''Escadrille 23'' 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 formed at Brie on 4 August 1914.

History

Escadrille 23 was equipped with Morane-Saulniers and forwarded to ''VI Armee'' of the French Army in September, and transferred to ''IV Armee'' in October 1914. Later that month, it moved to the

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), a ...

. It would operate from there until 6 August 1915. It then returned to the ''VI Armee'' for a short spell before being posted to ''IV Armee'' on 21 August 1915.Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 90.

On 20 September 1915, the unit re-equipped with Nieuports and became ''Escadrille N23''. Its performance earned it a citation in orders on 5 November 1916. It was credited with victories over 17 enemy aircraft and four

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 ...

s. On 3 February 1917, the ''escadrille'' was posted to ''VII Armee''; it soon moved to support ''II Armee''. On 19 March 1918, the ''escadrille'' earned the fourragere 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 ...

'' by being cited again, for downing another 23 enemy airplanes. The unit subsequently retooled with '' SPAD'' fighters, but did not change its designation to ''Escadrille SPA.23'' until August 1918. Wartime victories for ''Escadrille SPA.23'' totaled 59 aircraft destroyed. ''Escadrille SPA.23'' still serves in today's French Air Force.

Commanding officers

* Capitaine Auguste de Reverend: 4 August 1914 - 8 December 1915 * Lieutenant Louis Robert de Beauchamp: 9 December 1915 - KIA 17 December 1916 * Capitaine Pierre de Langle de Cary: 18 December 1916 - September 1917 * Capitaine

Armand Pinsard Général Armand Pinsard (28 May 1887 – 10 May 1953), Chevalier, Officer, Commander, and Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur, Croix de Guerre with 19 palms, Médaille militaire, British Military Cross, Italian Military Medal, Moroccan Medal ...

: September 1917 -

Notable personnel

* Capitaine

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

Maxime Lenoir Adjutant Maxime Albert Lenoir (22 December 1888 – 25 October 1916) was a pioneering World War I flying ace credited with eleven confirmed aerial victories, as well as eight unconfirmed. Biography Early life Maxime Albert Lenoir was born on 22 ...

* Lieutenant

Jean Casale Sous Lieutenant Jean Pie Hyacinthe Paul Jerome Casale, was a French World War I flying ace credited with thirteen aerial victories. He was one of the few aces that survived the entire course of fighter aviation in the war.The Aerodrome website http ...

*Lieutenant

Eugène Gilbert Sous Lieutenant Eugène Gilbert (19 July 1889 – 17 May 1918) was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He had also been a famous pioneer wikt:pre-war, pre-war racing pilot, flying in many countries throughout Europe. B ...

* Lieutenant

François de Rochechouart ''Sous-Lieutenant'' François Marie Joseph Laurent Victurnien de Rochechouart de Mortemart, (22 March 1881 - 16 March 1918), Marquis of Mortemart, Prince of Tonnay-Charente, was a French World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.T ...

Aircraft

* Morane-Saulnier: 4 August 1914 * Nieuport: 20 September 1915 * SPAD: Summer 1918

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. , .

External links

Escadrille MS 23 - N 23 - SPA 23
{{France-mil-unit-stub French Air and Space Force squadrons