Breguet 14. French Users. Part six.

 

The Breguet 14H was a floatplane variant of the Br.14 powered by a single Renault 12Fe engine yielding 320 hp of power. It was equipped with a large central float beneath the central fuselage plus two smaller floats under the lower wings. Two machines were made and served with the Aéronautique d'Indochine. As the profile is based in an old photo, the colours should be considered as speculative.

The Breguet 14T and 14Tbis were civilian variants of the Br.14. The 14T was a conversion of the basic Br.14 modified to carry two passengers in a cabin in front of the pilot's cockpit. Entrance door was on the starboard side. A development of this variant was the Br.18T which was an enlarged version of the 14T equipped with a 450 hp Renault 11Ja engine. In its enlarged cabin there was room for four passengers.

The Br.14Tbis was a hybrid variant of both the Br.14T and the Br.18T. It had a cabin for three passengers and was, by far the most widely used transport variant. 

After the war, both Br.14As and Br.14Bs were kept in France until the mid-1920s, being key part of the French occupation force in the Rhineland and would be also employed later in the Rif War. A total of 40 escadrilles were disbanded in 1919, with a major reorganization being made in 1920. 

The Br.14A, B and T variants and sub-variants saw widespread usage in the post-war French colonial campaigns. After the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire, France was granted the mandate of Syrian and Lebanon, where the French forces deployed there were tasked with fighting the various rebellious desert tribes. For this task two escadrilles were assigned, Escadrille 52 (ex BR 117) based at Rayak (Lebanon) and Escadrille 53 (ex BR 120) all of them under the command of General Lamothe. In this campaign the Br.14s were used in the reconnaissance, light bombing (carrying usually 12 ten kg (22 lbs) bombs) and ambulance roles. 

When the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925 took place all the escadrilles present in Syria, among them the two equipped with Br.14s, were employed against the rebels. They flew a total of 6.000 patrol sorties, 4.000 bombing runs. The Br.14s played a decisive part in the relief of the city of Jabal Djebel Druse where 7.000 French soldiers were besieged. From 26th July to 24th September 1925 the Aéronautique Militaire flew over 200 sorties dropping 12 tons of food and 54 sacks of mail over the besieged city in what is considered to be one of the first airlifts in history. 

Sources:

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

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