The Potez 630 and its derivatives were a family of twin-engined,
multirole
A multirole combat aircraft (MRCA) is a combat aircraft intended to perform different roles in combat. These roles can include air to air combat, air support,
aerial bombing, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and suppression of air defens ...
aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...
developed for 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; ...
in the late 1930s. The design was a contemporary of the British
Bristol Blenheim (which was larger and designed purely as a bomber) and the German
Messerschmitt Bf 110 (which was designed purely as a fighter).
The Potez 630 was in use by several operators during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Following the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
, both the
Vichy French Air Force
The Air Force (french: Armée de l'air), usually referred to as the Air Force of Vichy (''Armée de l'air de Vichy'') or Armistice Air Force (''Armée de l'Air de l'armistice'') for clarity, was the aerial branch of the Armistice Army of Vichy Fra ...
and
Free French Air Forces used the type; a number of captured aircraft were operated by several air wings of the
Axis powers
The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...
. After the end of the conflict in 1945, a handful of aircraft were used for training purposes for some time.
Development
Origins
On 31 October 1934, the French
Ministry of Air issued a specification for a
heavy fighter.
The specification demanded the aircraft be capable of performing three principal roles: fighter direction, in which it was required to lead formations of single-engine fighters with sufficient maneuverability; day attack, in which the type was also to escort friendly
close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
and bomber aircraft; and
nightfighter operations.
Specified performance details included a maximum speed of 450 km/h at 4,000 meters, a 300 km/h cruising speed, and an endurance of at least four hours. Armament requirements included two fixed forward-firing 20 mm
cannons
A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during ...
and a single
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
to the rear for self-defence.
The sought aircraft was also required to accommodate two/three seats along with a twin-engine configuration; however, some of the performance limitations imposed upon the aircraft, such as the maximum weight, served to restrict the range of suitable engines to power the type.
[Danel 1967, p. 4.]
The original ''Potez 630'' was developed to meet this specification; two variants of the aircraft were originally submitted for consideration, one (the 630) powered by
Hispano-Suiza 14AB
The Hispano-Suiza 14AB, a.k.a. Hispano-Suiza Type 80, was a 14-cylinder twin-row air-cooled radial engine. In 1929 the Hispano-Suiza company bought a license to produce the Wright Whirlwind engine. The technology from that engine was used to p ...
radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...
s and the other (the 631) with the
Gnome-Rhône 14N.
Other companies also produced submissions in response, including
Breguet Aviation,
Hanriot
Aéroplanes Hanriot et Cie. or simply 'Hanriot' was a French aircraft manufacturer with roots going back to the beginning of aviation. Founded by René Hanriot in 1910 as ''The Monoplans Hanriot Company Ltd.'' the company survived in different ...
,
Chantiers aéronavals Étienne Romano, and
Loire-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 ...
. Each of the competing manufacturers were requested to produce a single prototype for evaluation at their own expense; work on the first prototype, designated as the ''Potez 630-01'', commenced in April 1935.
In addition to the Potez 630, the same specification had ultimately resulted in the successful
Breguet 690 Breguet or Bréguet may refer to:
* Breguet (watch), watch manufacturer
**Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), Swiss watchmaker
**Louis-François-Clement Breguet (1804–1883), French physicist, watchmaker, electrical and telegraph work
* Bréguet ...
series of attack aircraft.
On 25 April 1936, the Potez 630-01, equipped with a pair of 580 hp Hispano-Suiza 14, conducted its
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...
from
Méaulte
Méaulte () is a Communes of France, commune in the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
The commune is situated on the D329 road, some northeast of Amiens.
Population
Pe ...
,
Picardy
Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France.
Hi ...
.
Initially, the prototype was equipped with an experimental feature in the form of a braced
horizontal stabilizer
A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplan ...
that incorporated no dihedral. On 6 May 1936, the prototype suffered some damage due to a hard landing following the mid-air loss of a
propeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
blade.
On 3 August 1936, after receiving repairs, the Potez 630-01 was transferred to
Villacoublay Air Base,
Île-de-France
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 = +01:00
, timezone1_DST = CEST
, utc_offset1_DST = +02:00
, blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product
, blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st
, bla ...
