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

Supermarine Spitfire. European Users, part five. The Spitfire in French hands, part one.

 

The Supermarine Spitfire had also an ample operational history with France. 
The first Spitfire to serve with the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) was delivered in June 1939. It was a Spitfire Mk.I and was employed for evaluation at the Centre d'essais des materiels aériens (Aerial materials evaluation centre) at Orleans. Due to the beginning of World War 2, it remained there until the French surrender in June 1940, when it was captured by the Germans.

After the Fall of France, two Free French Spitfire squadrons were created within the Royal Air Force (RAF); Nos.340 & 341 plus No.345 which was formed much later. Both Nos.340 & 341 were initially equipped with the Spitfire. 
It should be pointed that the title of "Free French" (Françaises Libres) was applied only to units formed under British tutelage during the period of existence of Vichy France, which had its own armed forces, with their own air force, so those who were enlisted in the Free French units were considered as traitors by the Vichy authorities and were deposed of their rights as prisoners of war. 
However, since Operation Torch and the invasion of French Morocco and Algeria in November 1942, the application of that term to newly formed units -many French units turned completely to the Allied- lost its meaning due to the occupation of Vichy France by Germany in November 1942. So later French units serving with the RAF no longer bore the nickname of "Free French". 

So, the French Spitfire squadrons that saw service with the RAF were the following:

• No.340 Squadron/Groupe de Chasse IV/2 "Île de France": Formed with Spitfires Mk.IIa in Scotland, on 7th November 1941, this unit was initially assigned to defensive patrols over Scotland. After being equipped with the Spitfire Mk.V and early versions of the Mk.IX, it was rebased to southern England in April 1942 to perform fighter sweeps over northern France. These missions lasted until March 1943 when the squadron was moved back to Scotland to rest. 
  During November 1943 it was sent to south-western England to perform fighter sweeps and anti-shipping operations off the coast of Brittany. In April 1944 it was assigned to No.145 Wing which was part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force and saw action during Normandy landings and subsequent campaign. 
  They were rebased to France in August 1944 and shortly later, in September, to Belgium. However this would not last long, as in that same month they were called back to England to fly bomber escort missions from RAF Biggin Hill for two weeks in November 1944.
  In February 1945 the squadron, this time operating from the Netherlands and reassigned back to the 2nd Tactical Air Force, flew fighter sweeps until the end of the war. It was part of the Allied Occupation Forces in Germany but in November 1945 was transferred to the newly re-founded Armée de l'Air. 
  
• No.341 Squadron/Groupe de Chasse III/2 "Alsace": Formed on 15th January 1943 from Free French personnel from Free French Flight, which had been operating in the Western Desert campaign, this unit was formed in Great Britain and by March, equipped with the Spitfire Mk.V and the Mk.IX, they performed fighter sweeps over Northern France, operating from RAF Biggin Hill. 
  In October 1943 the unit was sent to Cornwall, to take part in more fighter sweeps, this time over Brittany. This took until April 1944 when the formation was assigned to No.145 Wing and, therefore, was transferred to the 2nd Tactical Air Force. The squadron provided aerial support for the Normandy landings and just like the No.340 Squadron, it was rebased to Normandy in August 1944 and then to Belgium in September. The squadron remained in continental Europe acting in the ground support /armed reconnaissance fighter role for most of the rest of the war, although in February 1945 it flew back to RAF Turnhouse, in England to be re-equipped with the Spitfire Mk.XVI. It was transferred back to the Armée de l'Air in November 1945.
• No.345 Squadron/Groupe de Chasse II/2 "Berry": This unit, formed in February 1944 from French veterans who served through the Middle-East and the African North-Western campaigns. It was formed in Scotland, but was soon rebased to the south of England to take part in Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, under the command of No.141 Wing, part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. 
  In November the squadron was moved to Belgium and, together with other French squadron, formed the No.145 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force, performing fighter sweeps, attacking communication hubs, troops concentrations and some occasional bomber escorts until the end of the war. In November 1945 it was transferred to the Armée de l'Air.

to be continued.

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 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._340_Squadron_RAF

4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._341_Squadron_RAF

5th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._345_Squadron_RAF

6th http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/340_wwII.html

7th http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/341_wwII.html

8th http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/345_wwII.html

Bristol Blenheim, part three, various foreign users

 

The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber designed and built by Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was extensively used during the first half of the Second World War by the Royal Air Force (RAF) but also by many foreign users like:

• Independent State of Croatia: After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 many Blenheim Mk.Is were captured by the Germans who passed them to the Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia (known by its Croatian acronym of 'ZNDH'. The exact number is confuse, some sources claim it was up to 20 bombers, others claim it was just 8. Anyway, they were used inside the borders of the old Kingdom of Yugoslavia in anti-partisan operations until 1944. Many of these Blenheims (some of them built under license in Yugoslavia) survived the war and one flew to Austria after the collapse of the Independent State of Croatia in May 1945.
• Free France: One flight of the, back then, newly founded 'Groupe Mixte de Combat No1' (No1 Mixed Combat Group) which was founded at RAF Odiham, Hampshire in August 1940 was initially equipped with Blenheims to see action in the Territory of Chad (which declared itself in favor of Free France shortly after the Fall of France in June 1940). This unit was later merged with the Blenheim-equipped 'Escadron Topic' (Topic Squadron) based at Maidugur, in the British Colony of Nigeria. Together they formed the 'Groupe Réservé de Bombardement' (Reserve Bombing Group) at Fort Lamy, in Chad in December 1940. This unit saw little action and was disbanded shortly later in March 1941, but they formed the basis of 'Groupe Lorraine' (Lorraine Group) which operated together with RAF's No.1430 Flight with elements supporting from No.47 Squadron in December 1941.
  After flying the Blenheim Mk.IV and Mk.V the unit was called back into the United Kingdom in October 1942 to be reformed into the No.342 Squadron. There, they replaced their Blenheims with Handley Page Halifaxes and were assigned to the RAF's Bomber Command.
  Another Free French units equipped with the Blenheims were 'Groupe Bretagne', the Free French Flying School at Bangui, in Equatorial Africa and 'Groupe de Chasse No.1 'Alsace''. Most of these Blenheim didn't serve in the frontlines and were kept in active acting as trainers or transports until 1944 or even 1945.
• Germany: One damaged Blenheim Mk.IV was captured by the German during the Battle of France in May-June 1940. It was later repaired, tested and used as a special training aircraft until 1942. 
• Greece: Before the beginning of the Second World War Greece showed interest on the Blenheim but eventually they decided against ordering it. However, in late 1939, after the war had started, they ordered 12 Blenheim Mk.IV which were shipped in early 1940 and assigned to 32. Mira (No. 32 Squadron) of the Royal Hellenic Air Force (RHAF).
  They saw action on 1st November 1940 during the Greco-Italian War and, on the 27th one of them was shot down by Italian anti-air fire. Due to the intensive use of the Blenheim and the lack of spares, by January 1941 32. Mira was reduced to just 4 operational Blenheims. To compensate for the losses, on the following months six additional Blenheim Mk.Is were supplied, though increased fighter presence in the area quickly reduced their numbers. When Germany invaded Greece in April 1941,  every Greek bombing squadron was rebased from Tanagra to Eleusis, close to Athens. There, most of the surviving Blenheims were destroyed on strafing attacks by the Luftwaffe. 
  When Greece fell, some RHAF personnel managed to escape to Egypt, where they fought under RAF's command. One of them was No.13 (Hellenic) Squadron which was, from January 1942 equipped with the Avro Anson and was part of the No.201 Group.  This squadron was quickly re-equipped with the Blenheim Mk.IV and Mk.V later and was used in the maritime and anti-submarine patrol role, specially in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They were re-equipped with Martin Baltimore bombers in October 1943.
• Italy: The Italian Regia Aeronautica (Royal Italian Air Force) managed to capture two Blenheims. One of them belonged to the No.40 Squadron RAF which landed in error at the island of Pantelleria (the pilot had mistaken it for Malta) on 13th September 1940. This machine was sent to Guidonia (Regia Aeronautica's testing center) to be tested. One more was captured in Yugoslavia when the Axis invaded in April 1941. 
  Apparently, two more were seized in Italian East Africa, but these were soon recaptured when that territory fell into British hands. 
  One captured Blenheim Mk.IV appears in the 1942 Italian film 'Un Pilota Ritorna' (A Pilot Returns) directed by Roberto Rosellini.

Sources:

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

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

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 26 - Bristol Blenheim

4. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 5 - Blenheim Squadrons of World War 2

Morane-Saulnier Ms.470

 

The Morane-Saulnier Ms.470 'Vanneau' (French word for 'Plover' - the bird) was a two-seater trainer prototype that was the first of its family and served both with Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) and Aéronavale (French Navy's Air Arm) in the post-war.

During German Invasion of France in 1940 just before the French armistice, Morane-Saulnier's chief designer, Paul-René Gauthier aided in evacuating their factory at Villacoublay, a town close to Paris. Morane-Saulnier was re-established in the Vichy area with Gauthier becoming the head of the new factory. Work continued on various designs, among them, the Ms.470, hoping that it could be used after the war.

The Ms.470 was a two-seat trainer with a crew of two, trainee and instructor, sitting in tandem under a long-glass canopy. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with an inward-retracting landing gear that fitted the wheels in a recess, leaving them partially exposed. This was done on purpose to make them act as a buffer in case of a wheels-up landing in order to minimize damage to the main fuselage. It was powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12X inline engine rated at 690 hp, driving a three-bladed propeller. The Ms.470 was unarmed, however it's not clear if it was intended to have any kind of armament as subsequent versions (namely the Ms.472 'Vanneau II') were armed. 

The prototype Ms.470 flew for the first time on 22nd December 1944 at Puteaux, in Paris, after the Morane-Saulnier's factory was liberated by the Allies. It was tested by the late-war Armée de l'Air (Technically it was still named 'Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres - Free French Air Forces) and approved for production one year later in an improved version, the Ms.472, which, together with the other variants such as the Ms.474 and Ms.475 one of the main French trainer aircraft of the post-war. 

Sources:

1. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_morane_saulnier_MS470_vanneau.html

2. https://www.armedconflicts.com/Morane-Saulnier-MS-470-Vanneau-t16346

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_Vanneau

4. http://www.aviastar.org/air/france/morane_ms-470.php

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)

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/

Morane-Saulnier Ms.406, Free French and Vichy France users

 

After the French armistice on 25th June 1940 and the establishment of Vichy France in July that same year, the Armée de l'Air underwent a major re-organization. This way, the Groupe de Chasse I/6, based at Marseille and equipped with the Ms.406, was dissolved on 30th October 1940. The Armée de l'Air de l'Armistice (Vichy France's Air Force) kept just 6 groups on mainland territory all of them equipped with the Bloch Mb.152. In North Africa there were based another 6 groups with either the Dewoitine D.520 or the Curtiss H-75 (The best fighters that France had back then). The Groupe de Chasse I/7, based in Rayak, Lebanon and the Escadrille de Chasse 2/595 (an unit composed of just 9 aircraft which sits between the group and the flight unit in terms of strength) based in Bach Maï, Tonkin. Thanks to the dissolution of some squadrons in the mainland, a new group (Groupe Aerién Mixte) was created in Madagascar, while others were sent to flying schools, in the French mainland. 

During the Lang Son incident, between 22nd and 25th September 1940, one Ms.406 was severely damaged by a Japanese Nakajima Ki-27 in flight when escorting a formation of outdated Potez Po.25TOE. One Japanese bomber was shot down during those days by Sgt. Labussière. However, it was never officially recognised to avoid diplomatic tensions with Japan.

During the Franco-Thai War in October 1940, on 10th October, seven Ms.406 were sent to Tourane (nowadays Da-Nang), to form a new fighter escadrille, the EC 2/595. The first sortie of this unit took place on 23rd November 1940. By 18th January 1941, the Armée de l'Air de l'Armistice in Indochina had no more than 14 Ms.406 and, when the combats ceased on 28th January, the French scored 4 victories for two Ms.406 destroyed on ground by bombardments. The next year, in 1942, every Ms.406 present in Indochina was vastly overhauled due to the lack of spare parts.

