''Escadrille 67'' of the
French Air Force
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; ...
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
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
. By late October, the ''escadrille'' was assigned to the defense of
Verdun
Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...
.
[Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 95.]
History
![Nieuport 11 C](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Nieuport_11_C.1.jpg)
Dubbed ''Escadrille N67'' for the
Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
two-seaters they operated, the new unit performed numerous
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
, 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
The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
''; ''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 Combat 13'', joining ''
Escadrille 65
''Escadrille 65'' of the French Air Force was established during World War I. It was founded at Lyon-Bron Airport on 2 August 1915.
History
Though it was equipped with a mixed bag of aircraft, it was designated as ''Escadrille C 65'' for its Cau ...
'', ''
Escadrille 112
''Escadrille Spa.112'' (also known as ''Escadrille V.29'', ''Escadrille VB.112'', ''Escadrille F.112'', and ''Escadrille N.112'') was a French air force squadron active for the near-entirety of World War I. After serving until mid-1917 in various ...
'', and ''
Escadrille N.124
The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the History of the Armée de l'Air (1909–1942)#World War I ( ...
''.
[
]
After service with ''GC 13'', the ''escadrille'' was detached from the ''groupe'' on 1 June 1917. It was assigned to an ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with ''a priori''.)
Com ...
''Groupe Provisoire de Bonneuil'' subordinated to ''III Armee''. After 1 August 1917, the ''escadrille'' re-equipped with '' SPAD'' fighters, becoming ''Escadrille SPA.67''. On 18 January 1918, it was posted to replace ''Escadrille 73
''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 Corci ...
'' in ''Groupe de Combat 12''. ''Escadrille SPA 67'' remained with ''GC 12'' until war's end. The ''escadrille'' was credited with 42 victories during the war.[
]
''Escadrille SPA 67'' remains an active part of the French Air Force.
Commanding officers
* ''Sous lieutenant'' Mathieu Tenant de la Tour
Capitaine Mathieu Marie Joseph Antoine Tenant de la Tour (5 December 1883 - 17 December 1917) was a French World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories. He scored one of the first aerial victories over an observation balloon.
Biogra ...
17 September 1915 - 20 September 1915
* Capitaine Olivier Galouzeau de Villepin: 21 September 1915 - 21 February 1916
* Capitaine Henri Constans de Saint-Sauveur: 22 February 1916 - 31 July 1917
* Capitaine Jacques d'Indy: 1 August 1917 - 5 April 1919
Notable personnel
* ''Sous lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 19 ...
'' Jean Navarre
Jean Marie Dominique Navarre (8 August 1895 – 10 July 1919) was a French aviator during World War I. As one of the pioneer flying aces, he was credited with List of World War I aces credited with 11–14 victories, twelve confirmed aerial victo ...
* ''Sous lieutenant'' Georges Flachaire
Sous lieutenant Georges Charles Marie François Flachaire (24 October 1892—30 April 1973) was a French World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. On 1 September 1939, he returned to French military service, to serve past th ...
* ''Sous lieutenant'' Marcel Viallet
'' Sous lieutenant'' Marcel Pierre Viallet (21 August 1887–21 September 1925) was a French World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories. Postwar, he would serve in the Rif War in Morocco, dying there of disease.
Early life
Mar ...
[
* Lieutenant ]David Endicott Putnam
David Endicott Putnam (December 10, 1898 – September 12, 1918) was an American flying ace of World War I. He was known as the “Ace of Aces,” for thirteen confirmed kills, and thirty cumulative unconfirmed. He was shot down by German ace Geor ...
* ''Sous lieutenant'' Mathieu Tenant de la Tour
Capitaine Mathieu Marie Joseph Antoine Tenant de la Tour (5 December 1883 - 17 December 1917) was a French World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories. He scored one of the first aerial victories over an observation balloon.
Biogra ...
Aircraft
* Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
* 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 N 67 - SPA - 67
{{wwi-air
French Air and Space Force squadrons