; it was soon refitted with an alternative tail arrangement similar to later production aircraft and long-stroke
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
. On 20 November 1936, flight testing of the prototype resumed; it was shortly thereafter delivered to the ''Centre d'Essais de Matériels Aériens'' (CEMA) for official tests.
The original engines of the Potez 630-01 were progressively replaced with improved models of Hispano-Suiza engine, gradually increasing thrust to reach 700 hp on takeoff.
At its maximum takeoff weight of 3,850 kg, the prototype was capable of a maximum speed of 460 km/h and a maximum range of 1,300 km when flown at an economical cruising speed of 300 km/h. In March 1937, the second prototype, designated Potez 630-02, performed its maiden flight from Méaulte.
[Danel 1967, pp. 4–5.] The Potez 631-01 was damaged after a landing with its landing gear not being locked into the down position; after repairs, it was handed over to CEMA for official trials in November 1937.
[Danel 1967, p. 5.]
Production
![Cutaway of the Potez 630](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Cutaway_of_the_Potez_630.jpg)
On 23 December 1936, the
Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du Nord (SNCAN) was officially formed, grouping together five French aircraft factories; further amalgamations into SNCAN soon took place, including Potez in early 1937.
Shortly following its establishment, SNCAN received a provisional order letter for ten experimental aircraft; four of these were derived from the Potez 630, three from the Potez 631 (one being the existing 631-01 prototype), two Potez 633 light bombers and one Potez 637 aerial reconnaissance aircraft. This was promptly confirmed by a contract, under which one Potez 633 was replaced by a single Potez 637 low level ground attack aircraft.
In June 1937, an order for an initial production batch of 10 two-seat and 30 three-seat Potez 631 day fighters was received, the first five of which were to be delivered by February 1938.
As large-scale manufacturing of the Gnome-Rhône 14M engines had yet to be achieved and thus was not able to reach the desired production rate of the Potez 630, an additional order was placed for 80 aircraft powered by the alternative Hispano-Suiza engine.
The first 48 aircraft to be produced were equipped with Hispano-Suiza 14AB02/03 engines, these were succeeded on later models by the improved Hispano-Suiza 14AB10/11. In December 1937, regular contracts took the place of the provisional letters; a further order for 50 Potez 633 light bombers was also received, bringing the total orders for the type to 180, including the ten prototypes that had been ordered.
During the late 1930s, the Potez 630 received considerable foreign interest; in addition to France, many countries were in the process of re-equipping their air forces.
One such foreign venture was the acquisition of a
licence to manufacture by the
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
n aircraft firm
Avia
Avia Motors s.r.o. is a Czech automotive manufacturer. It was founded in 1919 as an aircraft maker, and diversified into trucks after 1945. As an aircraft maker it was notable for producing biplane fighter aircraft, especially the B-534. Avia ...
to produce a variant of the aircraft, designated as the ''Potez 636''; none were completed prior to Czechoslovakia's
annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938.
In 1938, a further 50 additional Potez 631s were ordered, of which 20 were to be diverted to
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, although they never reached that country. A number of firm foreign orders was placed with SNCAN for the type; the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
ordered four Potez 631 and five Potez 633, the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
ordered two Potez 630 and one Potez 631, the
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...
ordered 20 Potez 633, the
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label=Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, where ...
ordered 24 Potez 633, and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
ordered one Potez 630 and one Potez 633.
In May 1937, series production of the Potez 630 commenced.
Manufacturing work on the aircraft's various sections and components was shared out across various SNCAN facilities; the fuselage and tailplanes were produced in
Caudebec-en-Caux,
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, the wings were made at
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
, Normandy, and final assembly was initially performed at Méaulte; the assembly work was later transferred to
Les Mureaux
Les Mureaux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zer ...
.
[Danel 1967, pp. 5–6.] In February 1938, the first production Potez 630 conducted its maiden flight; on 23 February, 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; ...
accepted their first production 630 aircraft.
[Danel 1967, p. 6.] Early on, production of the Potez 630 was hit by considerable delays, caused by a shortage of engines, propellers, and cannons; the first batch of Potez 630s were armed with four machine guns instead of the two 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannons. On 2 August 1938, the first Potez 631 was officially accepted.