On another theatre of war, Middle-East, the British and Commonwealth Forces launched an attack on 15th May 1941 against Syria. This attack began with an aerial attack against the airfields present in that region. During that campaign the French pilots of the G.C. I/7 (based in Rayak, Lebanon and equipped with the Ms.406) clashed against the Gloster Gladiator and Fairey Fulmar fighters of the Royal Air Force, but their main task was to support ground troops until the region capitulated on 14th July 1941. After switching sides and joining the Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres (Free French Air Forces) the G.C. I/7 was dissolved and replaced on 15th September 1941 by the Groupe de Chasse Alsace which was initially composed of fourteen Ms.406 (two of which were unusable) and six aircraft of other types. This unit remained in Rayak, tasked with the defence of the Lebanese coast, until the outdated Ms.406 were replaced by, also outdated, Hawker Hurricane Mk.I fighters in January 1942.

Madagascar was invaded on 5th May 1942 by Commonwealth forces. During this battle, the Escadrille 565 present at Antananarivo had 17 or 18 Ms.406 in strength, with only 11 machines available, including a permanent detachment present at Diego Arrachart airfield located in the town of Diego Suarez, in the far north of Madagascar. Those Ms.406 took part on ground attacks against Commonwealth and South African troops and were, therefore, the last Ms.406 which fought with the French roundel. Piloting one of those fighters, bearing the number 995, Jean Assolant, former pilot of the l'Oiseau Canari (literally 'the canary bird' a Bernard 190T airliner modified in 1929 to non-stop cross the Atlantic Ocean) was shot down and killed on 7th May 1942 by Grumman Martlets belonging to 881 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm which had taken off from HMS Illustrious (87).

Sources:

1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_MS.406#La_défense_de_l'empire (translated)

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

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Arado Ar.296 and Ar.396

 

As the Arado Ar.96 was becoming obsolete, the Reich's Aviation Ministry started to look for a replacement. That's where both Arado Ar.296 and the Ar.396 came in. 

The Arado Ar.296 was a project for a development of the original Arado Ar.96 trainer aircraft powered by a more powerful Argus As.411 engine. However, as the war progressed on, the project was abandoned in favour of the Ar.396 which employed less strategic material which were so much needed in times of war. As there are just indications of how the project would look like if completed, the drawing should be considered as hypothetical.

The Ar.396 was a trainer aircraft developed from the Ar.96B, but employing as little metal as possible in its construction. In spite of its name it was developed both in France and Czechoslovakia and, apparently, it never entered operational use with the Luftwaffe, though the prototypes were painted in Luftwaffe's colours and markings. 

Considering that, by 1944, Germany was running short on strategic materials like light alloys this new design was intended to use as little metal and wood as possible. The Ar.396 was designed  by the French Société Industrielle pour l’Aéronautique (SIPA) during the occupation. As France was liberated, work on this new aircraft was continued at Avia and Letov, in Czechoslovakia. The Ar.396V3 made its maiden flight on 29th December 1944 in the liberated Paris, with Free France's colours and was, in fact, the prototype for the SIPA S.10 (another aircraft which we'll post about later). 

As a simplified version of the Ar.96, the Ar.396 featured hand operated flaps, and a semi-retractable undercarriage. It had two seats, one for the pilot and another one for the student both of which sat in tandem in enclosed glazed cockpit and there were plans for it to be produced in two versions, the Ar.396 A-1 which was a fighter trainer with a single machine-gun, bomb racks and a gun-sight and the Ar.396 A-2 which was designed for blind flying training. 

Although it never reached operational status, the fourth prototype was tested at Rechlin in late 1944, where it suffered carbon-monoxide problems in the crew compartment. The Ar.396 present at Letov's facilities in Prague, became famous as it was captured by the Czech resistance and used during Prague in early May 1945.

Sources:

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

2. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_arado_ar_396.html

3. https://www.valka.cz/Arado-Ar-396-A-t6485

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford, part four, Various Users

The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a British twin-engined multi-purpose aircraft designed and developed by Airspeed Ltd. With 8.504 aircraft made, many of them were exported to various countries. Among them, the following ones:

