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The French Air Force of the "Armistice" 1940 to 1942.
The clauses of the Armistice signed in June of 1940 provided that only a force strong enough to maintain order in France and in its colonies would remain. All other aerial material would be delivered to Germany, or stored disassembled. By the end of June 1940, many units had gone to North Africa where more than 630 planes were assembled:
13 Fighter groups equipped with Curtiss,
Devoitine-510s & 520s, and Morane-406s.
21 Bomber Groups equipped with Glenn-Martins, Douglas-DB7s, LeO-45s,
Amiot-351s, Farman-222s & 223s and LeO-257s.
5 Observation Groups equipped with Potez-63s, Bloch-174s and Glenn-Martins.
Other forces were stationed on all parts of the "French Empire":
Occidental Africa, Equatorial Africa, Middle-East, Madagascar and Indochina (Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia); they were
intact forces that had not participated in the French campaign, but of little importance. The "Armistice"
planes were distinguished by red and yellow strips on the engine cowling and on the fuselage rear..
All these units were forbidden to take-off to prevent their escape
to England. It took events, such as Britain's aggression against the French Fleet assembled in the Mers-el-Kebir
seaport Algeria on the 3rd of July 1940, to trigger the retaliation of the French Air and Navy Forces, followed
by reprisal raids on the Britain Air and Navy Forces based at Gibraltar.
As a result of those operations, the deadline date of September 15th 1940 for the Air Force's dissolution was deferred.
The Equatorial-French-Africa (Brazzaville) rallied to "Gaullistes" on August 26th 1940. In September
of 1940, Britains and the Free-French decided to topple the Occidental French Africa (Dakar) to their camp. The
General-Governor of A.O.F. (Boisson) opposed a clean refusal to De Gaulle's emissaries. A series of army and naval
operations ensued from September 23rd to the 26th in each camp, with a few blunders and without convincing effect.
The aerial units stationed in the Middle-East (Syria and Lebanon) were involved in battles resulting from a "coup
d'état" (plot) in Iraq in April of 1941. This plot caused the reinforcement of the existing British
and French forces. The battles between the two camps, (from May to July 1941), culminated in the St-Jean d'Acre's
armistice, and the French units, a force of about 280 planes seriously strained, folded back to France and to French
North Africa.
After this episode, the French Air Force found itself unable to resist any exterior aggression despite the concessions
agreed upon by the German-Italian armistice's commission. The reopening of the "Ecole de l'Air" (Air
Force Academy) in Salon-de-Provence, and other centers were ineffective because of poor implementation: lack of
qualified personnel, material and fuel.
The Force Aériennes Françaises Libres FAFL - The Free French Air Force.
On June 17th 1940, the first "exodus"
of 10 airmen took flight from Bordeaux-Merignac to England . Others rallied General De Gaulle from France and French
North Africa during the period of June 1940 to November 1942. From a strength of 500 on July 1940, the ranks of
the FAFL had grown to 900 by 1941, including 200 flyers . A total of 276 of these flyers were stationed in England,
and 604 were stationed on exterior theaters of operation. In succession, the command of those forces was assured
by Admiral Muselier, Captain Chevrier, and Colonel Valin. The majority of those forces were integrated with British
units and they participated in their operations.
The Anglo-American landing in North Africa in November of 1942 was the starting point for the rebirth of the French
Air Force, thanks to the assistance of the Allied . At the Anfa's Conference (Morocco), President Roosevelt had
made a commitment of 1,000 planes to the French Air Force (500 Fighters, 300 bombers, and 200 transports). It was
the participation from the American assistance, in addition to the one promised by W.Churchill.
As per plan N° VII, General Bouscat conducted the reorganization
of the French Air Force, incorporating all elements coming from ex Vichy-Army in North Africa, and the FAFL who
battled on the African and Middle-east theaters of operations. Those forces included about twenty various Groups
equipped mainly with Dewoitine 520s Fighters,
LeO-45s and Glenn-Martins Bombers, Bloch-175s Reconnaissance aircraft, and Amiots, Farmanns, and Potez-540s Transports.(15
ko)
The Americans took charge for equipping 18 Units:
6 Fighter Groups equipped with P-39 Airacobras and then P .63 Kingcobras (17 ko)
6 Fighter Groups equipped with P.47 Thunderbolts (17 ko)
6 Bomber Groups equipped with B.26 Marauders (18 ko)
To which were added:
1 Reconnaissance Group equipped with P.38 Lightnings(13 ko)
2 Transport Groups equipped with C.45 Beechcrafts and C.45 Dakotas. (20 ko)
From their side, the British had planned for 10 Units :
6 Fighter Groups equipped with Spitfires (17 ko)
1 Fighter Group in the USSR equipped with Yaks (18 ko)
1 Medium Bomber Group equipped with Bostons (16 ko)
2 Heavy Bomber Groups equipped with Halifax (26 ko)
This planning did not materialize entirely as if accomplished
by the touch of a fairy's wand, and it was often modified. Only one Group received its P-47 Thunderbolts in June
of 1944, and in November, the French Air Force only had 250 planes.
A few months later during 1944, 600 aircraft were on line manned with personnel who had received their training
in British and American flight schools, and were assigned as follows:
FAFL,
or coming from the French Air Force of the Armistice Air in England :
Fighter groups: "Alsace", "Ile de France", "Cigognes" and "Berry".
Bomber groups: "Lorraine", "Tunisie" and "Guyenne".
Coastguard groups: "Artois" and "Picardie".
Fighter group in USSR: "Normandie-Niemen".
In North Africa (AFN), Sicily, and Corsica, under American Command:
9 Fighter Groups: "Corse", "Provence", "Roussillon", "Champagne", "Navarre", "Lafayette", "Dauphine" and "Ardennes".
1 Reconnaissance Group: "Belfort"
6 Bomber Groups: "Bretagne", "Maroc" "Gascogne" - "Bourgogne", "Senegal" and "Franche-Comte".
1 Transport Group : "Anjou".All those units participated in operations in the French campaign from 1944 to 1945:
The Normandy landing, then the landing in Provence, and the liberation of the French territory until the German surrender on May 11th 1945.
P.S. If anyone find inaccuracies in this document, please do
not hesitate to inform me.
My sources were mainly the "Moniteur de l'Aeronautique", special edition of December 1979, and the Encyclopedia
MACH, Atlas Editions 1979.
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