Supermarine Spitfire. European Users, part six. The Spitfire in French hands, part two.

 

More Free French Spitfire units:

• Groupe de Chasse II/7 "Nice"/No.326 Squadron: This squadron switched sides from Vichy France to the Allies during the Tunisian Campaign , where it received the Spitfire Mk. V in March 1943, and took part in the liberation of Corsica, where it was officially formed into a Royal Air Force's squadron, as No.326 Squadron in the village of Calvi on 1st December 1943. The squadron followed the Allied through Southern France & Germany as part of the Free French Forces until the end of the war in Europe and it was transferred to the French Air Force in November 1945. 
  It operated the Spitfire Mk. V until April 1944, when the Mk. V was replaced by the Mk. IX, though some few Mk. V were kept until October 1944. 
• Groupe de Chasse I/3 "Corse/No.327 Squadron: This squadron was reformed at Oran La Senia air base, as it switched sides. In May 1943 they received the Spitfire Mk. V through the liberation of Corsica. On 1st December, together with G.C. II/7 (No.326 Sqn.) and G.C I/7 "Provence" (No.328 Sqn) they formed a wing, which took part in the Allied invasion of Southern France and its subsequent advance into Germany.
  They operated the Spitfire Mk. V together with the Mk. IX  and the Mk. IXe until the end of the war, with the exception of the Mk. V which were discarded in September 1944. 
  In June 1944 they also operated the Mk. VIII which kept them until May 1945, as the unit reverted back to the Mk. IX. On 1st November 1945 it was fully transferred to the Armée de l'Air.
• Groupe de Chasse I/7 "Provence"/No.328 Squadron: This squadron was reformed in Algeria and received the Spitfire Mk. V in September 1943. On 1st December it was taken into RAF's command and was also known as No.328 Squadron, which together with the other Nos. 326 and 327, formed a Free French Fighter wing operating from Corsica. They covered the Allied invasion of Southern France and its subsequent advance into Alsace/Lorraine and Germany supporting French First Army. They were transferred to the Armée de l'Air together with many other units in November 1945.
  They operated the Spitfire Mk. V from September 1943 until September 1944 and both the Mk. IX and Mk. VIII from July and August 1944 respectively, until August 1945.
• Groupe de Chasse II/18 "Saintonge": This squadron, was initially equipped with the  good but obsolete Dewoitine D.520. They were reformed at Toulouse and received the Spitfire Mk. V in March 1945. They were kept as a rear-guard unit. They were however, employed as a ground support unit in the Operation Indépendance, the Allied invasion of the Royan Pocket, from 14th to 19th April 1945.
• Groupe de Reconnaissance II/33 "Savoie": This unit operated the Spitfire Mk. V from March 1944 and saw action, as a fighter-recon unit, during the Allied invasion of Southern Italian peninsula, Liberation of Corsica and the Allied advance into Southern France. They were not sent into Germany and, instead served as a rear-guard unit in Dijon, Lyon and Luxeuil. In January 1945 the Spitfire Mk. Vs were replaced with the American Lockheed F-5 Lightning, the reconnaissance variant of the P-38.

As you could've deducted, dear reader, as the end of the war was approaching, French units began to abandon RAF's structure as many new units were created directly under the command of the Free French Air Force, such as Groupe de Reconnaissance II/33 or Groupe de Chasse II/18. 
After the war, and as part of the Anglo-French agreement of November 1945, every French RAF squadron officially adopted only French names and were transferred to the new re-built Armée de l'Air (French Air Force). During this re-organization, G.C. II/2 "Berry" was merged with G.C. I/2 "Cicognes", G.C. II/18 into G.C. III/2 and G.C. IV/2 Île de France was disbanded.
After the war, France acquire officially 242 Spitfire Mk. IX and 65 Mk V. However, it is known that, thanks to the Anglo-French treaty, more than 400 Spitfires of every mark were in the ranks of the post-war Armée de l'Air. This difference in numbers comes from repaired aircraft left at airfields in both North Africa and mainland France.
In Autumn 1945 48 French Spitfire Mk IXs were sent to Indochina, which, at the time, was under temporal British control. Until the delivery was completed, the British had loaned the local French authorities 12 Spitfire Mk. VIII.
French Indochina kept its French colonial administration under Japanese control until March 1945, when the Japanese set up a coup d'etat in order to maintain a direct control on the region. Only when the colonial French government pledged allegiance to the Government of Gen. de Gaulle, the Japanese proclaimed an independent puppet-state in Indochina under the formal denomination of "Empire of Vietnam". Following the decisions taken at the Potsdam Conference, the capitulation of Japanese forces south of 16th parallel in Indochina was undertaken by British troops and by Chinese troops, north of 16th parallel.

In this political situation the Chinese showed themselves as supporters of the Viet Minh, a left-wing Vietnamese pro-independence organization, and on the day of Japanese capitulation, September 2nd 1945, China recognized the "Democratic Republic of Vietnam" with Ho Chi Minh (ruler of the Viet Minh) as independent from France. This went against the international agreements which granted France full control over Indochina so, in September 1945 the British handed over the administration of their territories to the French. This sparkled resistance from the local population, specially in the north, inspired by both Chiang Kai Shek and Mao Tse Dong. In December 1945 the French took important strategic positions in the Saigon area and began operations (code named "Giaur") to release garrisons in the interior, which were besieged by the insurgent Viet Minh troops.

It was during this period of time that, under the command of Colonel Pierre Fay, a French Air Force in Indochina was established called "Groupement de Marche du Extreme Orient". It operated between November 1945 and January 1951 and was composed by various Escade de Chasse, comprised by two squadrons which rotated.

