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95-458: During early 1917, the French designer Louis Béchereau , spurred by the approaching obsolescence of the S.VII, decided to develop two new fighter aircraft, the S.XII and the S.XIII, both using a powerful new geared version of the successful Hispano-Suiza 8 A engine. The cannon armament of the S.XII was unpopular, but the S.XIII proved to be one of the most capable fighters of the war, as well as one of

190-413: A fabric covering. It was however generally larger and heavier than its predecessor. Other changes were made to the ailerons , the rounded tips of the tailplanes, the bulkier cowling accommodating the gear-drive Hispano-Suiza 8B engine, and enlarged fin and rudder with a curved trailing edge. The S.XIII was armed with a pair of forward-mounted Vickers machine guns with 400 rounds per gun, which replaced

285-448: A gun synchronizer by the start of July 1915 , thus changing the way in which the air war was fought, as German and Allied fighter aircraft fought each other in the air, producing "ace" pilots. Some prominent French aces were René Fonck , who became the top-scoring Allied pilot of World War I with 75 enemy aircraft shot down, Georges Guynemer , who was killed after 54 victories, Charles Nungesser , who achieved 43 victories and survived

380-557: A 110 kW (150 hp) direct drive Hispano-Suiza 8 A water-cooled V-8 engine and armed with a single synchronised Vickers machine gun . The type had good performance for the time, and entered service with the French Aéronautique Militaire during August 1916. By early 1917, however, the S.VII had been surpassed by the latest German fighters such as the Albatros D.III . More capable German fighters soon resulted in

475-451: A SPAD flown by Guynemer, and Lewis in an SE5, "Their speeds were almost identical, but the high-compression Spad climbed quicker. After the race was over, Guynemeyer and I held a demonstration combat over the aerodrome. Again I was badly worsted. Guynemeyer was all over me. In his hands the Spad was a marvel of flexibility. In the first minute I should have been shot down a dozen times". The S.XIII

570-419: A bombing mission against the beaches at Safi, where more U.S. soldiers were landing, the next morning. One of the bombers was damaged and attempted to make a forced landing, only it exploded upon contact with the ground, killing the entire crew. Fighter unit GC I/5 lost four pilots in combat that day (9 November) and it was on that same day that Adjudant (Warrant Officer) Bressieux had the distinction of becoming

665-956: A budget under the Ministry of War ("Ministère de la Guerre"). On 3 August, Germany declared war against France. At the beginning of what eventually became known as First World War , the Aéronautique Militaire concentrated on reconnaissance with aircraft like the Blériot XI . On 8 October, though, the commander-in-chief, General Barès , proposed a massive expansion to 65 escadrilles. Furthermore, he proposed that four types of aircraft could be used for four different tasks: Morane-Saulnier Ls would be used as scouts, Voisin IIIs as bombers, Farman MF.11s as reconnaissance aircraft, and Caudron G.IIIs as artillery spotters. On October 5, 1914, Sergent Joseph Franz and his mechanic Caporal Louis Quénault became

760-506: A fighter aircraft until 1923, with Nieuport-Delage NiD 29 deliveries being delayed until 1920. The S.XIII was flown by numerous famous French fighter pilots such as Rene Fonck (the highest scoring Allied ace, with 75 victories), Georges Guynemer (54 victories), and Charles Nungesser (45 victories), and also by the leading Italian ace Francesco Baracca (34 victories). Aces of the United States Army Air Service who flew

855-401: A large portion of the credit for the S.XIII lies with Marc Birkigt, the designer of the engine, who had chosen to introduce various innovative features upon it, such as monobloc aluminium cylinders, which were furnished with screwed-in steel liners, which improved its performance. The SPAD S.XIII flew for the first time on 4 April 1917. An early distinguishing feature of the S.XIII – as with

950-555: A mixture of Nieuport 11s , 16s and 17s , when the SPAD S.XIII entered service, they would be redesignated S.124. The entry of the United States into the war resulted in most of their surviving personnel would be transferred to the U.S. Army Air Service (USAAS) in February 1918. The unit's leading ace was French-born American Raoul Lufbery , who shot down 16 enemy aircraft (all but one with

1045-556: A more powerful fighter, in a C1 ( Chasseur single-seat) specification. SPAD responded by fitting the 220 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Fb in the SPAD XIII airframe. The structure was strengthened and improved aero-dynamically, retaining the dimensions of the SPAD XIII. Twenty SPAD XVII fighters were built and issued to units with GC 12 ( Les Cigones ). Deliveries to the Armée de l'Air commenced During May 1917, only one month following

