on birth control enacted in 1967. Enlisted in the 4th air infantry battalion in 1943, he fought in Brittany then parachuted into Holland, where he miraculously escaped a firing squad. *Jacques Bouffartigue, French painter * Marcel Edme,

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

recipient who served as France's most senior military adviser to the

Togolese Armed Forces The Togolese Armed Forces (French: ''Forces Armées Togolaises'', FAT) is the national military of the Republic of Togo which consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie. The total military expenditure during the fiscal ye ...

References

Sources and bibliography

* Collectif, ''Histoire des parachutistes français'', Société de Production Littéraire, 1975. * ''Qui ose gagne (France-Belgique 1943-1945, les parachutistes du 2^e RCP / 4th SAS Service historique de l'armée de terre'', 1997, page 296, * ''Les Bérets Rouges'', Amicale des Anciens Parachutistes S.A.S., 1952, page 329 * Pierre Dufour, ''Chasseurs Parachutistes 1935-2005'', éditions Lavauzelle, 2005 - . * Roger Flamand, ''Paras de la France libre'', Éditions Presses de la Cité, 1976 - {{ISBN, 978-2-258-00036-0. * Olivier Porteau, ''L’Action combinée du 2e régiment de chasseurs parachutistes et de la Résistance bretonne dans le dispositif stratégique de l’opération Overlord'', in Patrick Harismendy et Erwan Le Gall (dir.), Pour une histoire de la France Libre, Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 2012, p. 107-123 * David Portier, ''Les Parachutistes SAS de la France Libre 1940-1945'', Éditions Nimrod, septembre 2010
''Esquisse d’un bilan réévalué de l’action des parachutistes français en Bretagne : mission militaire et/ou politique ? ''
Revue d'histoire contemporaine en Bretagne, n°2, été 2013, article en ligne * Serge Vaculik, ''Béret rouge - Scènes de la vie des commandos parachutistes S.A.S.'', Éditions Arthaud, 1952. * Franck Segrétain, ''Opération Amherst, avril 1945 le raid des 2^e et 3^e RCP sur les pays bas''. Revue ''Ligne de front'' n° 24, mai-juin 2010. ISSN 1953-0544

External links

Historique du 4^e SAS sur le site France libre

Site consacré aux parachutistes SAS de la France Libre 1940 - 1945

Defunct airborne units and formations of France Parachute regiments of France Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1946