Breguet 14. French Users. Part five.

 

The Breguet 14 saw some sub-variants, like the Br.14 Ap.2 which was done for a 1917 specification calling for a high-altitude long-range reconnaissance aircraft. A single machine was fitted with an American made Liberty 12 engine rated at 400 hp. It was tested at Villacoublay, Seine-et-Oise department, and neither this, nor its competitor, the Hanriot Dupont 9, were selected by the Aéronautique Militaire. 
A similar arrangement was tested at McCook field, Ohio, on a Breguet Br.14B.2. Tests determined that the Liberty engine neither improved nor harm Br.14's performance, so it was considered as a valid alternative to Renault or Fiat engines, should the war continued beyond 1918. On the Br.14A.2 variant, however, the Liberty engine improved performance considerably over the Renault engine.

The Breguet 14A.2 was also tested with the Lorraine-Dietrich engine, as a single machine was fitted with a 285 hp Lorraine-Dietrich 8Bd. It was considered successful enough to warrant production, with some sub-versions having blunt cowling and underslung radiator.

The French bombing groups saw less activity during the month prior to the Battle of the Aisne. It was during this period that two principal innovations were introduced: Fighter groups began to develop effective escort tactics to help bomber reach their targets and diversionary raids were also introduced to draw German fighters away from the targets. Groupes de Bombardement (GB) 5, 6 and 9 moved to Foulloy, Somme department, where they were assigned to support 1re and 3e Armée. GB 3 was based at Fourneuil, in the Oise department and GB 4 at Villenueve-le-Roi, close to Paris. Between 16th and 27th May 1918 many fighter groups were assigned to escort the bombers. Although most of the raids performed using those tactics were successful, the Commander of the Aéronautique Militaire complained that the size of such big aerial armadas made them unwieldy. As we said, during this period diversionary raids were also introduced, and such attacks were made employing a small number of bombers against objectives well away from the primary targets. This drawn attention (and German fighters) away and were periodically repeated throughout the remainder of the war.

In the Battle of the Aisne, from 27th May to 4th June, the GBs concentrated their attacks on German supply lines and communications in an attempt to slow them down. However, the units had to be rebased various times because the quick-changing situation of the frontlines endangered many of the French airfields. The activity on the eastern part of this front increased in early June, where GBs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 bombed troop concentrations in the Ourcq valley.

During the Battles of Metz and Soissonais, which took place between 5th June to approximately 15th July, GBs 5, 6 and 9 supported ground troops, together with the Royal Air Force's 9th Brigade, and took part in the defence of those towns. 

During the next major engagement, the Battle of Champagne in late July, a new tactical innovation was introduced. The Br.14B.2s were escorted for the whole duration of their missions, by the Caudron R.11 escort fighters, which had both range and firepower to escort them, and were most of the time accompanied by the SPAD S.XIII fighter. The GBs were now fighting on the offensive, bombing retreating German troops. These kind of attacks took place during the following months at the Battles of Île de France, Santerre and St. Mihiel, where the GBs supported the American 1st Army. Thanks to those large formations, the bombers could attack German targets with relative easiness being the Luftstreitkräfte all but defeated. 

During the last year of the war, Breguet 14B.2s helped French and American armies to hold the initial German attacks first and to disrupt the German lines later, when counter-offensives began, making an important contribution to the final Allied victory in World War I.

In the recon and artillery cooperation role, some of the escadrilles that employed the A.2 during wartime were:

• BR 35: This escadrille, created from AR 35, replaced their Dorand AR.2 with Breguet 14A.2 in November 1917. It was attached to the 35e Corps d'Armée and was active in the 1re Armée sector. During the Battle of Picardie, it was based in many locations like La Ferté-sus-Jouarre (Seine-et-Marne department), Les Andelys (Eure department) and Fienvillers (Somme department). In May 1918 it took part in the Battle of Chemin-des-Dames and moved to Le Tergnier (Aisne department) afterwards. After the war it became the 5e Escadrille of the 2e Régiment Aérien d'Observation (RAO - Aerial Observation Regiment) in January 1920.
• BR 234: This unit, originally called SOP 234, transitioned from the Sopwith Strutter to the Br.14A.2 in May 1918. It was assigned to the 1re Armée and was based at Libermont, Oise department, when the war ended. After the war, when the Aéronautique Militaire was reorganized, it became the 2e Escadrille of the 1re Régiment Aérien d'Observation (RAO - Aerial Observation Regiment) in January 1920.
• BR 281: This escadrille was formed from SOP 281, which replaced their Sopwith Strutters with Breguet 14A.2s. It was assigned to the 17e Corps d'Armée (17th Army Corps) which operated in the American 1st Army Sector. The escadrille was based at Beauzée, Meuse department and was disbanded in April 1919. 

Sources:

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

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