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1140-721: A number of trial flights with the Ader Éole or Avion. In 1903 a nephew of Clément Ader in Levallois created the Société de Construction d'Appareils Aériens . In 1909 a client of the firm, Armand Deperdussin , had ordered the construction of an aeroplane that was exhibited in the windows of the Bon Marché store in Paris. In 1910 Deperdussin founded the Société de Production des Aéroplanes Deperdussin ( SPAD ) and appointed Béchereau as chief engineer. From

1235-507: A parallel of what had happened to Germany's air force in 1919. However, Vichy's air force was spared (for the moment) from non-existence owing to the consequences of an event which would damage, if not completely change, the relationship between occupied France and free Britain. Winston Churchill had no intention of allowing the French Navy's capital ships to remain intact so long as there was any chance of them essentially becoming adjuncts of

1330-821: A reduced army and navy, both of which would be only strong enough to maintain order in France and in its colonies. (It is of interest to note that France was allowed to keep her colonies, whereas Germany had been forced to cede all of hers under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, signed in June 1919.) Germany ordered that, with regard to the warplanes that had survived the Battle of France, including those now stationed in Tunisia , Algeria and Morocco , they were to be surrendered, either in whole or else already disassembled, if not destroyed altogether – again

1425-723: A shift in aerial supremacy towards the Central Powers , which led to calls for better aircraft. French flying ace Georges Guynemer personally lobbied for an improved S.VII, telling the SPAD's designer Louis Béchereau that "The 150 hp SPAD is not a match for the Halberstadt ... More speed is needed." A quick solution to the problem was to increase the compression ratio of the Hispano-Suiza engine, which increased its power to 130 kW (170 hp) to significantly improve performance, allowing

1520-553: A victory for the Allies, even though it was fair to say that the French had no choice but to engage the Americans, otherwise the Americans would (and did) engage them since they were technically enemies. As a result, 12 air force and 11 navy pilots lost their lives in the final four days of combat between (Vichy) France and the Allies during World War II. Barely two weeks later, the Germans invaded

1615-636: The Arts et Métiers in Angers in 1896, and finished his studies in 1901. Before joining the army he took part in a model-making competition organized by L'Auto , taking first prize for a model subsequently manufactured for sale in Parisian department stores. Demobilised in 1902, Béchereau joined a mechanical construction factory in Bezons where he took part in the development of a prototype car designed by Clément Ader . He took

1710-775: The Kriegsmarine (German navy). The last thing he wanted was for the Kriegsmarine to bolstered enough to attempt an invasion of Britain. He implemented the plan – codenamed " Operation Catapult " – for a British fleet, coded " Force H " and based in Gibraltar , to sail to the harbour of Mers-el-Kébir , near Oran in Algeria , where four capital ships and other vessels were stationed, in order to persuade Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul to disobey orders from Vichy and have his vessels sail either to British waters or else to those of French colonies in

1805-687: The Société des Avions Bernard (also known as Société des trois B ) with Bernard and Marc Birkigt . He also collaborated with the Salmson motor company and, in 1931, joined the carriage-builder Georges Kellner to create the Kellner-Béchereau company. On the eve of the Second World War , he conceived a monoplane, the K.B.E 60 , for the French Navy ; its development was frustrated by events. The factory

1900-568: The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) and front-line pilots in France became responsible for ferrying new aircraft from factories to the squadrons, temporarily depleting front-line strength. On 10 May 1940, the Germans had more aircraft and many aircrews were veterans of the war in Spain. French inter-service rivalry led a Potez reconnaissance aircraft crew, which had spotted a huge concentration of Panzers and supporting infantry units concealed in

1995-589: The Ardennes forests two days after the start of the invasion, not being believed by the army commanders who refused to act on what they called air force scaremongering. The Armée de l'Air was beset by obsolete strategy, tactics, aircraft, weapons and even in communications, and the lack of equipment owing to "technical problems." Both became apparent when the Germans advanced swiftly through France and Belgium. On 11 May, nearly 20 French bombers and over 30 British fighter escorts were shot down attacking German crossings over

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2090-417: The Aéronautique Militaire were deemed flying aces for having scored five or more air-to-air victories. The end of war may have brought peace to France, yet the country itself and its infrastructure had been ravaged by four years of warfare, and the scars left behind were not just physical. As a result, it took some time for industry to recover. Not unexpectedly, orders for military aeroplanes dropped after

2185-571: The Dewoitine D.500 and orders to construct more than 2,500 modern machines, among them the Bloch MB.170 bomber and the Dewoitine D.520 fighter resulted. The inadequacy of the French aeronautical programs, as well as indecision in high command resulted in the French Air Force being in a position of weakness, confronting a modern and well organized Luftwaffe , which had just gained combat experience in

