Escadrille N73
''Escadrille 73'' of the French Air Force originated at Corcieux on 23 May 1915 as Detachment N 49 during the World War I. History It was initially assigned to the ''VII Armee'' front. On 1 April 1916, it was renamed Detachment Nieuport de Corcieux. On 18 April 1916, it was redesignated, this time as Detachment N73. It became ''Escadrille N73'' on 4 July 1916. On 1 November 1916, it was one of the units gathered into '' Groupe de Combat 12'', along with '' Escadrille N3'', '' Escadrille N26'', and '' Escadrille N103''. The unit became ''Escadrille Spa73'' when it re-equipped with Spad VIIs in January 1917.Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 96. The ''escadrille'' left ''GC 12'' on 18 January 1918, being replaced by '' Escadrille SPA.67''.Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 95. On 4 October 1918, ''Escadrille Spa73'' was cited in orders as having downed 30 enemy aircraft and an observation balloon. Commanding officers * Lieutenant Pierre Bouny * Lieutenant Honore Lareinty-Tholozan: Killed in flying ac ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Roundel Of The French Air Force Before 1945
A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of different colours. Other symbols also often use round shapes. Heraldry In heraldry, a ''roundel'' is a circular charge. ''Roundels'' are among the oldest charges used in coats of arms, dating from at least the twelfth century. Roundels in British heraldry have different names depending on their tincture. Thus, while a roundel may be blazoned by its tincture, e.g., ''a roundel vert'' (literally "a roundel green"), it is more often described by a single word, in this case ''pomme'' (literally "apple", from the French) or, from the same origins, ''pomeis''—as in "Vert; on a cross Or five pomeis". One special example of a named roundel is the fountain, depicted as ''a roundel barry wavy argent and azure'', that is, containing alternating horizo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Spad VII
The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugged aircraft with good climbing and diving characteristics. It was also a stable gun platform, although pilots used to the more manoeuvrable Nieuport fighters found it heavy on the controls. It was flown by a number of the famous aces, such as France's Georges Guynemer, Italy's Francesco Baracca and Australia's Alexander Pentland. Design and development Origins Performance in early aircraft designs was largely dependent on engines. In February 1915, Swiss designer Marc Birkigt had created an overhead cam aviation powerplant based on his Hispano-Suiza V8 automobile engine, resulting in a 330 lb engine capable of producing 140 hp at 1,400 rpm. Further refinement of the engine brought the power to 150 hp by July 19 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nieuport 24
The Nieuport 24 (or Nieuport XXIV C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage as a development of the successful Nieuport 17. The Nieuport 24 had the misfortune to be the penultimate design suited to tactics that were being superseded when it entered service. Its small size, relatively light weight and small engine gave it a significant manoeuvrability advantage in a dog fight. However, larger and heavier fighters that relied almost entirely on speed such as the SPAD VII and Albatros D.III were entering service along with the introduction of ever larger combat formations, which generally negated its manoeuvrability. While its handling was improved slightly, its performance was little better than the previous Nieuport 23 it was meant to replace, and so it was operated alongside larger numbers of the SPAD S.VII, although in November 1917, out of a French frontline fighter strength of 754 aircraft, Nieuports still m ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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François Battesti
Lieutenant François Marie Noel Battesti (5 May 1890 – 24 August 1977) was a French World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. Early life and background Battesti was born Azzana, Corsica, the son of Nicolas and Antoinette Battesti. On 14 October 1908 he enlisted into the Army for a period of five years, and was assigned to the ''106e Régiment d'Infanterie'' as a ''soldat de 2e classe''. He was promoted to '' caporal'' on 28 September 1909, and to '' sergent'' on 26 September 1910. At the end of five years, he extended his enlistment for a year, transferring to the ''24e Régiment d'Infanterie'' on 14 October 1913. On 1 January 1914, he transferred to the Army's military aviation branch, joining ''1er Groupe d'aviation'' as a student pilot, and received ''Brevet militaire'' No. 453 from the military flying school at Avord on 3 April 1914. On 8 April he was posted to ''Escadrille 18'', and later in the year transferred to ''Escadrille 3'', flying Blériot ai ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Maurice Noguès
Maurice Noguès (31 October 1889 – 15 January 1934) was a French aviator from Brittany. Biography Noguès was born in Rennes, to Marthe Vallée and Émile Noguès; his father was a Colonel in the artillery. He taught himself to fly in 1909, and served in various French air squadrons during World War I, receiving command of Escadrille 73 in March 1918. During the war he received both the Croix de Guerre, multiple citations, and the Legion of Honour (the highest decoration in France). Toward the end of the war, 29 July 1918, Noguès married Magdalene Gicquel. Dissatisfied with city life, in 1922 he joined the Franco-Romanian Air Transport Company (CFRNA, later CIDNA), flying primarily the Paris–Strasbourg route, but including flights as far east as Moscow. In 1924 he received the Medal of Encouragement to Progress (''la médaille d'Encouragement au Progrès'') and the vermeil medal from the Aéro-Club de France for establishing the Bucarest–Constantinople–Ankara air route. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Albert Deullin
