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General Leclerc's Aviation Accident
General Leclerc's aviation accident (French: ''Accident de l'avion du général Leclerc'') took place on near the city of Béchar, Colomb-Béchar in the western Sahara, then in French Algeria. The North American B-25 Mitchell, B-25 Mitchell bomber, named ''Tailly 2'' and converted into an official aircraft for Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, General Leclerc, crashed around noon on the Trans-Saharan Railway, Mediterranean-Niger railway line, about fifty kilometers north of Colomb-Béchar airport, which it was attempting to reach. All twelve passengers and crew members including Leclerc were killed instantly. A thirteenth unidentified body was found in the wreckage, leading to controversy regarding the causes of the accident. Sequence of events Having departed on from Vélizy-Villacoublay Air Base, Villacoublay, in the Paris suburbs, for an inspection tour in North Africa, Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, General Leclerc spent the afternoon of the 26th and the day of the 27 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Béchar
Béchar () is the capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. It is also a commune, coextensive with Béchar District, of Béchar Province. In 2008 the city had a population of 165,627, up from 134,954 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 2.1%. The commune covers an area of . Béchar thrived on the activity of the coal mines until petroleum production seized the market. Leatherwork and jewellery are notable products of Béchar. Dates, vegetables, figs, cereals and almonds are produced near Béchar. There are bituminous coal reserves near Béchar, but they are not exploited to their greatest potential because of transportation costs are too high relative to that from the oil and gas fields of eastern Algeria. The city was once the site of a French Foreign Legion post. The Kenadsa longwave transmitter, whose masts are the tallest structures in Algeria at , is found near Béchar. Geography Béchar is located in the northwestern region of Algeria roughly south of the Morocc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