2280-764: The French Air Force in its native language since it was made independent of the Army in 1933. This article deals exclusively with the history of the French air force from its earliest beginnings until its destruction after the occupation of France. French naval aviation, the Aéronautique Navale is covered elsewhere. During the first decade of the 20th century France was at the forefront of aviation progress, with pioneers such as Louis Blériot , Henri Farman , Gabriel Voisin , Édouard Nieuport , Gustave Delage and Louis Béchereau and this led to early interest in aircraft by

2375-642: The Nieuport 27 which could be landed with power off. The geared engines proved to be unreliable, suffering from vibration and poor lubrication. This severely affected serviceability, with it being claimed in November 1917 that the Spad S.XIII was "incapable of giving dependable service". Even in April 1918, an official report stated that two-thirds of the 150 kW (200 hp) SPADs were out of use at any one time due to engine problems. At least one American observer believed at

2470-471: The SPAD S.XIII . During the First World War , when Georges Guynemer received his first SPAD S.VII equipped with a Hispano-Suiza engine on 27 August 1916, he wrote to Louis Béchereau the next day praising the wonders of this new aeroplane. The air combat ace Guynemer thereafter had a long technical correspondence with Béchereau who he called the "ace of constructors" (" l’as des constructeurs "). It

2565-528: The Spanish Civil War . France attempted to respond to the likelihood of another European war via an intensive re-equipment and modernization program in 1938–39, as did other countries desperately in need of new aircraft including Poland whose 1939 orders of 160 MS-406 fighters from France still hadn't been delivered by the German invasion of Poland . Germany production outstripped that of its neighbours, so it

2660-471: The Établissement Militaire d'Aviation (EMA) was created to conduct experiments with aircraft and on 22 October 1910 the Aéronautique Militaire was formed as a branch of the Army under the command of General Pierre Roques , although they would have to wait until mid-1911 the first military aviation brevets to be awarded to army pilots and 29 March 1912 for the law officially establishing the Aéronautique Militaire to be passed. Training of military pilots

2755-534: The 1930s, the French aeronautical industry was primarily composed of small companies such as Latécoère , Morane-Saulnier , Nieuport-Delage and Amiot , each only producing small numbers of aircraft. As a result, the French aeronautical industry proved itself incapable of delivering the aircraft that the annual fiscal budgets had called for which had been greatly increased as a result of Hitler coming to power in January 1933 and his remilitarization of Germany in defiance of

2850-587: The Allied forces, in which the Vichy French air force took part, took place during Operation Torch , launched on 8 November 1942 as the Allied invasion of North Africa . Facing the U.S. Navy task force headed for Morocco , consisting of the carriers Ranger , Sangamon , Santee and Suwannee , were, in part, Vichy squadrons based at Marrakech , Meknès , Agadir , Casablanca and Rabat , which between them could muster some 86 fighters and 78 bombers. Overall,

2945-477: The Allies and the Treaty of Versailles . Pierre Cot, the secretary of the French Air Force, decreed that national security was too important for the production of warplanes to be left in the hands of the private enterprises that were thus far failing to meet production goals. In July 1936 the French government began nationalizing many of the larger aircraft companies, creating six state-owned companies, which encompassed

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3040-637: The Armistice, resulting in reductions being made to squadron strengths. France had a Colonial empire extending around the globe, and it needed to be defended. Anti-Government elements in French Morocco were clamouring to expel the French. On 27 April 1925, therefore, alongside tactical and logistical support, air operations in Morocco were begun owing to the Rif War and they were to continue until December 1934. In

3135-476: The Armistice. Prior to the United States entry into the war, American volunteers flying with the Allies had been flying the type. Nearly half of the 893 purchased by the United States were still in service by 1920. In the United States, some S.XIIIs were re-engined with 130 kW (170 hp) Wright-Hispano engines and used to prepare pilots for the new Thomas-Morse MB-3 fighter (which used SPAD-type wings) in 1922. The Wright-Hispano engines were unable to matching

3230-535: The Army, much later than for the United Kingdom, but some 14 years earlier than that of the United States. At the start of the First World War ("La Première Guerre mondiale"), France led the world in an aircraft design and by mid-1912 the Aéronautique Militaire had five squadrons ("escadrilles"). This had grown to 132 machines and 21 escadrilles by 1914, the same year when, on 21 February, it formally received

3325-434: The Battle of France are still debated, although it is reasonable to suggest that the French did inflict considerable losses on the Germans. General Albert Kesselring reflected that Luftwaffe effectiveness had been reduced to almost 30 percent of what it had been before the invasion of France. The armistice of 22 June 1940 did not necessarily mean the end of the war for French pilots, those who escaped from France fought on in