Capitaine Albert Louis Deullin (24 August 1890 – 29 May 1923) was a French World War I flying ace credited with twenty aerial victories.The Aerodrome websitRetrieved on 26 March 2010. He served for the entirety of World War I. By war's end, he had risen to command of a fighter wing. He would die in a postwar flying accident. Early life Albert Louis Deullin was born on 24 August 1890 in Épernay, France. He joined the French military and was a non-commissioned officer on inactive status from the Dragoons by October 1912. The outbreak of World War I saw Deullin mobilized in his old unit.''Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918'', pp. 149–150. He was commissioned as a ''Sous lieutenant'' in December 1914.''SPAD VII Aces of World War I'', p. 12. Aerial service Deullin transferred to aviation duty in late April 1915. After pilot's training, he earned Pilot's Brevet No. 2708 on 14 June 1915. On 2 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Observation Balloon
An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War I, and they continue in limited use today. Synonyms include espionage balloon, reconnaissance balloon, or surveillance balloon. Historically, observation balloons were filled with hydrogen. The balloons were fabric envelopes filled with hydrogen gas, whose flammable nature led to the destruction of hundreds of balloons on both sides. Observers manning these observation balloons frequently had to use a parachute to evacuate their balloon when it came under attack. To avoid the potentially flammable consequences of hydrogen, observation balloons after World War I were often filled with non-flammable helium. Typically, balloons were tethered to a steel cable attached to a winch that reeled the gasbag to its desired height (usually 1,000-1,5 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Escadrille 67
''Escadrille 67'' of the French Air Force was founded at Lyon-Bron Airport during the First World War, on 17 September 1915. On 24 September, they were assigned to the ''IV Armee'' of the French Army. By late October, the ''escadrille'' was assigned to the defense of Verdun.Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 95. History Dubbed ''Escadrille N67'' for the Nieuport two-seaters they operated, the new unit performed numerous reconnaissance, photographic, artillery direction, and bombing missions. For their efforts, they were cited on 25 January 1916. In July, they were cited a second time, for engaging in 257 combats and downing 11 enemy aircraft. The second citation entitled the unit to wear a fourragere denoting a unit award of the ''Croix de Guerre''; ''Escadrille N 67'' was the first aerial unit to win this award. During that Summer of 1916, the ''escadrille'' traded its two-seaters for Nieuport single-seater fighters. On 1 November 1916, the unit would be incorporated into ''Groupe de Comb ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Escadrille 103
''Escadrille 103'' of the French Air Force was an elite aviation unit on the Western Front during World War I. One of its many aces, René Fonck was the highest scoring Allied fighter-pilot. History Escadrille 103 was formed from '' Breguet Escadrille 17'', which was founded on 2 August 1914 at Longvic. On 16 November 1914, it re-equipped with Voisins, becoming ''Escadrille VB.3''. On 23 November 1914, it was posted to ''Groupe de Bombardment No. 1'', commanded by Commandant Louis de Goys de Mezeyrac. On 4 March 1915, it was redesignated ''Escadrille VB.103''. As part of GB.1, the escadrille was cited for its valor on 27 May 1915. General Ferdinand Foch issued the citation on 1 June. Foch would issue a second citation on 19 September 1915, based on the bombing raids of the 13th on Ludwigshafen.Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 103. On 19 February 1916, the escadrille was converted to an ''escadrille de chasse'' (fighter squadron). It was issued Nieuports and renumbered as ''Escadrille ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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French Air Service
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the French Air Force. On 10 September 2020, it assumed its current name, the French Air and Space Force, to reflect an "evolution of its mission" into the area of outer space. The number of aircraft in service with the French Air and Space Force varies depending on the source; the Ministry of Armed Forces gives a figure of 658 aircraft in 2014. According to 2018 data, this figure includes 210 combat aircraft: 115 Dassault Mirage 2000 and 95 Dassault Rafale. As of 2021, the French Air and Space Force employs a total of 40,500 regular personnel, with a reserve element of 5,187 in 2014. The Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force (CEMAAE) is a direct subordinate of the Chief ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Escadrille 26
''Escadrille 26'' is a squadron of the French Air Force founded in 1914 and still active today. History Escadrille 26 was founded on 26 August 1914, at Arras. It was originally equipped with ''Morane-Saulnier'' aircraft, leading to its designation as ''Escadrille MS26''. It went into action attached to VI Armée of the French ground forces until 24 September 1914; it then switched bases to the Kingdom of Belgium.Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 91. During 1915, it re-armed with ''Nieuport 11s'', and became ''Escadrille N26''. In June 1916, it moved to Cachy to join an improvised formation, ''Groupe de Combat de la Somme''. This ''groupe'' initially consisted of three other units in addition to ''Escadrille N26''—'' Escadrille N3'', '' Escadrille N103'', and ''Escadrille N73'' and became the famous '' Fighter Squadron Storks (Escadrille des Cigognes)'' . Command of the ''groupe'' was granted to Capitaine Antonin Brocard. On 1 November 1916, the ''groupe'' was formalized as ''Groupe de ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |