Bréguet 14. French users. Part two.

 

The STAé (Section Technical Aeronautique - Aeronautics Technical Section) requested that the new plane they opened a requirement for, had to be powered by a 200 hp Hispano-Suiza engine. However, Bréguet decided to employ the 220 hp Renault 12Fb as it had powered their previous Bréguet-Michelin 5. The engine cowling had many cooling louvers, which eventually came out being a distinctive feature of the Br.14. 

The Bréguet 14 was an angular biplane. Its wings had negative stagger and both were slightly swept back. Upper wing was larger than the lower one and ailerons were fitted to the lower wing only. Later models featured horn-balanced ailerons to improve lateral control.

It had a crew of two. A pilot, who sat in the front and an observer/bomber who sat in a separate cockpit behind the pilot. The observer's post was armed with T.O. 3 or T.O. 4 flexible gun mount with two 0.303 in Lewis machine guns. The pilot had a single fixed 0.303 in Vickers machine gun placed on the left side of the fuselage, synchronized to fire through the propeller. The undercarriage was strongly fixed with two wheels separated by a strut with an airfoil-cross section.

Earlier versions of the B.2 variant had Michelin-built bomb racks under lower wings, adjacent to the bracing struts of the undercarriage. It could carry a total of 368 kg (811 lb) of bombs,. The most usual configuration was thirty-two 11.5 kg (25 lb) small bombs. The A.2 reconnaissance variant carried four small bombs, a camera and a wireless radio set. Generally the lower wings of the B.2 had a longer span and bungee-sprung flaps were added in order to allow it to carry heavier bomb loads. In some experimental flights, a total of 730 kg (1609 lb) of bombs and fuel. When fully loaded the B.2 could climb to an altitude of 4.000 m high (13.1234 ft) in 26 minutes attaining a speed of 165 km/h (102.5 mph). In the B.2 variant the observer had an extra set of windows in both sides of the fuselage, the purpose of which had never been explained, however it has been speculated that they were there to provide enough light to allow him to use the bombsight. The underside of the aircraft was also equipped with transparent panels to allow both pilot and observer to have a view of the ground. 

In operational service the Br.14 received many field modifications, like the addition of an additional Lewis machine gun on top of the wing, armoured seats and a gun rigged to fire underneath fuselage. This last modification, however, was rare. 

The Bréguet 14B.2 replaced mostly the Sopwith 1 and-a-half Strutter and the not so famous Paul Schmitt P.S.7 biplanes, as they were obsolete and suffering heavy losses. The Br.14B.2 proved to be an excellent platform for a light bomber. The first units to receive the B.2 were two escadrilles equipped with the Breguet-Michelin 4 and Breguet 5. BM 117 (BM stands for Bréguet-Michelin), assigned to G.B. 5 (Groupe de Bombardement - Bomber Group) which was re-equipped with Br.14B.2s in August 1917. This unit was soon followed by BM. 120 of the same GB in September 1917, becoming BR 117 and BR 120 respectively. 

Two units, PS 126 of the GB 3 and PS 127 of the GB 5 equipped with the Paul Schmitt 6 and 7s were re-equipped with the B.2 in November 1917, being renamed to BR 126 and BR 127.

SOP 111 of GB 6, was the first day bombardment escadrille out of ten, to replace their Sopwith Strutters with the Breguet 14 B.2, becoming BR 111 in October 1917 and being followed by many other escadrilles like BR 66 (GB 6), BR 108 (GB 6), BR 128 (GB 3), BR 107 (GB 3), BR 123 (GB 9), BR 129 (GB 9), BR 131 (GB 4) and BR 134 (GB 4). 

Some other non-bomber escadrilles that employed the A.2 variant were:

• BR 11: Formed from C11 escadrille in November 1917, this unit was among the first units to receive the A.2 variant and proved to be an example of the kind of missions the Br.14 performed in the Western Front. As it was found that the A.2 was effective at 6.000 m high (19.685 ft) in the reconnaissance role. This unit performed not only reconnaissance missions but also liaison and artillery co-operation ones. 
  During the Second Battle of Picardie (Operation Michael) BR 11 performed many photo-reconnaissance missions to help the French counter-offensive in the Ourcq canal sector. During this offensive this unit was rebased up to four times, from one aerodrome to another, supporting the 2e Armée (2nd Army). This Escadrille was also active during the Battles at Champagne and photographed German lines before the Lorraine offensive. After the armistice it was part of the Rhineland occupation Force, assigned to the 33éme Regiment d'Aviation.
• BR 220: This unit was formed from C220 in October 1917. It was commanded by Lieutenant Brédiam and was initially based at Dugny, close to Paris. It was assigned to Groupe Féquant in April 1918 until June when it joined the Division Aérienne de Duval and Groupe Weiller in October, where it was based at Champagne until the armistice. It became the 1ére Escadrille of the 2e Régiment Aérienne d'Observation (RAO) in January 1920.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bréguet_14

2nd Flying Machines Press  - French Aircraft of the First World War