These were:

• 1ére Escadre de Chasse (November 1945 - August 1946)
• G.C. I/7 "Provence"
• G.C. II/7 "Nice"
• 2éme Escadre de Chasse (August 1946 - September 1947)
• G.C. I/2 "Cicognes"
• G.C. III/2 "Alsace"
• 4eme Escadre de Chasse (September 1947 - November 1948)
• G.C. I/4 "Dauphine"
• G.C. II/4 "La Fayette"
• 3eme Escadre de Chasse (November 1948 - April 1950)
• G.C. I/3 "Navarre"
• G.C. II/3 "Champagne"
• 6eme Escadre de Chasse (April 1950 - January 1951)
• G.C. I/6 "Corse"

In April 1950 3eme Escadre de Chasse was relieved by only one squadron flying Spitfires, which was the result of equipment replacement. Note that those rotations only affected ground staff and the planes remained the same and after almost five year of continuous service in tropical conditions, it was time to replace the Spitfire Mk. IXs with something more modern. The Spitfire in Indochina was exclusively used as a ground support aircraft. 

During the post-war, in French mainland and French North Africa, both Spitfires Mk. V and Mk. IXs were employed to train fighter pilots of both the Armée de l'Air and the Aéronavale (French Naval Aviation).
Apart from the Spitfires, France also acquired 141 Seafire Mk. III between 1946 and 1948 and 15 Seafire Mk. XV in mid 1949. They were employed until 1950 in two naval aviation units which were initially going to be equipped with the SNCAC NC.900 which was the French post-war copy of the German Focke-Wulf Fw.190. 
During the post-war French Seafires were only employed for combat duties once: during the winter of 1948 to 1949, a single squadron of Seafire Mk. IIIs of the 1ere Flotille (1st Flotilla) on board of Arromanches carrier first and Bien Hoa Air Base later, took part in hostilities off the coast of Indochina.
It is worth pointing that both Spitfires and Seafires kept their RAF registration numbers while serving with France.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators#France

2nd AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 40 - Supermarine Spitfire Part 3 (translated)

3rd http://www.cieldegloire.fr/gc_2_07.php (translated)

4th http://www.cieldegloire.fr/gc_1_07.php#provence (translated)

5th http://www.cieldegloire.fr/gc_1_03.php#corse (translated)

6th https://www.rafweb.org/Squadrons/Sqn310-347.htm

7th https://www.traditions-air.fr/unit/escadron/groupe_reco.htm#GR03302 (translated)

8th https://www.traditions-air.fr/unit/escadron/3C2-4C1.htm#3C219441201

Miles M.25 Martinet. Part One, Foreign Users

 

The Miles M.25 Martinet was a target tug aircraft that served with many users, among them, the following ones:

• Belgium: A total of 9 Martinet were ordered by the Belgian Air Force to be used at the Fighter School of Koksijde, West Flanders. All of them were delivered in 1947. However, two machines were in bad shape that they were refused by the Belgians and were replaced by two other Martinets. Initially they served with a ghost unit (IE a de-facto unit) that didn't exist on paper and gathered all available aircraft for the fighter school. They were in active until being replaced by the De Havilland Mosquito TT.Mk.35, the target tug variant, in the early 1950s.
• France: The French Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) employed a total of 41 Martinet TT.1 at many of their Aerial Schools. These were delivered between 1945 and 1948 and, according to some sources, were kept in active until 1958. 
• Greece: Actually, Greece didn't have Martinets, however, some efforts were made to sell some surplus Martinets as artillery spotters, general observations or even close support to the Royal Hellenic Air Force. Eventually they were not sold, however, we drew an hypothetical-looking version of the Martinet serving with the Greeks.
• Ireland: Two Martinet TT.Mk.1 were delivered in 1946 to the Irish Air Corps. They were probably replaced later, during the 1950s by other type of aircraft.
• Portugal: In September 1943 ten Martinets were supplied to the Portuguese Arma da Aeronáutica Militar (Military Aeronautics Arm-AAM). Six were employed by the AAM and four by the Forças Aéreas da Armada (Navy Air Forces).
  When the Força Aérea Portuguesa (FAP) was established in 1952 the Martinets were still in active service, and were transferred to the FAP, however soon after, they were replaced. 
• Sweden: A Swedish regional airline called Svensk Flygtjänst AB bought 9 Martinets and employed 8 of them as tugs between the years 1946 and 1951.
• Turkey: In March 1945 seven Martinets were supplied to the Turkish Military Aviation. They were supplemented by 12 additional ones in the following months. They were used as target tugs in various regiments until they were eventually replaced by the North American Texan in 1948.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Martinet

2. https://www.belgian-wings.be/miles-m-25-martinet-tt-1

3. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/91078-portuguese-miles-martinets

4. http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/1923ve50/miles-master.asp

5. Scale Aircraft Modelling - vol.19 nº08 (1997.10) - Miles Military Trainers

6. Putnam - Miles Aircraft

Miles M.9 Master. Part two. More Foreign Users

 

The Miles M.9 Master was a British two-seat monoplane advanced trainer which was designed and built by Miles Aviation Company. It was used mainly by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) but some other users also employed the type, among them, the following ones:

• Belgium: One Master II ,which previously belonged to the RAF (Belgian) training school at Snailwell (Cambridgeshire), was used as a ground instructional airframe at the Technical School of Saffraanberg in February 1946. Most likely this machine was destroyed in a fire that took place at the school two years later on 8th August 1948. The remains were scrapped as it didn't reappear in inventory when the school reopened at Tongeren.
• France: A small number of Master II were used by the French Armée de l'Air in Morocco from 1946 to 1948 serving in various piloting schools set up there. Odd enough, they bore RAF style markings and roundels but in French tones of red white and blue. 
  Some Master III (a version powered by the 825hp Pratt & Whitney engine) were also used by the École de Pilotage (Flying School) at the city of Cognac during 1947 and 1948. They were used as interim machines until the North American T-6 Texan were supplied in numbers. 
• Ireland: A total of twelve former RAF Master II were purchased by the Irish Air Corps. Six in 1943 and other six in 1945. They were employed as trainers until 1949, when it was decided to replace them by the Percival P.56 Provost in the 1950s.
• Portugal: As part of a treaty to use Azores Islands as bases, two Master III were delivered to Lisbon on 10th October 1941. These were followed by eight additional ones delivered during the month of April 1942. 
  The Masters were assigned to the Base Aérea Nº1 (No.1 Air Base) at Sintra, Lisbon, to train their pilots from fixed landing gear aircraft to retractable ones. In September 1942 two Masters were sent to Lajes Air Base, in the Azores, to train their pilots, as the old Gloster Gladiators based there were to be replaced by the Supermarine Spitfire. 
  In September 1943 four additional Master II were delivered by the United Kingdom and were assigned to Sintra Air Base. The Miles Masters in Portugal were kept in active service until 1950 (though some sources claim their use was stretched until 1958).

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Master

2. https://www.belgian-wings.be/miles-master-ii

3. https://www.traditions-air.fr/unit/ecole_centre/31500.htm (translated)

4. http://avions-de-la-guerre-d-algerie.over-blog.com/article-les-miles-master-et-martinet-116685844.html (translated)

5. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/user/every/ireland-af-all-time-aircraft-used-listing.htm

6.https://altimagem.blogspot.com/2013/02/59-miles-master.html (translated)

Caudron C.440 'Goéland'. Home Users Part Two.

 

The Caudron C.445 model, which would eventually, be the most produced variant, began in 1939 and continued during German occupation, at Renault's factory in the Seine department, close to Paris. A total of 690 Goélands were manufactured for the Luftwaffe alone, which, as we already saw it, used the type in the trainer, transport and liaison roles.

Under Vichy's government, the Goéland constituted the backbone of the Services Civils de liaisons aériennes metropolitaines (Metropolitan Air Connection Civil Service - the official paramilitary airline of Vichy France) and its subsidiaries in the French West Africa and Algeria. A dedicated variant of the C.445 - called C.445EF - was made for the Vichy French Air Force, of which just 120 exemplars were manufactured between 1942 and 1943. 

The next major version was the C.449 which was manufactured at Ateliers Aéronautiques in Issy-les-Molineaux, in the Seine department, close to Paris, after the liberation. The main user of this variant was the Aéronavale (French Navy's Air Arm) which employed the type from 1945 onwards (they also have been using some C.445 since 1943). The Aéronavale used the C.445 and C.449 until 1954, for liaison and training purposes in various units and they served also with the Escadrilles (Squadron) 51.S and 55.S plus many flying schools located in Morocco. A total of 349 exemplars of this variant were made, though, according to other sources, that number falls to 325. They were manufactured between the years 1944 and 1948. 

After the war, Air France acquired several Goélands for pilot and crew training and night postal services. On 1st January 1946, there were 23 C.445 and 19 C.449 serving with this French airline. They would be, however, sold, loaned or ceded to other operators and most of them were transferred to Madagascar and the French North Africa.

Some other minor French airlines like Air Azur also employed the type after the war and it was reportedly, also employed by the Beglian SABENA airline. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudron_C.440_Goéland

2. https://aviatechno.net/vilgenis/46-49/caudron440.php (translated)

3. https://aeronavale.org/lhistoire-de-laeronautique-navale/les-avions/ (translated)

4. https://www.valka.cz/Caudron-C-440-Goeland-t168115 (translated)

Mitsubishi Ki-21, foreign users

 

The Mitsubishi Ki-21 was a Japanese twin-engined bomber which took part in the World War II. Its main user was Japan, however, it was used by some other users:

• France: After the War, some few Ki-21 were used in Indochina by the French Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) during the First Indochina War. They were originally Ki-21-IIb bombers converted ad-hoc into transports with their defensive armament removed. These machines were very worn out so their usage through that conflict wasn't very prolonged and they were most likely, replaced. 
• Manchukuo: The Manchukuo Imperial Air Force had 6 Ki-21-Ia bombers in strength in the year 1941. They were assigned to 2nd Air Unit, based in Fengtian, but, most probably, they were not used very much and were either destroyed on ground or left to rot. 
• Thailand: Nine Ki-21-IIa bombers were sold to the Kingdom of Thailand in 1940 to be used by the Royal Thai Air Force against the Vichy French forces in Indochina. However they couldn't take part in the Franco-Thai War as crews didn't complete training in time. They were part of the 62nd Squadron and were based at Don Muang, in Bangkok. In 1942, when the Japanese Army invaded Burma, the Thai Army invaded the Shan States, using their Ki-21 extensively against the defending Chinese forces. Two Thai Ki-21s were lost on air raids on 2nd May 1943 and 30th November 1944 when they were based in Lampang, North-West of Thailand. The remaining seven were kept in active after the war and it wasn't until 1949 that they were written off service and were immediately scrapped.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-21

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchukuo_Imperial_Air_Force

3. https://www.traditions-air.fr

4. http://wings-aviation.ch/51-Profiles/M/M-Basis-en.htm (translated)

Junkers Ju.52/3m - Amiot AAC.1 Toucan

 

The Amiot AAC.1 Toucan was a French copy of the Junkers Ju.52/3m which was manufactured after the World War 2. 

During the war, Amiot's factories in Colombes (located close to Paris) manufactured hundreds of Ju.52/3m on behalf of the Luftwaffe. After the war, in order to re-equip the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) and, to make it affordable, the French government opted to take advantage of the available stocks and the acquired skills to relaunch aircraft production. Therefore, a total of approximately 400 Amiot AAC.1 Toucan (AAC stands for Ateliers Aéronautiques de Colombes) were manufactured between late 1944 and 1947/1948 and receiving serial numbers from number 001 onwards.

Compared to its original German counterpart, the Toucan never featured any defensive armament, the landing gear's reinforcement was never present and further minor changes were made also. 

The main users of the Ju.52/3m (the original German one, not the Toucan) in France were both the Armée de l'Air and the Aéronautique Navale as they employed captured German machines or even bought from other Allied countries. These machines were also named as Toucan, however, in order to distinguish an original German from a Toucan, an extra digit was added to the serial number (ex. 1001 stood for the first original German one). This was done arbitrarily, without taking into consideration the original German serial number.

The main user of the Toucan was the Armée de l'Air, with at least 216 machines in active, flying with different units. 

In fact, the Toucan flew with every transport unit located in mainland France. One unit, Groupe de Transport (GT) III/15 'Maine', was equipped both with the Toucan and the Douglas C-47. Based at Bourget airport, in Paris, this unit took part, together with other C-47 equipped transport units like, GT II/15 'Anjou' or GT I/15 'Touraine' in the repatriation of French prisoners and deportees in Germany. 

The GT IV/15 'Poitou' was equipped with the Toucan in 1946. The following year twenty of them were deployed in Madagascar to counter the rebels present there. Here, some Toucans acted as makeshift bombers delivering a payload of one ton.

The Toucan took part too in the first years of the First Indochina War, specially with the GM III/64 'Tonkin', GT I/64 'Béarn' and GT II/52 'Franche-Compté'. The GSRA (Groupes sahariens de reconnaissance et d'Appui - Saharian Support and Reconnaissance Groups) 76 and 78 also employed the Toucan during the Algerian War. 

The Toucan was also present in other colonial units present at the French Equatorial Africa like the ESRA 77, present at Bangui (nowadays Central African Republic) as well as with other units like ELA 56 'Vaucuse' or EOM 82.

The Aéronautique Navale (Naval Air Arm) had around 51 Toucans in service with the last one being retired in 1962. They notably served with the 5S, 31S (based at Orly, in Paris) and 56S, among others.

There were many French civilian operators of the Toucan:

• Air France: The French national airway operated the type starting from late 1944 in internal aerial routes and then, after the war, in international and colonial routes. They were retired by 1953. 
• Aero Cargo: It seems that this airline had at least one Toucan in inventory.
• Air Ocean:  Flew a single Toucan for a brief period of time. It crashed in Morocco in October 1946.
• CTA Languedoc Roussillon:  This company has the sad record of having suffered the most deadly Ju.52/3m civilian accident with 23 out of 27 casualties in a crash at Saint-Léger-la-Montagne.
• Société Auxiliare de Navigation Aérienne used the Toucan together with demilitarized Handley-Page Halifax bombers.

Many agencies of the French Government also employed the Toucan.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Junkers_Ju_52_operators

2. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiot_AAC.1_Toucan (translated)

3. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France (translated)

4. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Junkers_Ju_52

5. https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/aac-1-toucan-frances-post-wwii-ju-52/

SIPA S.10 & SIPA S.11

 

The SIPA S.10 was the French denomination for the German-developed Arado Ar.396 all-wooden trainer aircraft, which was designed entirely in France, at Société Industrielle pour l’Aéronautique (SIPA) where the prototype of the Ar.396, named Ar.396 V1 flew for the first time in December 1944 and served as a de facto prototype for the SIPA S.10.

After the liberation SIPA began the serial production of the S.10 for the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force). The S.10 differed from the Ar.396 in the powerplant; it was powered by a Renault 12S-00 engine which yielded 580 hp of power and was itself an updated version of the German Argus As.411 engine. Like the Ar.396 it was armed with a single machine gun which in this case was a 7.5 mm MAC instead of the German 7.92 mm MG 17. A total of 30 aircraft were built (only 6 according to some other sources) between late 1944 and 1945 and all of them served with the French piloting school. After that the production was switched towards the more advanced SIPA S.11.

The SIPA S.11 was a development of the S.10 brought to the standards of the Armée de l'Air who planned to use the aircraft not just as a trainer but also as a light-armed ground attack aircraft that could be used as a trainer too. 

The prototype of the S.11 took off for the first time on 4th July 1946 and, after successful trials, the contract was awarded to SIPA for the production of an initial batch for 54 machines, under the designation of S.111. The S.11 entered serial production in 1947, was armed with two machine guns placed in the cowling and had underwing racks for light bombs, which usually consisted on a single 50 kg or four 10 kg per block. Alternatively two MATRA T10 unguided rockets could be carried under each wing. When armed with bombs or rockets, this sub-variant was denominated as S.111A.

From the mid-1950s onwards some S.111 took part in the Algerian War. They took the advantage that, during the early part of the war, the Algerian rebels had not anti-air capacity, so the S.111 was used as reconnaissance, spotter or light-attack aircraft with success. 

Sources:

1. http://www.airwar.ru/enc/other/s10.html (translated)

2. https://www.armedconflicts.com/Arado-Ar-396-A-t6485

3. http://www.airwar.ru/enc/other/s11.html (translated)

Arado Ar.96 - French Users

 

The Arado Ar.96 was a German single-engined monoplane made entirely out of metal which was used by the Luftwaffe and many other users around the world, among them, France.

In 1945, just after the war, the British Forces in Germany donated to the new re-established French Air Force a number of Arado Ar.96B to serve them as trainers. 

They were flown from Germany by French pilots before being reconditioned at Leck, Germany. 

In 1946 ninety were officially accepted into the École de pilotage de l'Armée de l'Air (French Air Force's Pilot School) at Cognac, close to Bordeaux. Due to mechanical failures, accidents and so on, by 1947 fifty-four of them were still active and around 19 in 1949. They were gradually withdrawn and replaced in their same role by better types, like the French-made SIPA S.10, together with other American or British-made trainers, like the North American T-6 or the Miles Master, among others.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_Ar_96

2. https://scalemodel.forumactif.org/t4649-arado-ar-96-b-1-armee-de-lair (translated)

3. https://www.traditions-air.fr/texte/article_ecole_air_gal_grigaut.htm (translated)

Airspeed AS.65 Consul, part two, various African Users

The Airspeed AS.65 was a British twin-engined light airliner that was designed by converting surplus AS.10 Oxford trainers into civilian use. Although it was, theoretically, for civilian use, many military, and paramilitary air forces throughout the world employed it. They type saw use in the African continent, specially in the following countries, territories and dependencies:

• Belgian Congo: As the Oxford turned to be a very positive aircraft for the Congolese environment, the Force Publique (the armed forces of the Belgian colony) decided to reinforce their Oxford fleet with some Consuls. As the Consul could be equipped easily with a freight door, it could fit stretchers into it, so they were mainly used as air ambulances. A total of six machines served with the Force Publique. They were acquired in 1948-1949 (some of them from the South African Natal Airlines) and by 1954-1955 or even 1956 they were all written off. Most of them were sold for scrap.
• France: According to our sources, four Consuls served with the French airline SA Aerotechnique, and one of them served with the Societe Algerienne de Transports Aeriens (Algerian Society of Air Transports). Charter airlines both of them. They served until the late 1950s when they were either sold or sold for scrap. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of the Consul serving with any of those airlines, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Colony and Protectorate of Kenya: The Kenyan-based airline East African Airways Corporation bought a single Consul from the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in May 1954. It operated from Nairobi until 12th November 1955 when it suffered a wood and glue failure and was therefore retired to be scrapped in that same city two years later, in 1957.
• Union of South Africa: Many Consuls served with various South African airlines like Commercial Air Services, Natal Airlines or Silver Flights. Some of them were acquired from the Belgian Congo and some others straight from converted Oxfords. Either way, by mid 1950s or even later, they all were scrapped or sold.
• Tanganyka territory: The Tanganykan airline United Air Services operated three Consuls which were delivered between 1947-1948. They were based on Dar-es-Salaam and in 1952 due to the bad ageing of the machines, two of them were scrapped. The remaining one was sold to W.A. Rollason Ltd., in Croydon, London in 1950.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspeed_Consul

2. http://britishaviation-ptp.com/airspeed_as65.html

3. http://www.belgian-wings.be/Webpages/Navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/post_ww2/Airspeed%20Consul/aispeed_consul.htm

4. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/airspeed_oxford_&_consul.pdf

Nakajima A6M2-N

The Nakajima A6M2-N was a single-seat floatplane fighter based on the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. The Allied reporting name was "Rufe".
The A6M2-N was developed from the Mitsubishi A6M Type 0, looking for a fighter to support amphibious operations and defend remote bases. The subsequent design, developed by Nakajima, took the fuselage of the Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 11 with a modified tail and floats added. A total of 327 machines were built (of which some of them were adapted from A6M2 Model 11) including four prototypes (the first of which flew for the first time on 7th December 1941) by Nakajima at Koizumi, Japan. The production period ranged from December 1941 until September 1943.
The aircraft was deployed during 1942 and was referred by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) as the "Suisen 2" (Hydro Fighter Type 2). It was only used in defensive actions in the Aleutians and Solomon Islands operations. They proved to be quite effective at harassing American PT-Boats at night as they often dropped flares to illuminate those boats which, as vulnerable as they were to Destroyers, they used the cover of the night.
They were used as interceptors for protecting the fuelling depots in Balikpapan and Avon Bases, both located in the Dutch East Indies. They also reinforced the Shumshu Base, located in the North Kuriles Islands. Some of them also served aboard seaplane carriers such like the Kamikawa Maru, which operated in the Kuriles and Solomons area and aboard Japanese raiders Hokoku Maru and Aikoku Maru which took part in some raids in the Indian Ocean. It seems that during the Aleutian campaign, this type of fighter clashed with Canadian P-40 Kittihawks and American P-38 Lightning and Boeing B-17s. Overall, the aircraft was used as an interceptor, fighter-bomber, and short reconnaissance support for amphibious landing, among other uses.
Later in the war, the Otsu Air Group employed the A6M2-N as an interceptor, alongside the Kawanishi N1K1. The A6M2-N were based in the Biwa Lake, in the Japanese Honshu region.
After the war, France captured a single A6M2-N. This particular machine belonged to the 934th Naval Air Group and ended the war in Surabaya, Dutch East Indies. From there it was flown by the British to Singapore and then to RAF Tebrau (Malaya) to be evaluated by the ATAIU-SEA. In September 1945, just after the end of the war, it was donated to the French who flown it to Cat-Lai, in Saigon and assigned to Escadrille 8S of the Aéronavale. Considering that it wasn't well maintained by the Japanese during the final months of the war, and had been run hard by the ATAIU-SEA, it was in urgent need of service, which wasn't easy as the A6M2-N mixed the complexity of a fast fighter with the added challenges of a saltwater seaplane. Therefore it comes not surprise when, on 19th February 1946, just when the aircraft flew its first operational mission with the French, it crashed near Rach Ba Sang, in Vietnam.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakajima_A6M2-N
2. https://www.valka.cz/Nakadzima-A6M2-N-Suisen-2-Rufe-t1278
3. https://captured-wings.wikia.org/wiki/A6M2-N_(8S_Escadrille)

Mitsubishi Ki-46, part one, foreign users

The Mitsubishi Ki-46 was a twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft designed and manufactured in Japan. It was used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force during World War II, but it also saw action with other Air Forces during and after World War II:

• Communist China: The Red Army of China Air Force (The aerial brand of the Communist faction during the latest stages of the Chinese Civil War between 1945-1949) had two Ki-46 in strength captured probably in Manchuria after the capitulation of Japan. They served as ground-attack aircraft and trainer respectively and they served until the early 1950s after the People's Republic of China was proclamated.
• United Kingdom: In September 1945 a Japanese Ki-46-IIIa based at Kahan airfield, in the Malayan peninsula, was performing a reconnaissance mission when he received an order from the British to hand the two aircraft used by his unit to the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit, South East Asia (ATAIU SEA) due to the capitulation of Japan.
  The aircraft were delivered without propellers, though and, in October 1945 the orders were given to restore those two aircraft to an airworthy condition. It wasn't until January-February 1946 that one of those flew to Seletar airport, in Singapore to receive new British roundels. It was later shipped to the United Kingdom and nowadays it can be seen at the RAF's Museum. 
• France: After the War, France obtained two Ki-46-IIK with an extra seat, which was used as a trainer by the Japanese. They were assigned to the Escadrille de Liaisons 99 (Liaison Squadron 99) which was based at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, in Saigon and it wasn't until late 1945 that they were operational again.
  An additional Ki-46-II was obtained and restored, after great effort, in February 1946 only to be written off nine months later. It seems that there was also a Ki-46-III, which is not clear how it was painted so we decided to draw both possible colour configurations, and it crashed during takeoff on its first French flight attempt.
  The Ki-46 were never used in their original role by the French and they were used more as high-speed staff shuttles than reconnaissance aircraft. They withdrawn at the end of 1947.
• United States of America: One Ki-46-II which operated from Hollandia (nowadays Jayapura) was captured by US Army Troops when they liberated the Hollandia area on 23rd April 1944. During September 1944 that aircraft was repaired by ground crews of the 5th Air Force, 3rd Attack Group, 89th Attack Squadron to an airworthy status. It was repainted with USAAF markings and the emblem of the 3rd Attack Group was painted in the nose.
  In January 1945 it was shipped to mainland USA aboard USS Attu (CVE-102). It was test-flown at US Navy's Base in Patuxtent, NAS Anacostia and Eglin Air Force Base. It suffered a taxiing accident at Eglin airfield and was, most probably, scrapped.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-46