3420-602: The British from April 1941, when a coup d'état in Iraq briefly installed the nationalist Rashid Ali Al-Gaylani as prime minister in order to secure the vital oil supplies at Kirkuk (under British control since 1934) in northeastern Iraq for the pro- Axis nationalists who wanted the British to be expelled from the country. However, the RAF base at Habbaniya withstood the nationalists, and in May

3515-552: The British, Indian and Commonwealth " Iraqforce " invaded Iraq via Basra . The ensuing Anglo-Iraqi War ended with Iraqforce defeating the nationalists at the end of May and restoring a pro-Allied government in Iraq. Allied operations during the Anglo-Iraqi War included attacks on Vichy air force bases in Lebanon and Syria , which served as staging posts for Regia Aeronautica and Luftwaffe units flying to Mosul to support

3610-473: The Escadrille) prior to his death in action on 19 May 1918. Other American volunteer pilots, including the first black fighter pilot, Eugene Bullard , flew with regular French Aéronautique Militaire escadrilles . By April 1917, the Aéronautique Militaire had 2,870 aircraft with 60 fighter and 20 bomber squadrons and 400 observation aircraft, yet, by October, an even more radical expansion to over 300 squadrons

3705-468: The Far East or even to the (still neutral) USA with a view to preventing them from being used against the Allies. The overture was soundly rejected, so Royal Navy Admiral James Somerville gave the orders to destroy the French vessels. More than 2,000 sailors allegedly died in the attack, carried out on 3 July 1940, which saw one battleship sunk and two others severely damaged. The incident predictably stunned

3800-648: The First World War General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Louis B%C3%A9chereau Louis Béchereau (July 25, 1880 in Plou, Cher – March 18, 1970 in Paris ) was a French aeronautical engineer and pioneer of French aviation . After having attended the École nationale professionnelle in Vierzon , Béchereau went to

3895-589: The First World War. At the end of the war, plans were underway to replace the S.XIII with several fighter types powered by the 220 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8F, such as the Nieuport-Delage NiD 29 , the SPAD S.XX and the Sopwith Dolphin II. These plans lapsed following the signing of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 , which ended the First World War and the SPAD S.XIII remained in French service as

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3990-492: The French and gave the Germans a golden propaganda tool to discredit the British as France's real enemies. Vichy and Berlin agreed, if reluctantly, that the Armée de l'Air de Vichy (as it is termed) was still needed in case French interests were to be attacked by the British once again – and, of course, for attacking the British themselves. Goering ordered that all Armée de l'Air aircraft would now be identified by special markings on

4085-728: The French fighter pilots totaled seven confirmed and three probable, yet their losses were considered heavy – five pilots killed, four wounded and 13 aircraft destroyed either in combat or on the ground – when one considers that GC II/5, based in Casablanca, had lost only two pilots killed during the whole of the six-week campaign in France two years before. In the meantime, Wildcats of U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron VF-41 from Ranger strafed and destroyed three U.S.-built Douglas DB-7 bombers of GB I/32, which were being refueled and rearmed at Casablanca, leaving three others undamaged. Nevertheless, having been reinforced by two other bombers, GB I/32 carried out

4180-598: The Iraqi nationalist coup . Then in June 1941 British, Commonwealth, Empire and Free French forces invaded Syria and Lebanon . Vichy French air units, some of which were equipped with Dewoitine D.520 fighters and US-built Martin Maryland bombers had initial air superiority, but the Allied invaders inflicted heavy casualties on Vichy air and ground forces. By mid-July the Allied invasion was victorious and put Syria and Lebanon under Free French control. The last major battles against

4275-512: The Meuse river. French fighter and bomber strength was rapidly depleted in May as Luftwaffe fighters and Flak shot down aircraft, which attacked the advancing Germans. Squadrons were often out of contact with any French army units that they were supposedly supporting, partly to the poor coordination of communication between the army and the air force and partly to the outdated, unreliable army communications equipment being used. As it became clear that

4370-689: The Royal Air Force, ultimately the Free French Forces ( Forces Françaises Libres ) and the Armée de l'Air under RAF Bomber Command and those who remained flew for the French Armistice Air Force on behalf of the Vichy government. In a parallel of what had happened to Germany after World War I, the French government, now with its seat moved to Vichy , was forced by the Germans to accept its terms for

4465-400: The S.XIII include Eddie Rickenbacker (the United States' leading First World War ace with 26 victories) and Frank Luke (18 victories). Andrews attributes the S.XIII's natural stability, which made it a steady gun platform, as the key for its success. Other Allied forces were quick to adopt the new fighter as well and the SPAD XIII equipped 15 of the 16 operational USAAS pursuit squadrons by

