Breguet 14. French Users. Part six.

 

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. 

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

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

Breguet 14, part seven. European Users, part four.

 

The Bréguet 14 was a French biplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the World War I that was widely used during and after that conflict. France was its main user, but the type also saw service abroad, in the following countries:

• Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic: Six Bre.14B.2 were captured by Bolshevik troops in 1919 in Yekaterinodar, Kuban region, during the Russian Civil War. Almost all of them were damaged, but its known that at least three were used operationally in Southern Front, at the Caucasus. After the war, the surviving machines were assigned to a reconnaissance regiment based in Moscow. 
  
  
• Spain: In July 1919 a first batch of Br.14A.2 arrived in Spain as part of a French military mission. A total of eight machines were purchased, all of them powered by the Renault 12F engine.
  The first two Br.14A.2s were assigned to the Tetuan Escuadrilla (Tétouan Flight), where both machines were employed in combat missions. In 1921 one Br.14A.2 powered by a Fiat A.12bis engine was bought. This new engine was preferred as it was cheaper than the Renault 12F. These new machines arrived in time to take part in the initial stages of the Moroccan campaign, where they operated from Seville. 
  Later, in 1921 there were two Grupos (Groups - Squadron-sized units) operating the Br.14 from African soil. The Grupo Nº1 (Group No.1), based at Tétouan and the Grupo Nº2 (Group No.2) based at Larache, south of Tétouan. Each Grupo had one Escuadrilla (Flight) equipped with a Fiat-powered Br.14. In 1923 a third Escuadrilla was added to Grupo Nº1 and was stationed at Larache.
  Later, in 1923 the Grupo de Sevilla (Seville Group) was formed with Fiat-engined Br.14s and was redesignated as 22º Grupo (22nd Group) in February 1927. This unit employed the Br.14s until 1931 when they were replaced by the locally-built Loring R-III.
  An independent Grupo Expedicionario (Expeditionary Group) composed entirely of Br.14s operated in the Melilla and Tétouan areas, but, in 1926 it was assigned back to Grupo Nº1. That same year, Grupo Nº2 returned to Larache and a detachment was created to be sent to the Ifni province. This detachment was later assigned to Grupo Nº3. In October 1926 an unknown number of Fiat-engined Br.14s was sent to Armilla airfield, in Granada, to be assigned to Grupo Nº1 in February 1927, where they remained until 1930 when they were replaced by Breguet 19s. 
  The Fiat engine, although cheaper was unsatisfactory and some machines were modified to fit the 360hp Rolls-Royce VIII engine. These conversions were carried out at the aircraft park in Seville. The two Escuadrillas of Grupo Nº3, based at Larache, were the first ones to receive such modified machines in 1927.  This unit employed those Br.14s just in time to take part in the last aerial operations of the Rif War. 
  Overall the Br.14s remained in service until 1931 when they were replaced by either the Loring R-III or the Breguet 19. From 1928 to 1931 the Escuadrilla Sahariana (Sahara Flight) was equipped with the Rolls-Royce-powered Br.14s. 
  A single Br.14 was also fitted with a 300hp Hispano-Suiza 8F engine. This modification also took place in Seville but, on 17th November 1929 the prototype crashed killing its pilot.
  A total of 140 Br.14s were employed by Spain, and none of them seem to have been built locally.
  
  
• Sweden: In 1923 Swedish Prince Carl bought a Breguet 14Tbis that was refitted in France to be used as an aerial ambulance. This machine, registered as S-ASAA, could be fitted with both floaters or wheels and was donated to the Swedish Red Cross, it was flown by Ferdinand Cornelius (famous Swedish pilot of the time) and it was based at the town of Boden, north of Sweden where it was employed to save lives of the many people living in difficult-to-reach areas in the Swedish Northern Wilderlands.
  
  
• Yugoslavia: When the Yugoslav Royal Army Aviation Department (YRAAD - forerunner of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force) was created in November 1918, twenty-four Br.14A.2 and Br.14B.2s were inherited from the French Escadrille BR.525, which was disbanded and its machines passed on to the Serbian Army, which was also the forerunner of the YRAAD. Twelve additional machines were also acquired when the French Armée de l'Orient left the region. These were followed by 25 more, bought directly from France, in the early 1920s. 
  This last batch included not just Br.14A.2/B.2s but also the Br.14E2 trainer and the Br.14S ambulance variants. In 1923 one aircraft was locally converted into the transport variant with an enclosed cabin and provision for two passengers.
  The Br.14s were powered by the Renault Fcx engine, yielding 300 hp of power. One aircraft was locally fitted with a Fiat A.12 engine and another one with a 260 hp Maybach MbIVa . They were progressively replaced from 1923 onwards, mainly by the Breguet 19. Some machines made it to the year 1932, when their engines were replaced by the Lorraine-Dietrich engine, rated at 400 hp, hoping to enlength their operational life. However, they could only last until the early-to-mid 1930s, when they were definitelly withdrawn from service.

Sources:

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

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

3rd Windsock Datafile Special - Breguet 14

4th http://www.avrosys.nu/aircraft/Flygkomp/21Breguet.htm

5th http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/yugo/jkrv/types/breguet_14.htm

Breguet 14, part five. European Users, part two.

 

The Breguet 14 was a French biplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the World War I, that was mass produced during and after that conflict. France was its main user, but the type saw service with many other users all around the world, among them, the following ones:

• Estonia: Apparently the Estonian Aviation Regiment, belonging to the First Estonian Republic, had one Br.14 in service during the early 1920s. We couldn't, however, find further information, so both the and the registration, should be considered as speculative. 
  
  
• Finland: Finland bought a total of 22 Br.14A.2s between 1919 and 1921. They were assigned to Flying Division 1, based at Utti, for reconnaissance duties and Flying Division 2 for bomber duties based at Viipuri. In 1923 one machine was fitted with floats , acquired directly from France, and tested at a lake. By 1927 every Br.14 was already been phased out. As Finland's IVL company had a license to manufacture the Hansa-Brandenburg W.33, that was powered by the same Fiat A-12 model that the exported Br.14s were powered by, some few machines were fitted with Lamblin radiators, plus a modified rounder nose in 1922, however, it proved to be too problematic and it wasn't continued. As we couldn't find graphical information about the Lamblin-equipped Finnish Br.14, the colours should be considered as speculative. 
  
  
• Greece: The Greek Government bought enough Br.14B.2s to equip a squadron. They entered service in Greece in November 1917 with the 532 Mira Vomvarthismou ke Anagnorisseos (532rd Bombing and Reconnaissance Squadron) and saw action against Bulgarians during the Battle of Skra-di-Legen by bombing enemy positions along the Axios river. 
  A second squadron, 533 Mira Dioxes (533th Fighter Squadron) was formed in June 1918 composed by a mixture of Dorand A.R.1 and Breguet 14A.2s. By late 1918 the total amount of Br.14s serving with the Hellenic Army Air Service was 12, both A.2 and B.2s. In April 1919, following a reorganization, both 523 and 533 Miras, were renamed to "A" and "C" Miras and a detachment, brought from those two units, was sent to Turkey to take part in the Greco-Turkish War, together with the Royal Hellenic Navy's Airco DH-9s. "A" Mira remained in Orestias, which back then was part of Greece, and "C" Mira was sent to Turkey, where it flew various reconnaissance missions and tactical bombing missions over Ankara. However, due to fear of reprisals from local Turkish population, they saw limited action in the tactical bomber role.
  By late August 1919 both A and C Miras returned to mainland Greece, after providing aerial cover for the Greek withdrawal. Both Miras saw action again during the Revolution of Chios, in September 1922.
  Later, in 1923 another Mira was formed, "E Mira Dioxes" ("E" Fighter Squadron) and, among other types, it had a single Br.14A2 in strength. It was formed just in case the Greco-Turkish hostilities escalated again, but it was disbanded in July 1924. After these series of events, every Mira was regrouped into a single one, named "A Mira Aeroplanon and were equipped both with Nieuport Nighthawks and Breguet 14s, until 1925 when the Breguet 19 replaced the Br.14s.
  
  
• Italy: Some machines (the actual number is unknown) were sent to Italy during 1918, according to some photos. They received Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare (Military Air Corps) markings and tested at Montecelio (nowadays Guidonia) before being assigned to 29a Squadriglia (29th Flight).
  They were powered by Fiat A-12 engines and it's known that Mario de Bernardi, famous Italian ace and racer, flew one Br.14 in April 1921
  

Sources:

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

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

3rd Windsock Datafile Special - Breguet 14

4th https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breguet_Bre_14 (translated)

Further reading about the Breguet 14 in Finnish service

http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2History-Bregue14.html