On 15 March 1938, a major re-equipment and expansion program of the French Air Force, known as ''Plan V'', was approved.
While there had been intentions to order a more capable twin-engine aircraft, these were not ready for production, thus the Potez 631 and 633 were retained for this production program, which first involved 207 twin-engined day-and-night fighters along with 449 daytime light bombers. On 25 March 1938, the order for the Potez 633 was increased to 125 bombers, which were also requested to be three-seaters.
The Potez 633 orders were subsequently cancelled, ordering additional Potez 631 aircraft in their place; further orders of the Potez 631 were placed to allow for the speedy withdrawal of the troublesome Potez 630.
Between January and June 1940, an average production rate of 100 aircraft per month was maintained.
Design
![Potez 63](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Potez_63.11.JPG)
The Potez 630 was a twin engine, monoplane, fully metallic three-seater with efficient aerodynamic lines and twin tailfins. The basic design allowed for the type to replace various obsolete aircraft in the French Air Force in a wide range of roles.
The long glasshouse housed a crew of three, comprising a pilot, an observer or commander who was carried based upon mission requirements, and a rear gunner who manned a single flexible light machine gun. The Potez 637 featured a glazed gondola located beneath the fuselage for an observer to be carried in the
prone position.
Some variants, such as the Potez 631 and 633, had a vertical bomb bay located between the two crew members.
The 630 was a relatively simple and sound design, requiring an average of 7,500
man-hours to assemble each aircraft. All members of the family (with the possible exception of the Potez 63.11) shared pleasant flying characteristics and were designed to allow for easy maintenance.
[Danel 1967, p. 3.]
As a day fighter aircraft, the performance of the Potez 631 C3 was relatively disappointing, due to a low maximum speed and inadequate rate of climb compared with contemporary fighter aircraft.
As a night fighter, lack of detection equipment drastically limited their effectiveness.
Later models had a heavy armament (12 machine guns for the Potez 63.11). The Potez 63 family, as with the contemporary
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle is a British single-engine light bomber that was designed and manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed during the mid-1930s for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a monoplane successor to the Hawker Hart and Hi ...
and
Bristol Blenheim bombers and like many French aircraft of the time, proved vulnerable to
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
s. Their similarity to the
Messerschmitt Bf 110, both being equipped with twin engines, twin fins and a long greenhouse canopy, is believed to have resulted in several aircraft being lost to "
friendly fire".
Operational service
Introduction
From May 1938, production Potez 630 fighters started to be delivered; the first improved Potez 631 aircraft were received in August that year.
[Danel 1967, p. 6.] Potez 630 and 631s, in two-seater configuration, were soon used to replace obsolete
ANF Les Mureaux 113
The ANF Les Mureaux 110 and its derivatives were a family of French reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1930s. They were all-metal, parasol-wing monoplanes that seated the pilot and observer in tandem open cockpits. The aircraft were widely ...
used as night fighters, while single-seat fighter groups received a number of three seat Potez 63s to act as command aircraft, from which formations of single-seat fighters would be directed and co-ordinated by radio.
[Breffort and Jouineau 2005, p. 67][Danel 1967, pp. 4, 6.] In July 1938, the first fifteen Potez 630 aircraft participated in the Villacoublay Air Show.
In May 1938, the ''Armée de l'Air'' (French Air Force) placed an order for 125 Potez 633 light bombers; additional orders had also being placed by
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
for 20 and 24 Potez 633s respectively.
[Green 1967, p. 51.] France cancelled its order for Potez 633s in the summer of 1938, but further orders for the 633 were placed by Romania (for 20 more aircraft, which had been part built under the French order), and from China, for nine. Deliveries to Romania started late in 1938, with the Greeks receiving their first aircraft in the spring of 1939. In August 1939, with the risk of war increasing the French government requisitioned 32 Potez 633s from the Greek and Romanian orders that were still in France awaiting delivery.
[Green 1967, pp. 52–53.]