4560-415: The SPAD S.VII to remain competitive for the time being. Hispano-Suiza were already in the process of developing a more powerful geared version of the 8A engine, and this engine was chosen by Béchereau to power two developed versions of the S.VII. The British Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a and Sopwith Dolphin fighters would also be powered by the same engine. The first of Béchereau's designs to fly with

4655-480: The SPAD S.XII – was that its similarly geared HS.8Be V8 engine had a left-handed propeller, which rotating in the opposite rotation to the earlier, direct-drive HS.8A-powered S.VII. Early on, similarly to the British Sopwith Dolphin also powered with HS.8B-series geared V8s, problems were encountered with the gearing, however, Béchereau persisted with the engine, which soon became fairly reliable. Production

4750-529: The U.S. Navy Wildcats. Médiouna was attacked once again and several of the fighters were left burning, while two reconnaissance Potez were shot down, one by an F4F Wildcat and the other by an SBD Dauntless over the airfield at Chichaoua, where three Wildcats would later destroy four more Potez in a strafing attack. Ultimately, the presence of Vichy France in North Africa as an ally of the Germans came to an end on Armistice Day, 11 November 1942, when General Noguès,

4845-519: The Vichy air force saw action again when the British tried to take Dakar , the capital of Senegal , after a failed attempt (as at Mers-el-Kébir) to persuade the French to join the Allied cause against the Axis. This time, however, the French managed to repulse the British torpedo-bomber attacks launched from the carrier HMS Ark Royal during several days of fighting with only light casualties on their side. Syrian-based Vichy air force units saw action against

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4940-416: The aforementioned state of chaos with regard to preparing France for war was still evident when some GC II/4 pilots were shocked to discover that new Curtiss H-75A-3s being prepared at Châteaudun had vital equipment missing – including radios. On 16 June, GC II/4 lost its second commanding officer in nine months when Commandant (Major) Borne took off on a reconnaissance sortie near Châtillon-sur-Seine and

5035-488: The aircraft may have been old compared to the Grumman F4F Wildcats of the U.S. Navy, yet they were still dangerous and capable in the hands of combat veterans who had seen action against both the Germans and the British since the start of the war. Wildcats attacked the airfield at Rabat-Salé around 07.30 on the 8th and destroyed nine LeO 451 bombers of GB I/22, while a transport unit's full complement of various types

5130-420: The airfoil. The upper wing was fitted with ailerons, which were actuated by the pilot via a series of tubular pushrods which ran vertical directly beneath the ailerons, with external, 90° bellcranks mounted on top of the lower wings. The lower wing had spruce leading edges and wire-cable trailing edges , while the surfaces were fabric-covered and treated with aircraft dope to produce a scalloped effect. While

5225-440: The arrival of Sopwith Dolphins . It proved popular with its pilots and numerous aces from various nations flew the S.XIII. Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918 , which marked the end of the First World War, surplus S.XIIIs were sold to both civil and military operators throughout the world. The origins of the SPAD S.XIII lies in the performance of its predecessor, the SPAD S.VII , a single-seat fighter aircraft powered by

5320-519: The beginning, Béchereau conceived the idea of monocoque fuselages, which would allow hitherto unthinkable levels of performance. His direct collaborators, Louis Janoir , chief pilot, and André Herbemont , were also graduates of the Arts et Métiers. Béchereau's revolutionary concept allowed the Deperdussin firm to win many prizes, including the famous Gordon Bennett Trophy in 1912 with Jules Védrines at

5415-453: The commander-in-chief of the Vichy armed forces, requested a ceasefire; that did not stop a unit of U.S. Navy aircraft from attacking the airfield at Marrakech and destroying several French aircraft, apparently on the initiative of the unit's commander. Once the ceasefire request was accepted, the war between the Allies and the Vichy French came to an end, after two and a half years of what was termed "fratricidal" fighting. Torch had resulted in

5510-464: The controls (first flight to achieve 100 mph), and again in 1913 with Maurice Prevost at the controls. In 1911, one of his collaborators was Dutch aviation pioneer Frederick Koolhoven . Following a financial scandal involving the company's founder, Louis Blériot took over the company in 1914 and renamed it Société Pour l'Aviation et ses Dérivés , keeping the initials SPAD. Béchereau remained chief designer and developed numerous models, including

5605-413: The day of the German invasion, Luftwaffe aircraft attacked the air base at Xaffévilliers, destroying six Hawks. By 15 May, GC II/4 was down to seven operational aircraft, which shot down a Heinkel He 111 bomber, four Bf 109s and possibly a Henschel Hs 126 observation aircraft for no loss. The good luck continued for GC II/4 when four enemy aircraft were destroyed the next day for no loss. Unfortunately,

