After the Great War, the Breguet 14 was kept in active service until mid 1920s, the type being employed in various French colonial campaigns, such as Syria, Morocco or even Indochina.
An ad-hoc variant, called Breguet 14 AE and registered as F-AEEZ was designed specifically to be used in the French colonies. It flew for the first time in 1920. The Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Air Arm created back in 1912) had around 100 Breguet 14 in service in the year 1922. The reconnaissance units assigned to the Aviation d'Escadre were equipped with the Breguet 14A.2, while other Breguet 14s were assigned to training units at Saint-Cyr, Rochefort, Hourtin and Sidi-Ahmed. Although they were not assigned to the Béarn (France's first aircraft carrier), they served as trainers for the carrier-designed Levasseur PL.4 recon-bomber that served aboard the Béarn.
During the early 1920s the Breguet 14 was gradually being replaced by more modern types in metropolitan France. Some units replaced the type with the Potez 15, but most of them received the Breguet 19.
By 1926 there were still 376 Breguet 14A.2, 340 B.2s and 95 Tbis Ambulance still in service with the Aéronautique Militaire based in mainland France. By the late 1920s, however, they were already replaced by either Breguet 19, Potez 15 or Potez 25.
The Breguet 14 saw also service in Morocco. Apparently the whole 37e Régiment Aérienne Observation (RAO - Aerial Observation Regiment), composed by ten escadrilles, employed Breguet 14A.2s, B.2s and Tbis when deployed in the Moroccan region. Four escadrilles of the 37e RAO took part in the conquest of Ouezzane, in the context of the Rif War. During 1922 and 1923 all units of the 37e RAO were used in operations around the Moyen-Atlas border, with two ambulance escadrilles, equipped with both with Br.14Ss and Br.14Tbis evacuated up to 870 stretcher cases.
Escadrille 7, 8 and 10 saw action in 1924 to help deal with uprisings in Northern Morocco in support of French troops, outposts and forts in the context of the Rif War.
One of the escadrilles that took part in this campaign was the so called escadrille Chériffienne, which was an unit composed by American volunteers. This unit helped the Aéronautique Militaire in their war against the Rifian rebels and was attached to the Moroccan Royal Guard or Garde Chérifienne (hence the nickname and the symbol - the Moroccan Star - of the unit).
The escadrille Chérifienne was activated on 7th August 1925 and operated seven Breguet 14B.2 bombers and was assisted by a ground crew of 59 French men. They were based at the town of Beni Malek (Northern Morocco) and the unit took part in the bombardment of city of Chefchaouen on 17th September 1925 to drive Jebala people out of the war as the city was considered holy by that tribe. This unit was part of the French occupation forces in Morocco on 15th October 1925 and was disbanded on 15th November 1925.
By mid 1925 the insurrection in the northern region was stopped but it was revived later that same year. Again eight bombing/observation escadrilles plus two ambulance ones were deployed in action, all them equipped with the Breguet 14. Four additional Breguet 14 escadrilles were also deployed in the Southern Front which were complemented with six Breguet 14 autonomous escadrilles brought from Algeria and Tunisia, two escadrilles from the 11e RAO in France. Two units, escadrilles 5 and 6, were transferred from the south to the north to serve as temporal replacements.
The escadrille Chérifienne was activated on 7th August 1925 and operated seven Breguet 14B.2 bombers and was assisted by a ground crew of 59 French men. They were based at the town of Beni Malek (Northern Morocco) and the unit took part in the bombardment of city of Chefchaouen on 17th September 1925 to drive Jebala people out of the war as the city was considered holy by that tribe. This unit was part of the French occupation forces in Morocco on 15th October 1925 and was disbanded on 15th November 1925.
By mid 1925 the insurrection in the northern region was stopped but it was revived later that same year. Again eight bombing/observation escadrilles plus two ambulance ones were deployed in action, all them equipped with the Breguet 14. Four additional Breguet 14 escadrilles were also deployed in the Southern Front which were complemented with six Breguet 14 autonomous escadrilles brought from Algeria and Tunisia, two escadrilles from the 11e RAO in France. Two units, escadrilles 5 and 6, were transferred from the south to the north to serve as temporal replacements.
In September 1925 two Br.14A.2 from the 32e RAO, based in Algeria, were also sent to Morocco. The units based in northern Morocco flew a total of 5.500 sorties from July 1925 to January 1926. During the spring 1926 the 37e RAO continued to support the occupying ground troops in the Rif. The Battle of Taza pocket saw intense action of the Br.14B.2s as a total of 12 tons of bombs were dropped allowing the French troops to retake the city.
When the Moroccan campaign ended in June 1927 the 37e RAO was composed by ten escadrilles: 1e, based at Beni-Malek, 2e, based at Taza, 3e, based at Bou-Denib, 4e, based at Beni-Malek, 5e, based at Marrakech, 6e, based at Kasbah-Tadla, 7e and 8e, both based at Meknes, 9e, based at Assaka and 10e based at Fez.
Most of those escadrilles were equipped with either the Br.14A.2, Br.14B.2, Br.14S or the Br.14Tbis. However, by the next year they were replaced by Breguet 19A.2s Br.19B.2s or the Breguet 26T (the transport variant of the Br.19).
Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bréguet_14
2nd Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War
3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escadrille_Cherifienne
4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardment_of_Chefchaouen