By September 1938, the Potez 630 had begun to supplant the obsolete
Bloch MB.200
The MB.200 was a French bomber aircraft of the 1930s designed and built by Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch. A twin-engined high-winged monoplane with a fixed undercarriage, over 200 MB.200s were built for the French Air Force, and the type was ...
bomber in the fighter direction role; however, the Potez 630's engines proved so troublesome in service that most units were rapidly re-equipped with the Potez 631 prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.
By 1 April 1939, a total of 77 Potez 630 and 88 Potez 631 aircraft had been accepted by the French Air Force. The retirement of other obsolete French aircraft, such as the
Morane-Saulnier M.S.225
The Morane-Saulnier M.S.225 was a French fighter aircraft of the 1930s. It was produced in limited quantities to be used as a transitional aircraft between the last of the biplanes and the first monoplane fighters.
Design and development
The M.S. ...
and
Dewoitine D.510
The Dewoitine D.500 was an all-metal, open- cockpit, fixed- undercarriage monoplane fighter aircraft designed and produced by French aircraft manufacturer Dewoitine.
Developed from a specification issued by the French Air Ministry during 1930, ...
, could be accommodated for by the increasing numbers of Potez 631s.
[Danel 1967, pp. 6–7.] Just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, the French Air Force had 85 Potez 630s, 206 Potez 631s, 22 Potez 633s, 63 Potez 633s, and 5 Potez 63.11 aircraft.
[Danel 1967, p. 7.]
The Potez 633 aircraft that were exported to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
saw greater service than their French counterparts despite their limited numbers. Greece had nine Potez 633s in service when
Italy invaded Greece in October 1940. These were used for bombing attacks against Italian supply lines until shortage of spares forced their withdrawal. In June 1941, Romania joined Germany in the
invasion of the Soviet Union. Two squadrons were equipped with the Potez 633 which were used to support the Romanian army as it advanced towards
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
. In 1942, they were replaced by
Junkers Ju 88 bombers, allowing the survivors to be transferred to the advanced training role.
[Green 1967, pp. 54–55.]
Second World War
![Captured French aircraft Syria 1941](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Captured_French_aircraft_Syria_1941.jpg)
On 28 August 1939, the French Air Force initiated the mobilisation of its units, including those equipped with the Potez 630 series.
Due to requests from
French Naval Aviation
French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: ''Aéronavale'' (contraction of Aéronautique navale), or ''Aviation navale'', or more simply ''l'Aéro'') is the naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is ' ...
some Potez 631 aircraft were soon diverted to replace their
Dewoitine D.371
The Dewoitine 37 was the first of a family of 1930s French-built monoplane fighter aircraft. Design and development
The D.37 was a single-seat aircraft of conventional configuration. Its fixed landing gear used a tailskid. The open cockpit was lo ...
fighters. In February 1940, a new war plan, ''Plan V bis'', was adopted; under this plan, nearly all Potez 630 and a number of Potez 631 aircraft were retired from front line service, with some of the 630s converted to become dual-control training aircraft.
That same month, it was decided to rearm the majority of Potez 631s, replacing their original armament of one cannon and one machine gun with two cannons and four underwing machine guns for the purpose of conducting ground attack missions; however, progress on this was relatively slow.
[Danel 1967, pp. 7, 10.]
The French Air Force found a use for the Potez 633 aircraft as conversion trainers for units that had received the
Breguet 691 Breguet or Bréguet may refer to:
* Breguet (watch), watch manufacturer
**Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), Swiss watchmaker
**Louis-François-Clement Breguet (1804–1883), French physicist, watchmaker, electrical and telegraph work
* Bréguet ...
attack aircraft. On 20 May 1940, three Potez 633s took part in a strafing mission against German troops near
Arras
Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...
. This was the type's only operational mission over France as two days later the aircraft was withdrawn from front-line service.
[Green 1967, p. 54.] A small number of Potez 633 originally destined for
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
were commandeered by the French colonial administration in Indochina and saw limited action in the brief
French-Thai War
The Franco-Thai War (October 1940 – January 28, 1941, th, กรณีพิพาทอินโดจีน, Krṇī phiphāth xindocīn; french: Guerre franco-thaïlandaise) was fought between Thailand and Vichy France over certain areas o ...
in early 1941. Parked in the open ground, a number of them were destroyed by Thai
Hawk 75N
The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generatio ...
strafing during an air raid at Siem Reap.