5700-517: The entire revised Armée de L’Air organisational structure was short-lived. When the war began the Armée de l'Air suffered from disorganisation in government, armed forces and industry which had led to only 826 fighters and 250 bombers to be anything like combat-ready. Many more aircraft were not ready because of shortages of equipment and components, machine-guns had not been calibrated and some bombers lacked bomb-sights when they were delivered to squadrons. The French had no comparable organisation to

5795-406: The first to shoot down another aircraft when they downed a German Aviatik . However, air fighting was revolutionized when a reconnaissance pilot, Roland Garros , mounted a Hotchkiss machine gun on the cowling of his Morane-Saulnier L with a mechanical interrupter mechanism. The inconsistent firing rate of the Hotchkiss prevented the mechanism from working properly and he added deflector wedges to

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5890-409: The forward Vickers machine guns were standard, they were not always available. As a result of a shortage during the last months of the war, several American S.XIII squadrons replaced Vickers .303 machine guns with the lighter 11.34 kg (25.0 lb) .30/06-calibre Marlin Rockwell M1917 and M1918 aircraft machine guns , saving some 7 kg (15 lb) over the Vickers' 30 kg (66 lb), for

5985-421: The fuselage and tailplane of each one. Initially, the rear fuselage and tailplane (excluding the rudder) were painted a bright yellow, but the markings were later changed so that they consisted of horizontally-oriented red and yellow stripes. In all cases, French national markings (roundel on the fuselage and tricolor on the tailplane) were retained as before. Nearly three months afterwards, on 23 September 1940,

6080-412: The growth of jobs in the French defense industry. In any case, the American aviation industry was too small and too committed to orders from American forces to be of any help. Inevitably, the French industrial response fell far behind the German threat. The British aircraft industry was working all out to rearm British forces. A re-organisation of the air force took place during September 1939. Prior to

6175-399: The guns alone. By the end of the war, about half of American S.XIIIs had been converted. The powerplant of the S.XIII was a geared Hispano-Suiza engine, at first a 8Ba providing 150 kW (200 hp), but in later aircraft a high-compression 8Bc or 8Be delivering 160 kW (210 hp) was often used. These improvements produced a notable improvement in flight and combat performance. It

6270-401: The last pilot in the Vichy French air force to claim a combat victory, in this case a Wildcat of VF-9. Shortly afterwards, 13 Wildcats attacked the airfield at Médiouna and destroyed a total of 11 French aircraft, including six from GC II/5. On the morning of 10 November 1942, the Vichy French air force units in Morocco had a mere 37 combat-ready fighters and 40 bombers left to face the might of

6365-420: The majority of aeronautical production, and regrouping those companies to their geographical regions. Bloch was nationalized in January 1937. However, the aircraft engine industry, even as it proved incapable of providing the badly needed powerful engines, escaped nationalization. By 1937, it was clear that more modern aircraft were needed, since the air force was still flying relatively antiquated aircraft like

6460-415: The military. The French defeat during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 was still very fresh, and France expected to face Germany again. From December 1909, the French Department of War began to send individuals from all branches of the army, especially engineering and artillery, to undergo flying training at civilian schools as "pupil-pilots" ( élèves-pilotes ) such as at Reims and Bron. In March 1910,

6555-414: The most-produced, with 8,472 built and orders for around 10,000 more cancelled at the Armistice . By the end of the First World War, the S.XIII had equipped virtually every fighter squadron of the Aéronautique Militaire . In addition, the United States Army Air Service also procured the type in bulk during the conflict, and some replaced or supplemented S.VIIs in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), pending

6650-480: The new, reduction gear HS.8B engine design series was the S.XII in its HS.8BeC (or "HS-38") version, which was armed with an unusual 37 mm (1.457 in) cannon that fired through the propeller shaft. However, this aircraft only saw limited use, having been rapidly followed into production by the more conventionally armed S.XIII, which was deemed to be a preferable configuration by several French pilots and officials. Aviation author C.F. Andrews has claimed that

6745-512: The performance of the original powerplant. During December 1917, No.23 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (RFC) equipped with the SPAD S.XIII and retaining them until April 1918 when it re-equipped with the Dolphin, while No. 19 Squadron (equipped with the earlier S.VII) also operated at least one S.XIII for a time. The type was used as an interim fighter while awaiting delivery of British-built aircraft. In his memoir Sagittarius Rising, Cecil Lewis described an aerial competition between himself and

6840-416: The rear of the propeller blades, so that the wooden propeller would not be shot to pieces whenever he opened fire on German aircraft. With this setup, Garros became the world's first fighter pilot, but he was captured shortly afterwards when his engine failed. Independently, Anthony Fokker succeeded when he fitted a Fokker M.5K Eindecker (monoplane) with a Parabellum MG14 machine gun equipped with

