Notes on French Naval Aviation (Aéronavale)
Here are some notes on French naval aviation in the OTL that may of use for TTL. At the start of the war, the air wing of the
Béarn (Flotille F1A) consisted of two fighter squadrons (AC1 and AC2, equipped with obsolete D.376 fighters) and two scout bomber squadrons (AB1 with obsolete PL.101, and AB2 with slightly more modern V.156F dive bombers). At the start of hostilities, the
Béarn was declared to be too slow for operational service and it was decided to disembark these squadrons and reequip them with more modern aircraft. These squadrons remained land-based throughout the conflict.
Here is
Aéronavale’s OOB as of June 1940 in the OTL. (Note: the squadron numbers reflect the renumbering regulation of 8 June 1940, which did not actually become effective until 1 August):
Fighter squadrons:
- 1AC – equipped with 12 Po.631
- 2AC – equipped with 12 Po.631
- 3AC – equipped with 12 MB.151
- 4AC – forming (possibly with MS.406)
- 5AC – forming with MS.406
The French had ordered 81 G.36A fighters (F4F-3 “Wildcat”) from the US to reequip these squadrons. It was anticipated that the
Joffre and
Painlevé would be equipped with Dewoitine D.790 fighters, a navalized version of the D.520.
Carrier-capable scout bomber squadrons:
- 1AB – equipped with 12 V.156F dive bombers (Vought SB2U “Vindicator”)
- 2AB – equipped with 12 LN.401 dive bombers
- 3AB – equipped with 12 V.156F dive bombers
- 4AB – equipped with 12 LN.411 dive bombers
In early 1940, the French had ordered 90 Curtiss H.77F dive bombers (Curtiss SBC-4 “Helldiver”, not to be confused with the Curtiss SB2C "Helldiver") from the US. It was anticipated that the
Joffre and
Painlevé would be equipped with Bréguet Br.810 attack aircraft, derived from the Br.693.
Flotille F1H, embarked on the sea-plane tender Commandant Teste:
- 1HB – equipped with 11 Laté.298 torpedo bombers
- 2HB – equipped with 10 Laté.298 torpedo bombers
- 1HS – equipped with 6 L.130 scout aircraft
- (former HC1 – disembarked and reequipped as squadron 3AC)
In my opinion, ITTL
Commandant Teste would be a useful addition to FIC.
Land-based bomber squadrons:
- 1B – equipped with 9 Leo.H257, transitioning to Martin 167F (Glenn Martin “Maryland”)
- 2B – equipped with 9 Leo.H257, transitioning to Martin 167F
- 3B – equipped with 9 Martin 167F
- 4B – equipped with 9 Martin 167F
- 5B – equipped with 3 Farman F.233.4 (4-engine ex-civilian mail planes)
The French had ordered a total of more than 200 Martin 167F for use by both the
Armée de l’Air and
Aéronavale.
Seaplane torpedo bomber squadrons:
- 1T – equipped with 10 Laté.298
- 2T – equipped with 10 Laté.298
- 3T – equipped with 10 Laté.298
- 4T – equipped with 10 Laté.298
Exploration (long-range patrol) squadrons:
- 1E – equipped with 7 Br.521 “Bizerte” seaplanes
- 2E – equipped with 6 Br.521 “Bizerte” seaplanes
- 3E – equipped with 6 Br.521 “Bizerte” seaplanes
- 4E – equipped with 4 Laté.301/302 seaplanes
- 5E – equipped with 6 Br.521 “Bizerte” seaplanes
- 6E – equipped with 5 Laté.521/522/523 seaplanes
- 7E – equipped with 5 LeO H.257bis (which replaced 6 Loire 70 seaplanes destroyed during an Italian air raid)
- 8E – an experimental squadron to test prototypes of Potez-CAMS 141, Laté.611, and Bréguet 730. The Potez-CAMS 141 was the only aircraft delivered before the armistice.
- 9E – equipped with 4 Br.521 “Bizerte” seaplanes
- 10E – equipped with 3 Farman F.222 bombers, but planned to be equipped with Consolidated PBY “Catalina” seaplanes
- 11E – equipped with 5 LeO H.470 seaplanes
- 12E – planned to be equipped with 4 LeO H.246 seaplanes being manufacture for Air France
- 14E – equipped with 6 Martin 167F
In early 1940, the French ordered 30 Consolidated PBY “Catalina” from the US.
Surveillance (short-range patrol) squadrons:
18 squadrons equipped with of a variety of short-range seaplanes. These squadrons were numbered with the first character corresponding to the Maritime Region (numbered 1 through 4 for France and North Africa, and number “8” for squadrons based overseas) where they were stationed, the second character always the letter “S”, and the final character being the sequence number within the region. For example, Escadrille 3S4 was the fourth surveillance squadron in Maritime Region 3. There were 5 squadrons based overseas, of which Escadrille 8S1 was the only one in French Indochina (at Cat-Lai near Saigon), equipped with 10 Po.452.