[Joseph 2011, p. 275.]
Once active combat had begun, the Potez 631 had quickly proved to be an ineffectual interceptor; it was slower than some German bomber aircraft and 130 km/h slower than the
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
E fighter. Perhaps the most successful unit operating the Potez 631 was the
Flottille F1C of the French Naval Air Arm; between 10–21 May 1940, aircraft of the unit shot down 12 enemy aircraft in exchange for 8 of their own losses prior to its withdrawal from active combat.
[Danel 1967, p. 12.]
At one point, the Potez 637 was the only modern aircraft equipping the
Groupes de Reconnaissance (GOA), which had long been equipped with obsolete aircraft.
[Danel 1967, p. 10.] From November 1939 onwards, the first units to convert to the Potez P.63.11 were each assigned three aircraft. By mid-January 1940, there were 43 Potez 63.11s in service with 12 GOAs.
[Danel 1967, pp. 10–11.] By June 1940, more than 700 reconnaissance Potez 63.11 had been delivered.
[Danel 1967, p. 11.] These aircraft encountered various fates in service: more than 220 were destroyed or abandoned. Despite the addition of extra machine gun armament, aircraft having received either six, eight, or ten machine guns, the Potez 63.11 suffered the heaviest losses of any French type. One factor contributing to the high losses was the near-complete lack of spares, rendering 70 per of all P.63.11 aircraft unserviceable even prior to the German invasion; many aircraft were destroyed on the ground by enemy bombing and strafing attacks, and entire units were wiped out without conducting a single mission.
The Potez 63.11 continued in service with the air force of
Vichy France
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
and with the forces of the
Free French; this led to the two opposing sides both operating the type in the North African theatre.
[Danel 1967, pp. 12–13.] The
Free French Air Force initially possessed as few as three Potez 630 aircraft, but further models were captured from the
Vichy French Air Force
The Air Force (french: Armée de l'air), usually referred to as the Air Force of Vichy (''Armée de l'air de Vichy'') or Armistice Air Force (''Armée de l'Air de l'armistice'') for clarity, was the aerial branch of the Armistice Army of Vichy Fra ...
. The Germans initially allowed several Potez 630-equipped units to continue under Vichy French control; these were typically stationed in Southern France and North Africa. In the latter theatre they frequently engaged in combat with Allied forces.
By 1 November 1941, the Vichy Air Force had 22 Potez 630s, 82 Potez 631s, six Potex 637s, and 236 Potez 63.11 aircraft. Large numbers of Axis-aligned Potez 630s stationed in North Africa were destroyed by American bombers during
Operation Torch
Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...
; Allied 630s were also used during the operation to conduct ammunition supply missions and to respond to ''Luftwaffe'' aircraft.
[Danel 1967, p. 13.]
On 27 November 1942, German military units occupied Vichy Air Force bases and seized their aircraft: around 134 Potez 630s of several variants were taken.
Of the seized aircraft, 53 were refurbished and dispatched to Romania for use as trainers and
target tugs; spare engines were also reused to power a number of ''Luftwaffe''
Henschel Hs 129
The Henschel Hs 129 was a World War II ground-attack aircraft fielded by the German ''Luftwaffe''. The aircraft saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front.
A key requirement of the original specification was that the aircraft be powered by ...
Bs.
Production of the type was resumed under German control; significant numbers of aircraft appear to have been pressed into service by the Germans, mostly in liaison and training roles. The last three Potez 631s in service were recaptured examples; these made a final contribution following the cessation of hostilities in their use as trainer aircraft at the ''Centre d'Essais en Vol'' for the revived French Air Force.
[Danel 1967, pp. 13–14.]
Variants
Unlike many contemporary French aircraft, production of the Potez aircraft was reasonably prompt and the first deliveries were effected before the end of 1938. The 63 had been designed with mass production in mind and as a result, one Potez 630 was cheaper and faster to manufacture than one
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier (1881–1964) and the Morane brothers, Léon (1885–1918) and Robert (1886–1968). The company was taken over and diversified ...
. As production tempo increased, a number of derivatives and experimental models were also developed.