6935-548: The reconnaissance aircraft to track German movements, Charles de Tricornot de Rose grouped the new Nieuport 11 fighters into dedicated fighter units, so they could operate together more effectively. This so revolutionized air combat that the Germans were forced to follow suit shortly thereafter. During this period the Lafayette Escadrille (designated N.124) was formed around a group of mainly American volunteers while their parent country remained neutral. Initially operating

7030-411: The reshuffle, the basic unit structure consisted of two Escadrilles ( Squadron ) forming a Groupe , extending to multiple Groupes (normally two or more), forming an Escadre . Following the re-organisation an 'Escadre' became a ' Groupement ' Groupement de Bombardement No.6 formed a part of the bomber contingent of Zone D'Opérations Aériennes Nord or ZOAN [lit. trans. 'Air Operations North']. ZOAN

7125-694: The single gun of the earlier aircraft. The S.XIII featured relatively conventional construction, that being a wire-braced biplane with a box-shaped fuselage and a nose-mounted engine, except for its interposed wing struts located halfway along the wing span, which gave the fighter the appearance of being a double-bay aircraft instead of a single-bay. This change prevented the landing brace wires from whipping and chafing during flight. Otherwise, it had an orthodox structure, comprising wooden members attached to metal joint fixtures. The fuselage consisted of four square-section longerons , with wooden struts and cross-members while braced with heavy-gauge piano wire . Wire cable

7220-535: The start of the war. It flew US-built Curtiss H-75A Hawk fighters, with which the unit claimed the first two French air victories on 8 September 1939, two Bf 109s of I/JG 53. Just 17 days later, it lost its commanding officer, Captain Claude, in combat, yet the pilots were especially shocked to discover that his body had been discovered with two bullets in the head, suggesting that a German pilot may have murdered him after bailing out of his aeroplane. At dawn on 10 May 1940,

7315-518: The time that the French were giving the US SPAD XIII squadrons lower-quality engines from their least favored manufacturers while keeping the best for themselves. The reliability issues were an acceptable price to pay for improved performance, however, improved build quality and changes to the engine improved serviceability. At the beginning of 1918 the Aviation Militaire issued a requirement for

7410-464: The type's first flight. The new aircraft quickly became an important element in the French plans for its fighter force, being expected to replace the SPAD S.VII as well as remaining Nieuport fighters in front line service. However the slow rate of deliveries disrupted these forecasts and by the end of March 1918, only 764 of the planned 2,230 had been delivered. Eventually, the S.XIII equipped nearly every French fighter squadron, 74 escadrilles , during

7505-410: The upper wing. The circular nose radiator incorporated vertical Venetian -style blinds to regulate engine temperatures. The upper wing was made in one piece, with hollow box-section short spars which connected with linen -wrapped scarf joints , Andrews claims that long runs of spruce were difficult to obtain. Plywood webs and spruce capping strips, which were internally braced with piano wire formed

7600-575: The war was lost for France, the high command ordered what remained of the Armée de l’Air to French colonies in North Africa to continue the fight, such that Armée de l’Air units were stationed at places like Alger-Maison-Blanche and Oran in Algeria and Meknes and Rayack in Morocco. The Vichy government ordered the dissolution of many of the air force squadrons, including the fighter unit designated GC II/4, nicknamed Les Petits Poucets . GC II/4 had been formed at Rheims in May 1939, then moved to Xaffévilliers by

7695-463: The war, and Georges Madon who had 41 victories. Prior to 1916, escadrilles operated a variety of different types of aircraft together to accomplish specific assigned tasks with the first fighters being distributed piecemeal to each escadrille. This type of organization was common at the time. In 1916, as a result of their failure to achieve aerial supremacy over the Battle of Verdun and the inability of

7790-586: The world's first "air force" using aircraft, the German army began training airmen on 4 July 1910 but didn't create an official formation until 1 April 1911 when it formed the königlich-preußische Fliegertruppe . The British Air Battalion Royal Engineers (a precursor to the Royal Flying Corps ), was formed on 1 April 1911. The Armée de l'Air was renamed in August 1933 when it gained operational independence from

7885-640: Was Guynemer who later presented Béchereau with the medal of the Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur on 12 July 1917 in the SPAD works, in the presence of the Minister of War. (Citation: " Vous avez donné la suprématie aérienne à votre pays, et vous aurez une grande part dans la victoire. C'est un splendide titre de gloire. C'est avec le sentiment de l'admiration et de la grande reconnaissance que nous vous devons tous, que je vous donne l'accolade. ") Béchereau left SPAD to create