2. http://www.traditions-air.fr/index.htm (translated)

3. https://captured-wings.wikia.org/wiki/C/n_2846

4. https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2015/08/30/wwii-japanese-aircraft-in-postwar-french-service/

5. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/collections/1989-0307-AF-MITSUBISHI-DINAH.pdf

6. Bunrin Do - Famous Airplanes of the World 38 - Mitsubishi Ki-46 (translated as much as possible)

Avro Anson, part Seven, Franco-Greek Users

The Avro Anson was a British twin-engine multi-role airplane that, with more than 11.000 exemplars manufactured, was widely used by many countries.
France was among those users when the Free French Air Force took the delivery of eight Anson Mk.I in May 1943. They were delivered to French West Africa and were followed in December 1944 by nine more. All of them were assigned to Groupe Artois (Artois Squadron) which was formed in August 1942 and operated from Pointe Noire, in French Equatorial Africa. This squadron, which was committed to coastal defence duties, was initially equipped with Westland Lysanders until the Ansons replaced them.
After the War, the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) set up many training units (named with the acronym B.E. which stand for 'Base École' - Basic School) which had the Anson as the main operating aircraft.

• BE.710: The most important of these units. It was the French Military Academy at Salon-de-Provence, close to Marseille. By 1949 this unit had 31 Ansons on its rows. 
• BE.702: It was another training unit which was formed in Avord, central France, for multi-engine conversion and had detachments at Cazaux, South-Western France. 
• BE.703 was the radio-training school.
• BE.705: This unit was the basic training school. It was located at Cognac, close to the French Atlantic coast. In 1949 it was transferred to Marrakech, in the French Protectorate in Morocco, and became BE.709.
• BE.706: AKA E.M.N.E. (sorry but we couldn't find what this acronym means) this unit trained navigators and bombardiers at Cazaux. By 1949 it had 31 Ansons, 11 Miles Martinet, 35 Vickers Wellington T.Mark.X and 40 miscellaneous types on strength.

There were also some colonial units under French command which used the Anson Mk.I. Most of them were Escadrille de Police et Securité (AKA Escadrille d'Outre Mer - Overseas Squadrons) which operated mainly in French Africa and Madagascar.

The French Navy's Air Arm ('Aeronautique Navale' or 'Aeronavale') employed the Anson too for both communications and training. In 1946 an initial batch of 20 Ansons was delivered with a few more arriving later and being supplemented by surplus aircraft coming from the Armée de l'Air. In 1947 there was one communications unit at Querqueville, in Normandy, and two training squadrons, 50S and 52S with this last one having also the duty of giving officer cadets from the Ecole Navale at Lanvéoc, in Brittany, air experience flights, as part of their training. In October 1948 52S was renamed as 56S and used Ansons to train non-pilot aircrew including radar training. After having been temporarily based in many different locations, it was based in Agadir, French Protectorate of Morocco. 

One final French Anson was permanently based in the United Kingdom and was used by the French Naval Attache in London during late 1945-1946.

Another important user of the Anson was Greece. The Royal Hellenic Air Force received 12 Anson Mk.I during May-June 1939 and were used as communications aircraft during the Greco-Italian War of 1940-1941. During the German Invasion of Greece, five of them escaped to Egypt where they were repainted in Royal Air Force's colours.

After the War, four RAF Ansons Mk.XII were loaned to the Royal Hellenic Air Force between 1945-1946 and formed the Royal Hellenic Air Force's Communications Squadron with base at Maleme airfield, in Crete. Thirty-six additional ex-RAF Anson Mk.I were sold to the Greeks in 1946-1947.

Sources:

1. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Anson

3. http://britishaviation-ptp.com/avro652_3.html

Loire 130

As this is the last post of the year, we would like to wish all our readers a merry new year's eve and a happy 2020! That's why in this post we bring you not one but three drawings.
The Loire 130 was a French hydroplane that saw service during World War II and also post-war French colonial conflicts.
It's origins can be traced back to mid-1930s when the French Navy made a requirement for a reconnaissance seaplane or flying boat that could serve aboard French battleships and cruisers of the time. It was chosen in 1936 against five competitors (Bréguet 610, Gourdou-Leseurre GL-820 HY, Levasseur PL.200 and Potez CAMS 120).
It was powered by a single 12-cylinder Hispano-Suiza 12Xirs liquid-cooled vee engine, rated at 710 hp. It was armed with two 7,5 mm Darne machine guns, one of them placed just above the propeller, in a defensive position. It also had a payload of 150 kg of bombs, as it could carry a 75 kg bomb under each wing.
After flying for the first time on 19th November 1934, its performance was considered good enough so a production order for 150 machines was placed and in August 1936 it entered mass production. A total of 125 machines were manufactured by Loire Aviation (later named Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques de l'Ouest) in the French city of St. Nazaire from 1937 until 1941 when, under German occupation production ceased. In 1938 it entered officially in service replacing most of shipborne seaplanes and flying boats already in service.
Of those 125, one of them was the prototype, 111 were sent to the French Navy and 12 to the French Air Force which used a modified version called Loire 130CI which had an enlarged radiator. The French Air Force employed it in the colonies, specially in Indochina, where it served through the Franco-Thai War in early 1941.
In the late 1930s the Loire 130 was serving on board of most French battleships and cruisers, as well as aborad the Commandant Teste seaplane carrier, which had assigned a squadron of six machines in 1939. After the fall of France in June 1940, most of them passed on to the Vichy France's Air Force and, as previously mentioned, some of them were used to fly reconnaissance missions during the Franco-Thai War. The German Luftwaffe also performed some testing in 1940-1941 with some captured aircraft but rejected it due to its obsolescence and poor armament, which was deemed as "not sufficient under any circumstance", however it seems that at least one of them could've been used as an improvised transport from the coastal city of St. Nazaire to the town of Mâcon, in central France.
Although looking quite obsolete and having quite a very marginal performance numbers for its time, some of them survived the war and kept on service until 1949-1951, specially in French Indochina.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loire_130
2. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loire_130 (translated) 
3. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-2066.html
4. https://www.valka.cz/Loire-130M-t25885