Fighter variants
A typical feature of the 630 and 631 was the frontal armament, which originally consisted in two 20 mm
Hispano-Suiza HS.404
The HS.404 is an autocannon originally designed and produced by Spanish/French company Hispano-Suiza in the mid-1930s. It was widely used as an aircraft, naval and land-based weapon by French, British, American and other military services, p ...
cannons in gondolas under the fuselage, though sometimes one of the cannons was replaced by a
MAC 1934 light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...
(LMG). Later in their career, 631s received four additional LMGs in gondolas under the outer wings, though it was theoretically possible to fit six.
;Potez 635 CN2:
night fighter project was cancelled
;Potez 63.12 C3:with
Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior radials remained a single prototype
;Potez 670-01:Fighter prototype
;Potez 671:heavy fighters were on the assembly lines when the Germans captured the
SNCAN Méaulte factory near
Albert
Albert may refer to:
Companies
* Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic
* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia
* Albert Productions, a record label
* Albert ...
.
Prototypes
;Potez 63.01:The first prototype
;Potez 630.01:The second prototype
;Potez 630 CN.2 No.01:Night-fighter prototype
;Potez 631.01:The first Gnome-Rhone powered prototype.
Trainer variants
;Potez 634:A dual control
trainer aircraft derivative of the 630 was proposed, which was simply designated as
;Potez 631 Ins: (for ''instruction'') 630 conversion with Gnome-Rhône engines
;Potez 63.16 T3:A crew trainer derivative of the 63.11 with different, larger wings. Only one prototype was built.
Bomber variants
;Potez 633 B2:two-seater, light level bomber. The Potez 633 retained the fuselage, wings and engines of the 631 but the observer's position and cannon gondolas were deleted and a small bomb bay was added between the pilot and rear gunner. Front armament consisted of a single light machine gun in the nose. The bomb bay could house eight 50 kg-class or two -class bombs. There was no bombardier position, as the rear gunner was supposed to direct the bombing run through a periscopic bombsight fitted ahead of him, a disposition that proved unworkable in the field.
;Potez 633.01:The first two-seat bomber prototype flew in late 1937. The Armée de l'air ordered 133 Potez 633s in 1938, but two months later decided all aircraft in the light level bomber category should be 3-manned, like the
Douglas DB-7 and
Bloch MB.175. The French order for 633s was converted into an order for more 631s. The 633 was however offered for export and attracted orders from Romania, China and Greece.
;Potez 632 Bp.2:One example of the
dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
prototype was started, but completed as a 633 however with Hispano-Suiza engines. It was sold to Switzerland for evaluation.
;Potez 639 AB2:The single two-seat attack bomber prototype was converted as a standard 633.
Reconnaissance variants
![Potez 63](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Potez_63.11_at_Aleppo_1941.jpg)
Dissatisfied with its strategic reconnaissance aircraft such as the troublesome
Bloch MB.131
The Bloch MB.130 and its derivatives were a series of French monoplane reconnaissance-bombers developed during the 1930s. They saw some limited action at the beginning of World War II but were obsolete by that time and suffered badly against th ...
, the Armée de l'air required the development of a derivative of the Potez 631 for this role.
;Potez 637:Strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The observer was housed in a gondola under the fuselage; this arrangement resulted in an aircraft that retained most of the qualities of the 631. 60 examples were ordered in August 1938 and delivered.
:At the same time, the Armée de l'Air was desperate to re-equip its
army cooperation
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...
units which had particularly antiquated equipment, but since the development of the 637, had completely changed its mind about how the observer position should be arranged. Potez was therefore required to develop a variant that, while retaining the wings, engines and tail surfaces of the 631, hosted the observer in a more conventional nose glasshouse.
;Potez 63.11:Because the pilot needed to be seated above the observer, the fuselage was taller, which resulted in reduced top speed and manoeuvrability. As a result, the 63.11 proved very vulnerable, despite being protected with some armour and basic self-sealing coating over the fuel tanks. As a secondary light bomber capability was part of the requirements (though it was rarely if ever used), the fuselage accommodated a tiny bomb bay, carrying up to eight 10 kg-class bombs. This bomb bay was replaced by an additional fuel tank on late examples. Additionally, two 50 kg-class bombs could be carried on hardpoints under the inner wings. Frontal armament was originally one, then three MAC 1934s under the nose, and many 63.11s were equipped with the same additional guns in wing gondolas as the 631s.
