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

Avro 504K - European Users, Part One

As the Avro 504K was one of the most produced World War I airplanes, it was widely used by many European countries, we're covering them with this post.

• Belgium: First presented to the Belgian authorities in 1920 at the airfield of Evere, it convinced the Belgian observers who ordered six of them which were delivered from April 1921 onwards. The third and final delivery was made in late 1921 making fifty machines delivered from British sources. In 1924 the Belgian company SABCA built some some additional licensed machines. They were used in the flying schools of Asch and Wevelgem as well as in the liaison role serving with different squadrons and groups. They were replaced in 1929 by the Avro 504N which was a much refined version of the 504K.
• Denmark: Danske Luftfartselskab company, the Danish Airline Company bought some Avro 504K in the United Kingdom on 1919 but, as they never used them, they were sold to the Royal Danish Army who adquired two additional airplanes which were used until 1931 when they were replaced by the Avro 504N. The Royal Danish Navy, bought six of them in 1920 which were also replaced by the 504N in 1931.
• Finland: The Finnish government bought one 504K for evaluation (which is nowadays preserved at the Tikkakoski air base's museum) in as late as 1926. It was extenisvely used until November 1930 when it was written off.
• Estonia: The Estonian government bought seven airplanes in order to equip their training squadrons in 1921. They weren't manufactured by Avro itself but by one of their delegated companies, Grahame-White. They were replaced by the Avro 504R on 1928.
• Germany: The Germans managed to capture some Avro 504K during the World War I. Not very much is known about the fate of these airplanes beyond some pics of the era.
• Greece: Greece got some small number of Avro 504K airplanes after the World War I which were used to train pilots at their school of Dekeleia during the Turkish independence war. It's known that some of them were also destined to the Turkish city of Izmir. They were replaced in 1925 by the Avro 504N.

Sources:

1. http://www.belgian-wings.be/webpages/navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/interbellum/Avro%20504K/Avro%20504K%20Frontpage.html

2. http://www.natureandtech.com/?cat=121

3. http://www.avro504.org/ActualAircraft.html

4. http://greek-war-equipment.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/1920-1936-avro-504.html

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

Armstrong Whitworth Siskin Mk.IIIA - Foreign Users

The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the 1920s that was used by some foreign users, Canada and Estonia, more precisely.

The Royal Canadian Air Force used the Sisikin from 1926 until 1939. They were sent in 1926 to be tested under winter flying conditions, equipped with skis instead of regular wheels and the original modified type was piloted by Clenell H. Dickins. It was considered as a very advanced airplanes fighter for the time and the RCAF eventually bought them and they were assigned to the Flight No.1 based at Camp Borden and Trenton, in Ontario.
In 1937 the Flight was reformed and it became the No.1 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force and was moved from Trenton and Borden to Calgary, in Alberta.

It remained active with that unit until 1939 when, due to the outbreak of the war, it was replaced by the more modern Hawker Hurricane.
It also equipped the first RCAF flight demonstration unit, the Siskin Air Demonstration team, nicknamed 'The Siskins'.

Apparently, Estonia also purchased some Siskins, not the fighter ones, but the trainer one, the Siskin IIIDC, which was a two-seater. However further details about those airplanes under Estonian command are unknown.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armstrong_Whitworth_Siskin
2. http://www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/aircraftDetail.php?SISKIN-6
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters.

SPAD S.VII - First entry, foreign users vol. 1

We start this series of entries with another heavyweight of the Great War: The SPAD S.VII

The SPAD S.VII was the first of a successful saga of French biplane fighters. It was designed by Louis Béchereau and was produced by the Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) (Society for aviations and it's derivatives). It was renowned for being a sturdy and hard to destroy airplane with good climbing and diving characteristics. It was also good as a gun platform although apparently it was too heavy and less maneouvrable than the contemporaneous Nieuport fighters. Many famous WW1 aces like Guynemer, Baracca or Pentland flew it.

As it was widely used both in the Great war and in the aftermaths it suffered many small field modifications, being the most notorious one the inclusion of skis by the Russian DUX factory.

This entry covers the usage by the next countries:

• Argentina: Bought two aircraft for evaluation purposes.
• Belgium: Widely used by their national aviation corps (Aviation Militaire) during World War I and the post-war period. Most precisely it was used by the 5éme and 10éme escadrilles (5th and 10th squadrons).
• Brazil: Used by their national military aviation service (Serviço de Aviação Militar) in 1920.
• Chile: Another evaluation-only user. The colours are speculative as we couldn't find any photographic or visual evidence.
• Czechoslovakia: One of the main post-war users. It constituted the backbone of the very early Czechoslovak Army Air Force (Československé Letectvo) and some of them were employed during the brief Polish-Czechoslovak war of 1919.
• Estonia: It's been said that some captured ex-Russian airplanes were among the first airplanes that formed the Estonian aviation regiment in the aftermath of the Great War. Just like Chile we couldn't find any supporting evidence and therefore the colours are speculative
• Finland: Finland used DUX-built airplanes in both versions, with skis and without them. However they didn't see action during the Finnish civil war of 1918, as far as we know.
• Imperial Germany: Germany captured various airplanes during 1917, mostly from the French SPA 31 unit and SPA 65. Most of the SPA 31 retained the unit insignia when flying with their new German-owners.