Fairey Barracuda, part one

The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber that was designed by Fairey Aviation. It was the first aircraft of this type operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) that was entirely made out of metal.
Operated mainly by the Royal Navy's FAA, it was exported to some countries and saw some service abroad.

• Canada: The 825 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was reformed in July 1945 as a Canadian-manned squadron. It was intended to be equipped with 12 Barracuda Mk.II and be part of the 19th Carrier Air Group aboard a Colossus-class aircraft carrier, to take part in Operation Downfall (the Allied Invasion of Japan that never took place). However, that didn't happen immediately and it wasn't until 1946 when the HMCS Warrior (R31) was leased to the Royal Canadian Navy that Barracudas served aboard a Canadian Aircraft Carrier. They served until May 1951 when the squadron changed its denomination and was re-equipped with Fairey Gannets.
• France: A single Barracuda Mk.III was leased after the War to France and served with ELA I./56 at Persan-Beaumont, close to Paris. It was evaluated against the Grumman Avenger, for a modern carrier-based torpedo-bomber. The Aéronavale (French Navy's Naval Air Arm) decided to go for the Avenger and the Barracuda was kept until the very late 1940s. 
• Holland: The Dutch-manned 860 Naval Air Squadron was re-equipped with Fairey Barracudas in June 1945 and in August was designated to the escort-carrier HMS Nairana (D05) and the Barracudas weren't kept for a very long time because in May 1946 they were replaced by the Fairey Firefly.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Barracuda

2. https://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/fairey-barracuda

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/825_Naval_Air_Squadron

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/860_Naval_Air_Squadron

Messerschmitt Bf.108, part four

The Messerschmitt Bf.108 was a sport and touring aircraft that was widely used all around the world. The countries covered in this post are:

• France: The French Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) operated a number of captured Bf.108s during the late stages of the World War 2 just before the liberation. After the War it was built by SNCAN (commonly known as 'Nord') and was used also by both the Armée de l'Air and the Aéronavale (French Naval Aviation). 
• Italy: The Italian forces stationed in Albania captured at least one ex-Yugoslavian Bf.108 in 1941 which was assigned to the Reparto Volo Commando (Flight Command Department) of the Aeronautica Albania (Albania Air Force Command). Later it was assigned to the Gruppo Autonomo di Volo (Autonomous Flight Squadron) of the 3ª Squadra Aerea based in Rome where it served at least until 31st July 1943. It's fate is unknown.
• Switzerland: In 1936 the Swiss Air Force bought some Bf.108s which were used in communications flights until the late 1940s. 
• Nationalist Spain: During the Spanish Civil War the Condor Legion employed some Bf.108 in liaison and VIP transport duties. It seems that just four Bf.108 operated with the Condor Legion during the war. In 1939, after the war ended, they were inherited by the newly re-funded Ejercito del Aire (Air Force) and got another additional three machines.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_108

2. https://www.valka.cz/Nord-1001-Pingouin-I-t85450

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord_Pingouin

4. http://www.warbirdalley.com/bf108.htm

5. Wydawnictwo Militaria 149 - Messerschmitt Bf-108 Taifun

6. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=347

Supermarine Sea Otter, Foreign Users

The Supermarine Sea Otter was a British amphibious aircraft designed and built by Supermarine. It was exported to various countries throughout the world:

• Denmark: After the World War 2, the Danish government bought seven Sea Otters to serve with the Royal Danish Air Force (being at the same time the last biplane and the first aircraft with a retractable undercarriage to serve with them) both in the patrol and flying school roles. When serving in the patrol role, it was, most probably, assigned to the 721 Eskadrille (721 Squadron) and served alongside the Consolidated Catalina PBY-6A.
  The Sea Otter had bad reputation among Danish pilots due to the position of the engine over the centre of gravity, which gave some very distinctive flying characteristics to the aircraft.
  The first exemplar was delivered to the Royal Danish Air Force in December 1946 and the last one in November 1947. As their radar was already outdated by those years, it was dismantled and they flew without any radar at all. An eighth one was bought to be used as a source for spare parts. In Danish hands, it served both in the patrol and school role until 3rd May 1952 when it was written off.
• Egypt: Apparently, the Royal Egyptian Air Force had some Sea Otters serving with their Air Force in the aftermath of the Second World War. Not very much is known about them, but they probably served during the First Arab-Israeli War (1948-1949) but saw no combat at all and were phased out as obsolete in the early 1950s. As we couldn't find any source about the Sea Otter in Egyptian hands, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• France: The French Navy received 17 Sea Otters, delivered in two lots. A first batch of 10 aircraft was purchased in 1947 from the British Royal Navy, which were assigned to the Escadrille 8S of the Aéronavale (French Navy's Air Arm) and were inmediately sent to operate in Indochina, based in Cat-Lai. Some hollow fuselages were also bought to serve as sources for spare parts.
  Some accidents struck two Sea Otters, numbered JN 122 and JN 127. They were sent to mainland France for repairs, but, thanks to the spare parts available, the JN 122 was repaired in Cat-Lai and renumbered as JN 1220.
  A second squadron, Escadrille 9S was formed thanks to a second delivery of seven aircraft in 1950 which were also sent to French Indochina.
  The last flight of a French Sea Otter took place on 21st March 1952, when the remaining 10 exemplars that were left in Indochina were written off the Aeronavale.
• Netherlands: The Dutch Naval Aviation Service bought at the beginning of the 1950s eight Sea Otters, three of them being of civilian origins and the rest being ex-Royal Air Force aicraft plus an unknown number of them in late 1950 for spare parts. As some of them were intended to serve aboard the HNLMS Karel Doorman (R81) aircraft carrier, two of them were equipped with a rear hook for deck landing.
  All of them were assigned to the 320 Squadron which was based at the air base of Valkenburg. The last one was delivered in December 1950 and shortly later, in February 1951 the first one was withdrawn from active service due to its poor technical condition.
  In May 1951, with the formation of the S&R (search and rescue) flight, almost every Sea Otter from the 320 Squadron, was transferred there. The Sea Otters were also transferred to Squadron 5 (which was a training one) and some of them were also sent to the newly formed Squadron 8 which a mixed one composed also by B-25 Mitchells.
  During February 1953 the Sea Otters had to perform many S&R missions over the North Sea and shortly later, in August 1953 they were withdrawn from service as their role was overtook by helicopters.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Sea_Otter

2. http://aerophile.over-blog.com/article-le-supermarine-sea-otter-103994429.html (translated)

3. https://kw.jonkerweb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=567:supermarine-sea-otter-asr-mk1-uk&catid=96&lang=en&limitstart=1&Itemid=558

Supermarine Walrus, part two, foreign users

The Supermarine Walrus was also used by many foreign countries, the ones covered in this post are:

• France: In September 1943, after the liberation of Corsica, the French Navy's Escadrille 4.S was formed equipped with 12 Walrus Mk.I and Mk.II. They were based at a naval base called "Campo dell'Oro" close to the city of Ajaccio. They served with the Free French Air Force, acting mostly on the Mediterranean Theatre, and attacking even some submarines. They were rebased in 1944 to Bastia, at the Northern part of Corsica to take part in the Operation Dragoon, the invasion of the Southern part of France, after which they were rebased to B.A.N. de Cuers, to operate from French mainland. The French Walruses served there until January 1946 when they were replaced by captured Dornier Do.24s.
  The remaining Walruses were reassigned to the Flotille 2.F, based at Hourtin, close to Bourdeaux. This unit was transformed in April 1946 into a hydroplane piloting school and renamed Escadrille 53.S. They were flown until 1951 when they were withdrawn from active service.
  Other squadrons which flew the Walrus were the 50.S, which was the squadron of the school of the flying staff and the 52.S which was the training squadron of the Naval School of Lanvéoc, in Bretagne. 
• Ireland: The Irish Air Corps bought three Walruses in 1939. They were to be delivered on 3rd March to be used as a maritime patrol aircraft during the Irish Emergency. They were scheduled to fly from Southampton to Baldonnel Aerodrome, in Ireland. Only one of them made it successfully to Ireland. One had to be rerouted to Milford Haven, in Wales and the remaining one had to ditch the aircraft, damaging the hull, close to the Irish city of Ballytrent, south of the former United States Naval Air Station Wexford, off the south-eastern coast of Ireland. This machine was transported to Baldonnel where it was repaired and served with the Irish Air Corps.
  This last machine was stolen on 9th January 1942 by Irish nationals who intended to fly the machine to France to join the Luftwaffe. They were intercepted by Supermarine Spitfires and escorted to RAF St. Eval, in Cornwall. The aircraft and its occupants were returned to Ireland. After the war the aircraft was given over to Aer Lingus which never flew it and sold in 1946 to a private owner. It was flown for recreation purposes until 1949 and abandoned in a dump until 1963 when it was recovered and restored and has been displayed at the Fleet Air Arm's museum since 1966.
• USSR: One Walrus Mk.I was shipped to Arkhangelsk, in Russia, on the British Convoy PQ 17. After having sustained damage, it was repaired and assigned to the 16th Air Transport Detachment of the Soviet Air Force (VVS). It flew until the end of 1943 and its fate is unknown but it was, most probably, destroyed. 
• Turkey: Five Walruses were sold to Turkey in early 1938. They served with the Turkish Air Force through the World War II and most probably late 1940s. However their fate is uncertain.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Walrus

2. http://avions-de-la-guerre-d-algerie.over-blog.com/article-supermarine-walrus-francais-116117945.html (translated)

3. https://defenceoftherealm.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/the-irish-walrus-defection-attempt/

4. http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/ah1900/suprod.html

Mitsubishi Ki-30 Foreign users, part one

The Mitsubishi Ki-30 was a Japanese light bomber of World War II that also served with other countries.

• France: After the end of the World War II, many Ki-30s were left behind in Indochina. French authorities pushed them into service and some of them served in liaision duties in the First Indochina War, with the Escadrille de Liaison 99 (Liaison Flight 99). Their fate is unknown, but they were most probably destroyed and/or scrapped.
• China: As the Ki-30 served in mainland China during World War II, and specially in the Manchurian region, when the region was taken over by the USSR in 1945 and handed over to Chinese Communists, three Ki-30s that were based there were taken over by Chinese Communist authorities, that set up a flying school using (along with many other types) Ki-30s in the city of Harbin (capital city of Manchuria). They served during the 1945-1949 period of the Chinese Civil War as trainers and were withdrawn from service in the early 1950s.
  EDIT: It seems that the Republic of China Air Force, also employed them, we found some photos and profiles and updated the drawings. Apparently, they were employed during the late stages of World War II in China and the subsequent Chinese Civil War.
• Indonesia: As another theatre of operation where the Ki-30s served was the Indonesia islands, some of them were captured by Indonesian rebels when the Japanese authorities left and pushed them into service with their newly created army. They served during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 until 1949. 

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-30
2. http://www.traditions-air.fr/index.htm (translated)