:The first Potez 63.11 No.1 and second No.2 prototypes first flew in December 1938, and no less than 1,365 examples were on order in September 1939, of which 730 were delivered, making the 63.11 the most numerous variant of the family by far.
Operators
;
*
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; ...
(''Armée de l'air'')
*
French Naval Aviation
French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: ''Aéronavale'' (contraction of Aéronautique navale), or ''Aviation navale'', or more simply ''l'Aéro'') is the naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is ' ...
(''Aviation Navale/Aéronautique navale'')
;
Vichy France
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
*
Vichy French Air Force
The Air Force (french: Armée de l'air), usually referred to as the Air Force of Vichy (''Armée de l'air de Vichy'') or Armistice Air Force (''Armée de l'Air de l'armistice'') for clarity, was the aerial branch of the Armistice Army of Vichy Fra ...
(''Armée de l'air de l'Armistice'')
;
*
Free French Air Forces (''Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres'')
;
* ''
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
''
;
*
Hellenic Air Force
;
*
Hungarian Air Force operated 40 Potez 63.11 advanced trainers.
;
*
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...
;
*
Polish Air Forces on exile in France
**
Depot d'Instruction de l'Aviation Polonaise
Depot ( or ) may refer to:
Places
* Depot, Poland, a village
* Depot Island, Kemp Land, Antarctica
* Depot Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica
* Depot Island Formation, Greenland
Brands and enterprises
* Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in ...
at
Lyon-Bron operated two Potez 63.11 aircraft.
;
*
Royal Romanian Air Force
;
*
Swiss Air Force
The Swiss Air Force (german: Schweizer Luftwaffe; french: Forces aériennes suisses; it, Forze aeree svizzere; rm, Aviatica militara svizra) is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on 31 July 1914 as a part of the army and ...
operated one Potez 630C3 and one 632B2 aircraft.
;
*
Yugoslav Royal Air Force
Civil operators
*
Air Bleu
Air Bleu (Société Anonyme Air Bleu) was a French airline company between 1935 and 1940 that specialised in the delivery of mail within France.
Air Bleu started operations on the 10 July 1935 with Caudron Simoun aircraft operating four different ...
(two aircraft converted into mail carriers)
Specifications (Potez 63.11A.3)
See also
References
Sources
*
* Breffort, Dominique and Jouineau, André. ''French Aircraft from 1939 to 1942, Vol.2: from Dewoitine to Potez''. Paris, France: Histoire & Collections, 2005. .
* Brindley, John.F. ''French Fighters of World War Two''. Windsor, UK: Hylton Lacy Publishers Ltd., 1971. .
* Danel, Raymond. ''The Potez 63 Series (Aircraft in Profile Number 195)''. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications, 1967. No ISBN.
*
* Ehrengardt, C.-J. "Le Potez 63 et dérivés". ''Aéro-Editions'', November 2005.
* Ehrengardt, C.-J. "Le Potez 63.11 au combat". ''Aéro-Journal'' n°43, June 2005.
* Fernandez, Jose. ''Potez 63 family''. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2008. .
* Green, William. ''War Planes of the Second World War, Volume One: Fighters''. London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers), 1960. .
* Green, William. ''War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Eight: Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft''. London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers), 1967. .
* Jackson, Robert. ''Air War over France 1939–40''
* Joseph, Frank. ''The Axis Air Forces: Flying in Support of the German Luftwaffe''. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011.
*
* Marchand, Patrick and Takamori, Junko. ''Les Potez 63, Les Ailes de Gloire No. 9'' (in French). Le Muy, France: Editions d'Along, 2003. .
* Pelletier, Alain. ''French Fighters of World War II''. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, 2002. .
*
External links
A history of Greek military equipment (1821-today): Potez 633
{{Authority control
1930s French bomber aircraft
1930s French fighter aircraft
World War II French fighter aircraft
1930s French military reconnaissance aircraft
063
Aircraft first flown in 1936
Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft