French Forces

En route to Levant

www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr

Eleusis Airport, 26 May 1941: a German Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft just took off to Crete overfly a line of French Vichy Air Force’s Dewoitine D 520s parked on this Greek airport near Athens. The D.520s, all of the Groupe de Chasse (Fighter Group) GC III/6, left his base at Alger on 24 may 1941, in accord with German and Italian Armistice Commission, for the French Syria to reinforce the Vichy Armed Forces deployment in the region under attack by the British forces. At this time the Vichy’s air units in Syria and Lebanon was a Groupe de Chasse, GC-1/7, equipped with Morane-Saulnier MS-406, a Groupe de Bombardement (Bomber Group), GB-I/39, with Martin 167F, plus the GB II/39 and III/39, Potez 63/11, and six Escadrilles de Surveillance (Reconnaissance Flights) with the old Potez 25 TOE, and other obsolescent airplanes: total amount about 90 aircraft. Just after the first British attacks, 15 May 1941, the General Jannekeyn, the French Commandant de l'Air au Lévant (Levant Air Commander), urged reinforcements. With the German and Italian permit, the GC III/6 - leader Cdt Geille, Escadrilles 5ème, leader Cne Jacobi (KIA 12 June 1941 by AA fire) and 6ème, leader Cne Richard – left his base of Algiers on 24 May 1941 and landed at Rayak, Lebanon, on 28 May 1941 flying a route with stops at Tunis, Catania, Brindisi, Eleusis and Rhodes while the ground technical personnel travelled on board of a Potez 540 used a transport aircraft. Few days later, on 8 June 1941, the British, with the collaboration of the Free French Forces, taken the land offensive and many Vichy’s aircraft was strafed and destroyed on the ground. On 10 June the Levant Vichy was reinforced by other D.520, of the GC II/3, five of them was destroyed on the ground ad Homs by the No 3 Squadron RAAF, and by some LeO-45 bombers. During a five weeks campaign, ceased on 14 July 1941 with the Acre’s armistice the Vichy Air Force’s losses was very high: 179 aircraft lost, most raided on the ground, from about 289 committed to the Levant. The Dewoitine’s pilots claimed 29 enemies aircraft down, but of 70 D.520 committed, about 40 was lost with the death of 8 pilots. Victor Sierra