After several years, I picked up my ‘Piece of Cake’ book again ( the original with Hurricanes ) and I’m just up to November ’39. A question popped into my head the other night when reading it, and that was, what happened to all the French fighters and bombers as France fell. Were they just abandoned or servicable aircraft flown to the UK?
For those left behind, were any used by the Luftwaffe in any roles or for evaluation?
If any made it to the UK, what became of them?
By: gamary - 21st August 2011 at 10:01
I don’t think many French fighters made it to the UK, although I know a handful did. Mostly transport or liaison aircraft were used. Most fled to North Africa to prevent them from being captured by the Germans. Some were destroyed where they stood.
Captured Hawk 75 and Bloch 152 were regularly used as trainers by Axis forces. Some Hawks were sold to Finland. The D.520 was also used as a trainer or also as a fighter by Axis air forces.
Keep in mind that the Armée de l’Air still existed after the defeat, under the Vichy rule. I imagine its stocks of aircraft were fairly rapidly replenished after the defeat, as the industry was still producing them but no losses were occuring.
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August 21, 2011 at 9:40 am