Breguet 16

 

The Breguet 16 was a French night bomber biplane directly derived from the Breguet 14. It was conceived as a replacement for both Voisin VIII and Voisin X used by the night bombing squadrons of the Aéronautique Militaire (French Air Arm). 

The Aéronautique Militaire issued a specification in late 1917 calling for a Bn2 medium bomber (Bn2 stands for 'Bombardier Nuit 2' - Night Bomber 2, where the number means that it had to have a crew of two). It should not be confused with the other BN2 designation, intended for a heavy bomber.

The Breguet 16 was basically an enlarged variant of the Breguet 14 with a larger wingspan of 16.96 meters (55.64 ft) versus the 14.36 meters (47.11 ft) of the Breguet 14. This was done in order to carry heavier loads of fuel and bombs for strategic bombardment missions. 

The Breguet 16 was powered by a single Renault 12Fe engine rated at 300 hp and was armed with two 0.303 in Lewis machine guns, mounted on the observer's position. It could carry up to 550 kg (1212.54 lbs) of bombs under the fuselage.

The prototype was flown for the first time in June 1918 with M. de Bailliencourt at the controls, a test pilot working for Breguet. According to his initial evaluation, the rudder bar had to be changed as it was too near the seat. He also recommended to relocate the throttle and, because an inability to see the ground while climbing or diving, some indentations also to be performed in the edges of the lower wings. Further testing was uneventful. 

Anyway, as changes had to be made, the prototype was returned to Breguet's factory to make those suggested changes. Bailliencourt stated that Breguet was furious about the delay that those alterations caused to the Bn2 programme.

Two Breguet 16 were sent to Groupe de Bombardement 1 (GB 1) to be evaluated and soon the type was mass produced. However, it didn't make it in time to see active service as World War 1 ended. After the war, some were assigned to to the 22e Régiment Aérien de Bombardement (N) (Night Bombing Aerial Regiment - N, where the letter N stands for 'nuit', night) and the 21éme RAB (N). These units were assigned to Syria and Morocco, where they saw limited service as the nature of the conflict there wasn't adequate for a bomber of such characteristics. 

One Breguet 16 was tested with an American Liberty engine, but its wing failed during static trials so it didn't fly.

In total 200 Breguet 16 Bn2 were manufactured by Breguet, Ferbois, Lioré-et-Olivier and SECM (Société d'Emboutissage et de Constructions Mécaniques - Stamping and Mechanical Engineering Company, forerunner of Amiot). 

The Breguet 16 saw also service abroad:

• China: In 1923 the Fengtian Clique's warlords purchased 12 Breguet aircraft through Eurasia Aviation Corporation (a Shanghai based Chinese airline). Among those aircraft there were 4 or 5 Br. 16 Bn2 (sources are not clear about the definitive number) powered by the Renault 12Fe engine. They were delivered in November 1928 and there is not info about their operational service in China.
  As we couldn't find graphical evidence of the Br.16 Bn2 serving in China, the colours and registration shown should be considered as speculative.
• Czechoslovakia: The Ceskoslovenské armádní letectvo (Czechoslovak Air Service) bought an unknown number of Br.16 Bn2 bombers. They were assigned to the 1. letecký pluk (1st aerial regiment) based at Prague-Kbely. They were most likely phased-out in the late 1920s.
• Portugal: One Br.16 Bn2 was bought by the Portuguese Arma da Aeronautica Militar (Army's Aeronautical Arm) in 1921 to take advantage of the type's long range to perform a long distance flight from Lisbon to Macao, a Portuguese colony in southern China, close to Hong-Kong. This Br.16 Bn2, named 'Patria' (Homeland), flew a total of 14 stages but it had to perform a forced landing due to engine overheat at Pipar Road, British Raj on 7th May 1924. Fortunately its crew survived the landing and Patria was written off and replaced by an Airco DH.9A conveniently named 'Patria II' (Homeland II). 

Sources:

1st Flying Machines Press - James J. Davilla - French Aircraft of the First World War

2nd en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bréguet_16

3rd http://cwlam2000.epizy.com/caf07.htm (translated)

4th https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/avion-breguet-type-16-bn-2/

Bréguet 14, part three. Asian Users.