• Denmark: At the end of 1946 the Royal Danish Air Force received 44 Oxfords that had belonged to the Royal Air Force (RAF). They were used for advanced flying training at the city of Karup, in Jutland. They were also used occasionally for communications and aerial photography and were withdrawn in 1956.
• Free France: The Free French Air Force received five new Oxfords in 1944. They were assigned to the 'Group Artois' (Artois Group) which was based at Pointe Noire (French Equatorial Africa - nowadays Republic of the Congo). They were used in auxiliary tasks, like aerial ambulances, until 1st July 1947 when the unit was deactivated.
• Finland: One Oxford T.1 was sold to a private Finnish owner in Denmark. It served through the 1950s until it was sold to another private owner. The one machine depicted below was equipped with skis. One of the few Oxford to feature such equipment.
• Greece: Due to the British help that Greece received after the World War 2, 19 Oxfords Mk.I/Mk.II were delivered in August 1945. They were followed in 1947 by 13 more and a number of them were equipped with bomb racks. Two Oxfords were equipped with photo-reconnaissance equipment, making them, together with the North American AT-6 Texan, the only dedicated recon aircraft available for the Royal Hellenic Air Force back then.
  They served through the Greek Civil War mainly in the reconnaissance role and were written off in 1948. It's unknown if they were used in the multi-engine advanced training role.
• Netherlands: The Airspeed Oxford was used by both the Royal Dutch Air Force and the Royal Dutch Naval Aviation Service. Initially, back in the No.1316 (Dutch) Communications Flight of the Royal Air Force, there were many Oxfords serving during the latest stages of the War. Additionally, three Oxfords were in service with the No.320 (Dutch) Squadron of the Royal Air Force.
  All those Oxfords, 28 according to some sources, passed on to serve with the Royal Dutch Air Force and were assigned to the AVOT (Additional Twin-Engine Pilot Training unit) at Twente, in Eastern Netherlands. They were also used for training the pilots of the Gloster Meteor, but by 1950 they were replaced by the Beechcraft AT-7.
  The Royal Dutch Naval Aviation Service received in early 1946 three Oxford on loan. They were used for training the so-called 'Detachment Aircraft Carriers, VKS' which was based at RAF Heston, in Middlesex as part of the 701 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm. From there, they performed regular flights to Schipol, Valkenburg and Eindhoven. In July those three aircraft were bought and were based in May 1947 at Valkenburg Naval Air Base, in the Netherlands, for liaison and photo-reconnaissance duties. Shortly later they were assigned to the No.320 Squadron for 'General Purpose Duties'. In 1951 a new squadron, the No.5 was formed and some Oxford were assigned there.
  Anyway, in 1952 and 1953 every remaining Oxford was written off from service as they were in poor conditions. They were replaced in their roles by the Beechcraft SNB-5/TC-45J  Navigator.

Sources:

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

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

3. https://www.haf.gr/en/history/historical-aircraft/airspeed-oxford-mk-i-ii/

4. https://kw.jonkerweb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=746:airspeed-as-10-oxford-mkii-uk&catid=82&lang=en&showall=1&limitstart=&Itemid=544

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

Arado Ar.234 - Foreign users

The Arado Ar.234 Blitz (Lightning in German) was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber. It was built by the German company Arado in the closing stages of World War 2.
As it was a very advanced piece of technology, many exemplars were captured by many nations.

• United Kingdom: The United Kingdom managed to get some Ar.234 which were used by the Royal Aircraft Establishment. The second one depicted below was captured by British troops at Grove airfield, in Denmark, while the first one was tested in Sola, Norway on September 1945.
• France: It seems that the French Army managed to get at least two Arado Ar.234 and used for testing purposes after the war. However, as the sources are rather scarce, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• United States: Both United States Army Air Force (USAAF) and United States Navy (USN) got some Ar.234. One of them was the one the British managed to test which, when tests were finished, it was handed over to the USAAF. A total of three machines were collected by the 'Watson's Whizzers' unit (a special unit tasked with testing the new German jet aircraft) and were shipped to the USA for flight testing.
  They were shipped aboard the HMS Reaper (D82) escort carrier and arrived in the USA in July 1945. Upon arrival, they were flown by USAAF pilots to Freeman Army airfield, in Indiana for testing and evaluation. One was assigned to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, in Maryland where it was intended to be tested by the USN, but it was found that the aircraft was unflyable and was scrapped.
  The ones tested at Freeman's field, received new engines, radio and oxygen equipment and were transferred to Wright field, in Dayton, Ohio, for further flight tests which took place from 1946 until 1947, when they were put into storage. Later, in 1949 the aircraft were transferred to the Smithsonian institution where they were stored until 1989.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_Ar_234