7980-556: Was a question of "too little, too late" as far as the French – as well as the whole continent of Europe – were concerned. An attempt was made to purchase the latest American bombers and fighters – or at least fighter planes. American planes were 50% more expensive than French models, and no superior models were for sale. U.S. law required cash purchases, and the French finance ministry opposed using its gold reserves for this purpose. French labor unions refused to lengthen its 40-hour week, and were strongly opposed to imports that would reverse

8075-512: Was almost entirely wiped out. At Casablanca, Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bombers succeeded in damaging the French battleship Jean Bart , and Wildcats strafed the bombers of GB I/32 at Camp Cazes airfield, some of which exploded as they were ready for take-off with bombs already on board, thus ensuring their mission never went ahead. The U.S. Navy did not have it all their own way, though, as several Wildcat pilots were shot down and taken prisoner. The day's victory tally of enemy aircraft shot down by

8170-607: Was also acquired by Italy for the Corpo Aeronautico Militare . Italian pilots expressed a preference for another French-built fighter, the Hanriot HD.1 , which was more maneuverable but less powerful. Belgium also operated the S.XIII and one Belgian ace, Edmond Thieffry, came to prominence while piloting the type. After the end of the war, the S.XIII was also exported, including to Japan, Poland and Czechoslovakia . Aéronautique Militaire Data from French Aircraft of

8265-566: Was destroyed by bombing in 1942 and the Kellner-Béchereau company was then merged into Morane-Saulnier . Béchereau remained a director until his retirement in 1950. Article by Frédéric Champlon in Arts et Métiers magazine, April 2003 (see external links). History of the Arm%C3%A9e de l%27Air (1909%E2%80%931942) The Armée de l'Air (literally, 'army of the air') is the name used for

8360-533: Was faster than its main contemporaries, the British Sopwith Camel and the German Fokker D.VII, and its higher power-to-weight ratio gave it a good rate of climb. The SPAD was renowned for its speed and strength in a dive, although the maneuverability of the type was relatively poor and the aircraft was difficult to control at low speeds, needing to be landed with power on, unlike contemporary fighters like

8455-538: Was one of four geographically distinct areas of command. The others, comprising; Zone D'Opérations Aériennes Sud ZOAS , Zone D'Opérations Aériennes Est ZOAE and Zone D'Opérations Aériennes Alps ZOAA , were responsible for the Southern, Eastern and Alpine regions of the French mainland respectively. The national divisions these areas represented were drawn up to correspond to the boundaries of defence responsibility for French army groups. Zone D'Opérations Aériennes Nord

8550-654: Was proposed. By May 1918, over 600 fighters and bombers came under the command of the Division Aérienne . Two months later, long-range reconnaissance squadrons had been formed. At the armistice, the Aéronautique Militaire had some 3,222 front-line combat aircraft on the Western Front , making it the world's largest air force. During the war the Aéronautique Militaire claimed 2,049 enemy aircraft and 357 balloons destroyed, for some 3,500 killed in action, 3,000 wounded/missing and 2,000 killed in accidents. Some 182 pilots of

8645-482: Was ramped up almost immediately after the first flight. Within months of its first flight, the S.XIII had not only entered service with the Aéronautique Militaire but had proven itself to be a successful fighter. The SPAD S.XIII was a single-engine biplane fighter aircraft. In terms of its construction, it shared a similar configuration and layout to the earlier S.VII, featuring a mainly wooden structure with

8740-466: Was responsible for the air cover and protection of the most Northern regions of France. Two units of bomber squadrons fell within the command of Groupement de Bombardement No.6; Groupe de Bombardement I/12 and Groupe de Bombardement II/12. The Officer Commanding Groupement de Bombardement No.6 was Colonel Lefort. Headquarters were at Soissons in the Picardy Region of north-east France. The existence of

8835-489: Was shot down by three Bf 109s. The next day, nine unserviceable Curtisses were set on fire by ground crews at Dun-sur-Auron before 23 remaining were flown to Meknès in Morocco. GC II/4 was disbanded on 25 August 1940, having been credited with 14 aircraft shot down during the Drôle de guerre and another 37 after the invasion, for the loss of eight pilots killed, seven wounded and one taken prisoner. Figures for aircraft losses during

8930-635: Was the same as civilian pilots until 1910 when the General Staff introduced the military pilot license. Military pilot badge N°1 was issued to Lieutenant Charles de Tricornot de Rose following training at the Blériot Flying School in Pau , in southwest of France , where the Wright Brothers had established the first aviation school the year before. Shortly after the Aéronautique Militaire became be

9025-415: Was used for the flying and landing wires. To enable a two-hour endurance, the S.XIII was fitted with several underbelly fuel tanks held within the forward fuselage area which fed into the main service tank in the upper wing center section with an engine-driven pump. Similar pumps were used for supplying pressurised oil and water circulation between the engine's radiator and a header tank was housed within

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