 

The Breguet 14 was a French bomber and reconnaissance biplane of the World War I era, which was built in very large numbers during and after the conflict. With more than 8.000 machines built, it was exported all around the world. 

The type was widely used in the Asian continent being employed by the following countries or factions:

• China: The Nationalist Chinese Air Force of the Central KMT government, lead by Chiang-Kai-Shek, was established in 1925 with, among other types, approximately 50 Breguet 14A.2s. They were used during the many offensives the KMT held from 1926 onwards to bring local warlords down. 
• Beiyang Government: One Manchurian warlord, Chang Hsueh-liang had 16 Br.14A.2 as part of his private air force. Both these, plus the KMT's ones, were most likely destroyed in 1931-1932 when the Japanese invaded.
• Japan: One Breguet 14B.2 was acquired by the Japanese with evaluation purposes from the French Military Mission that visited Japan in 1919. It was employed by the Imperial Japanese Army's Mikatagahara Bombing team for research on new bombing techniques. This B.2 became also the first aircraft to fly over the Mount Fuji. 
  In 1922 Nakajima completed the Nakajima B-6 "Kei-Gin Go" (light silver) as it was made out of duralumin and was modelled after the Breguet 14. The Kei-Gin Go was revealed at the Peace Memorial Exposition in Tokyo and was highly praised. However, the army never requested the type, so it was used only for long-distance flights. 
  The B-6 was powered by a water-cooled Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engine driving a four-bladed propeller and yielding 356 hp of power.
  Apparently one Breguet 14T transport was also acquired by the Imperial Japanese Army.
• Persia: In 1924 the Air Officer of the Imperial Iranian Army bought various French airplanes, among them three Breguet 14A.2. It's unknown how long they served, but they were most likely replaced in the late 1920s/early 1930s.
• Siam/Thailand: As Siam was part of the Allied Occupation Force of the Rhineland, some Siamese pilots flew the Breguet 14 during the war, in French squadrons. Those pilots returned to Bangkok in August 1919, taking some Br.14A.2 and B.2 with them. The Siamese Br.14s were based at Don Muang and were assigned to the 2nd (General Purpose) Group of the 1st and 2nd Wings of the Siamese Army Aviation Division first and the Royal Siamese Air Division later. The 1st Wing was employed for reconnaissance and topographic works, and the 2nd was used for passenger and air transport over north-eastern Thailand. 
  Some few Br.14s were produced locally with Renault engines in 1924, however, as the prices of those engines raised, the Royal Siamese Army considered the production of a new bomber, which was eventually built as the Boripatra bomber, based indirectly on the Br.14B.2.
  The production of the Br.14 was resumed when the prices of the Renault engines were reasonable again and they were kept in active until 1933, when the American Vought V.100 was produced locally. 
  The 2nd Wing, equipped with Br.14T transports, flew scheduled air-mail flights on the north-eastern regions of the country, leaving the city of Ubon every Tuesday and returning every Thursday. Although being a mail service, some individuals in need of medical care were also carried, as well as medicines. The Royal Siamese Family was so impressed by these flights, that they assisted in raising the funds to purchase a Br.14S ambulance airplane which remained in active service until 1936 (though some sources claim it was until 1937 or even 1938) and by the year 1940 they were still being used as target tugs, making them the last operational users of the Br.14 anywhere in the world.
• Turkey: During the Greco-Turkish War (AKA Asia Minor Campaign, AKA Turkish War of Independence) two Br.14A.2s were captured from the Greeks in September 1921 and August 1922 and employed by the Turkish National Movement.
  After the war, Turkey bought sixteen Breguet 14A.2 plus other 16 Breguet 14B.2s in 1923. The machines were shipped disassembled, so they had to be reassembled at Gaziemir in December 1924.
  The B.2 bombers were assigned to two bombing companies, and served until 1933 when they were replaced by Breguet 19s (though some sources claim it was in 1926), while the A.2s were assigned to other two recon companies and served until 1935 when they replaced by French-built Potez 25s and Czechoslovak Letov S-16Ts.

Sources:

1st Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bréguet_14

3rd https://www.iiaf.net/history/iiaf.html

4th https://www.ne.jp/asahi/airplane/museum/nakajima/nakajima-1e.html

5th http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/kurtulus/breguet14a2.asp

6th http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-eastasia/thailand/thai-manu-history1.htm