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Lusty#Watson's_"Whizzers"

3. https://captured-wings.wikia.org/wiki/Category:Arado_Ar_234

4. AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 32 - Arado 234 ''Blitz'' (translated)

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

Messerschmitt Me.262. Part four. - Foreign users part two

We keep covering more foreign users of the mighty Me.262. Now it's the turn for:

• United Kingdom: The British forces managed to capture a Me.262 in Faßberg, located northern-central Germany on 6th May 1945 when the war in Europe was almost over. Some few days after, when the war was already over, it was moved to Lubeck, occupied by British troops, in order to test it. The New Zealander Warren Edward Schrader was the first one to test it on 29th May. The fate of this Me.262 is unknown, but, more likely, it was moved into the United Kingdom and eventually shown in some museum there.
• France: The French got some Me.262s when American troops captured the airfield of Lechfeld, in Bavaria. Initially it was handed over to the Frenchs who tested it from June until September 1945 and then, according to some sources it was either destroyed (most unlikely due to the advanced nature of the aircraft) or given to the Americans who tested the machine further. (See our previous post about the foreign users of the Me.262 where we wrote about the Me.262 in American hands)
  Anyway, it's known that two years after the war, in 1947, the Frenchs were still testing one Me.262 at CEV Bretigny.

As it was the first jet fighter, we also couldn't resist the temptation of how it would look like with some German allies like Hungary or the Italian Social Republic. Those two drawings are purely fictional as the Me.262 wasn't exported whatsoever.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262

2. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/whats-going-on/news/me-262-rejoins-cosford-s-german-aircraft-collectio/

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

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Martin B-26C Marauder, Free French and South African Users

The B-26C was the name given to those B-26 manufactured in Omaha, Nebraska, instead of Baltimore, Maryland that included all the improvements made to the B-26B-55. As such it served with the Free France Air Force and the South African Air Force during the World War II. When serving with the South Africans, it received the denomination of Martin Marauder Mk.II.
The last squadron of the Free France Air Force to receive the B-26 was the GBM 1/22 Maroc that together with its flights VB-109 and VB-125 was detached from the 31éme Escadre de Bombardement Moyen (31st Medium Bombing Wing). After operation Torch, it was decided to re-equip it with the B-26C Marauder replacing the old Lioré et Olivier LeO.45. So the were retrained in Rabat, Morocco and were officialy formed on 1st September 1943. On January 1944 they operated from Châteaudun-du-Rummel, Algeria and later, in March 1944 they moved on to Villacidro, Sardinia, where they remained until the end of the war performing bombing missions against Italy and supporting troops in southern France during operation Anvil-Dragoon.

In South African hands, the B-26C was operated by two squadrons, the No.12 and No.24. They were received in 1943 and were employed in bombing missions on the Aegean Sea, Crete and Italy. The No.24 Squadron received the B-26C in December 1943 when based in Algeria, later in 1944 they were rebased in Pescara, central Italy before moving on, later to Iesi, also in Italy where they remained until the end of the war. When the war was over, the B-26C were employed as transport airplanes, moved to Egypt in October 1945 and were disbanded in November 1945.
In the case of the No.12 Squadron, they replaced their Douglas Boston in December 1943 at Algeria and were rebased to Southern Italy in February 1944 where they remained until the end of the war.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder
2. https://www.enpa-capmatifou.com/Enpa2/Aero/EVENEMENTS/66_seconde_guerre_13.pdf (translated)
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Squadron_SAAF
4. http://www.b26.com/page/south_african_air_force_saaf.htm
5. Signal Squadron - Aircraft in Action 50 - Martin B-26 Marauder in Action

Martin B-26C Marauder, Free French Users part two

Today we cover two interesting squadrons of the Free France Air Force that were equipped with the Martin B-26C.
The first one is the GBM 2/20 "Bretagne" squadron that received the B-26 in December 1943 at Telergma airfield, in the East of Algeria where they were formed and assigned to the 31º Escadre that was part of the 42nd Bombardment Wing of the USAAF. Later, in April 1944 they operated from Sardinia, together with the other FFL's bombardment squadrons and conducted attack and support missions against Corsica and Northern Italy.
In November 1944 they were rebased to Bron, in Lyon in order to perform attack and bombardment missions against Germany. In March 1945 they were rebased to the French town of Saint-Dizier in order to provide support for American troops fighting in the Saarland.

