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 Combat 12'', Brocard commanding.

On 16 April 1917, ''GC 12'' switched from ''VIII Armées theater of operations to that of X Armée and VII Armée; they were then involved in the Second Battle of the Aisne. During July 1917, the ''escadrille'' moved to Flanders to aid ''1er Armée''. On 11 December 1917, it would return to ''VII Armée''. As the year ended, the ''escadrille'' restocked with '' SPADs'', becoming ''Escadrille SPA 26''.

In January 1918, ''SPA 26'' was posted to ''IV Armée''. It moved to ''VI Armée'' in March, and ''X Armée'' in June. It began July 1918 with ''V Armée'', and moved to ''1er Armée'' on the 29th. On 18 September 1918, the ''escadrille'' was posted back to IV Armée, and remained there until war's end.

On 12 January 1919, ''Escadrille SPA 26'' was cited by IV Armée for the destruction of 51 enemy aircraft and the disability of 70 more.

''Escadrille SPA 26'' is still current in today's French Air Force.

Commanding officers

* Capitaine Robert Jannerod: 26 August 1914 - January 1915
* Capitaine Pierre de Malherbe: January 1915 - November 1915
* Capitaine Thobie: mid-November 1915
* Capitaine Jacques de Sieyes de Veynes: 17 May 1916 - POW 3 July 1916
* Capitaine Victor Menard: July 1916 - April 1917
* Capitaine Mathieu Tenant de la Tour: April 1917 - Killed in flying accident 17 December 1917
* Capitaine Joseph M. X. de Sévin: 25 December 1917 - end of war

Notable personnel

* Lieutenant Roland Garros
* Lieutenant Marcel Bernard
* Major generalFranks, Bailey 1992, p. 148. Joseph M. X. de Sévin
* Sous lieutenant Noël de Rochefort
* Adjutant Gustave Naudin
* Maréchal-des-logis Constant Soulier

Aircraft

* ''Morane-Saulnier'': 26 August 1914
* ''Nieuport 11'': 1915
* ''Nieuport 17''
* '' SPAD''

Endnotes

References

* Franks, Norman; Frank W. Bailey. ''Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918'' Grub Street, 1992. , .

Further reading

* Bailey, Frank W., and Christophe Cony. ''French Air Service War Chronology, 1914-1918: Day-to-Day Claims and Losses by French Fighter, Bomber and Two-Seat Pilots on the Western Front''. London: Grub Street, 2001.
* Davilla, James J., and Arthur M. Soltan. ''French Aircraft of the First World War''. Stratford, CT: Flying Machines Press, 1997.
* ''Les escadrilles de l'aéronautique militaire française: symbolique et histoire, 1912-1920''. Vincennes: Service historique de l'armée de l'air, 2004.

External links

Escadrille MS26 - N 26 - SPA 26

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French Air and Space Force squadrons