CHAPTER SEVEN
The Allied landing in North Africa (Operation Torch) on 10 November 1942 had an important consequence for France: the Wehrmacht went over the Demarcation Line between the two French zones to occupy Southern France.
Although some French flyers escaped by air with their planes to Morocco, Algeria or Tunisia, the greater part of Aviation de l’Armistice was overwhelmed on the captured airfields. Around 1,900 planes were so captured. This impressive number must be weighted by the fact that fifty per cent of these aircraft were old, no longer in use or in depots. Around 150 MS 230s had to be scrapped, as did 200 Caudron Lucioles. But this time Germany had taken control of some plane factories, such as Ossun (MS 406) and Ambérieu (LeO 451).
A Fw 190 (probably of JG 2) has landed on an airfield in Southern France, base of a Bloch 152 unit.
At Montpellier airfield, German officers talk with French Bloch pilots, probably to prepare for the occupation of the area.
German administrative officers verify the condition of French planes in the dump near Montpellier airfield.
Around 1,900 French planes were captured in the ex-Zone non occupée. But, as one can see on this picture, many were only scraps.
As the Italian Army took part in the invasion of Southern France, and as Regia Aeronautica suffered heavily in Northern Africa, the captured planes had to be divided after very hard negotiations between the two Axis partners.
Lioreéé and Olivier factory of Ambeéérieu were seized in November 1942.
LeO 451s could prove valuable to the Luftwaffe.
· the bomber LeO 451 would soon interest the Luftwaffe, as German transport units were about to be decimated in the efforts to supply 6th Army at the Stalingrad and Tunisian bridgeheads. The LeO 451s were thus transformed into transport planes, becoming LeO 451 T (T for ‘Transport’), many being included in the newly created IV./TG 4. It was not a real success, but the addition of the LeOs in the Transportgeschwader helped to lighten the pressure on the TG. Italy was able to borrow some of these bombers.
The Morane Saulnier factory of Ossun was also captured by the Germans.
MS 406s were too old to be used in the Luftwaffe. Only a handful of planes were assigned to Flugschulen, while many planes were sold to Croatia or Finland.
Some Potez 63-11 were also captured and transferred to flying schools.
A Po 63 in Flugschule Pau.
The good fighter Dewoitine 520 had to be shared with the Italians. The majority of those ex-fighters entered the Luftwaffe. Here are some D.520s on Toulouse-Blagnac.
· thirty of the old but still effective Dewoitine 520s entered the Italian Airforce. The rest rejoined the other D.520s already in Flugschulen. Around fifty of these machines were sold to the Bulgarian Airforce, mainly to replace their obsolete Avia B-534s. One year later, in October 1943, Bulgarian D.520s fought against US bombers over the Balkans.
Flying instructors in front of a D.520 at Orange.
A D.520 before its ferry flight to Bulgaria. Along with dozens of other Dewoitine fighters, it will reinforce the Bulgarian Airforce.
Fliegerdenkmal of a pupil at Pau.
D.520 taking off from Pau airfield.
D.520 over the Pau area.
Bordeaux-Meéérignac. A line of Bloch 174s. Many French planes served in second line units as liaisons or hack machines.
· some Morane 406s were found in depots. They were already too old to be useful for the German war effort. They were reactivated in Ossun, sent to a few Flugschule or sold to the Croat and Finnish allies.
· around 170 Bloch fighters (152 and 155) were captured. Many had to be overhauled. They were mainly transferred to Flugschule or to Zielgeschwader (the ex-Luftdienst units).
A Bloch 155 in the Fluglehrerschule. This school, established at Orange, trained the candidate instructors.
Flying instructors of Fluglehrerschule Orange warming themselves in the Provence sun. In the background is a Bloch 155. Around twenty samples of this plane were captured in November 1942.
· more than fifty of the valuable NAA 57s were captured, and reinforced the Flugschulen . . .
· ... as did some Caudron C-445s still in use in the ex-Armeéée de l’Armistice.
Two mechanics posing on an NAA.
New NAAs were found in Southern France.
This good trainer will be appreciated in the flying schools.
A couple of NAAs in a Flugschule.
All the other valuable planes were posted to second line units, mainly as hack machines.
In 1943, German engineers tested Lateéécoeèère 299, whose prototype fell into their hands.
Lateéécoeèère 299 suffered an accident on Toulouse-Francazal airfield. One can see here the large size of the plane.
Lateéé 299 was repaired but never entered the Luftwaffe. This prototype will be destroyed in in its hangar in 1944 by Allied bombing.