The second one, the GBM 2/52 "Franche-Comte" was formed as a bombardment group, receiving the B-26C, in Médiouna, in Morocco, in January 1944 where they got their nickname. In March 1944 they were rebased to Telergma, Algeria and in July 1944 they were rebased to Villacidro, Sardinia, in order to take part in the operations against Northern-Central Italy where they remained until the end of the war. After the war, they operated from Blida until they B-26 were replaced in order to serve in Indochina in 1949.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder
2. http://halifax346et347.canalblog.com/archives/2013/10/11/28195353.html (translated)
3. http://anfas.fr/escadron/Bretagne%203.pdf (translated)
4. Signal Squadron - Aircraft in Action 50 - Martin B-26 Marauder in Action

Martin B-26C Marauder, Free French Users part one

As we said yesterday, after operation Torch, the Free French Air Forces upgraded their medium bombers replacing both their outdated Lioré et Olivier LeO 45 and the Douglas DB-7.
Among them, the Centre d'Instruction B26. This unit was a bomber flying school located in Tunisia that operated both B-26B and B-26C and was located in Algeria first and later in Tunisia.
Another Free France's unit that operated the B-26C was the GBM I/19 "Gascogne" (GBM stands for Groupe de Bombardment Moyen - Medium Bombardment Group) that started to train on the B-26 in Tunisia replacing their Douglas DB-7 on 21st February 1944. Shortly later, on 1st April 1944 the squadron finished their training and, operating from Châteaudun-du-Rhumel, in Algeria together with the Groupes Bretagne and Maroc that were already operating from there.
The squadron was rebased in Sardinia and, on 15th May, they performed their first combat mission attacking communications hubs in La Spezia, North-Western Italy. They remained with those kind of missions until November, when they were rebased to Istres, Southern France first and the Lyon-Bron airbase later in order to perform missions against German soil. They remained there until being disbanded in September 1945.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder#France
2. http://ec1-91gascogne.fr/trad_escadron.php (translated)

Martin B-26B Marauder, various users

Today we cover two users of the B-26B. The B-26B was an improved version of the previous A version, which included revised tail gunner's glazing and various sub-versions were produced, from B-26B-1 to B-26B-55.
After Operation Torch, the Free-French Air Force re-equipped three of their squadrons with B-26B Marauders. One of those was the Instruction Centre CIB-26, a bomber flying school located in Algeria that was equipped with the already outdated version of the B-26B.
In the German case, after the allied bombed the power station at Ijmuiden, Netherlands, they managed to shot down many B-26 as the raid was a failure and, at least one B-26B was captured and sent to be tested at Rechlin test centre, in Germany. The fate of the airplane is, however, unknown.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder
2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft in Action 50 - B-26 Marauder in Action

Martin Baltimore, part four

The Martin Baltimore Mk.V saw service with many foreign countries. That way, the Baltimore equipped a wing from the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, the so-called Stormo Baltimore. They used them for around six-months and mainly operated over Greece and Yugoslavia during 1944-1945 provinding supplies for the partisans operating there.
It also served with the Free France's Air Force as, together with Douglas A-24 Dauntless, it equipped one of their squadrons, the GB I/17 "Picardie" which was based in Syria from 1943 to 1945.
It played a key role when serving with the Royal Hellenic Air Force when, from early 1943, the 13th Light Bomber Squadron received the Baltimore which employed them in various types of missions. In May 1944 they were rebased to southern Italy where, as part of the allied Balkan Air Force, they performed operations in the Balkans, in Yugoslavia and Albania mainly. In November 1944 the axis troops began to retreat from Greece and the squadron was transferred to Hassani Airfield, in Athens, where they took part in operations against the remaining axis forces mainly in Crete and the Aegean isles. Later they took part in the Greek Civil War for a brief period as they were retired in April 1946.
It saw also service with the Turkish Air Force as 72 of them were sold to the neutral Turkey in August 1944 in order to form and equip their first bomber regiment.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Baltimore
2. AJ Press - Mongrafie Lotnicze 97 - Martin Baltimore (translated)
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Light_Bomber_Squadron
4. http://www.americancombatplanes.com/a23_1.html