Site in French

Fighter Group GC II/2
3rd Squadron (Ex SPA 65)
4th Squadron (Ex SPA 57)

Historical

The GC II / 2 was created at the end of 1933. The Group received its MORANE MS406 in the summer of 1939, and will do the whole campaign of France with this aircraft.

On the date of the outbreak of the German attack of May 10, 1940, the GC II / 2 belongs to the Fighting Group No. 23 of the ZOAN (North Air Operations Area).

In early June, part of the Group is seconded to the Lognes-Emerianville field to participate, with GC I / 6, in ground attack missions against German armored personnel. These attacks were very deadly for disappointing results.

He remains in France after the Armistice and will be dissolved in August 1940

Staff

Commanders of the group GC II/2
Commander MICHEL
September 1, 1939
January 11, 1940
  
Commander BERTROU
January 12, 1940
May 13, 1940
  
Captain LARIQUE
May 14, 1940
June 12, 1940
  
Commander MICHEL
June 13, 1940
August 10, 1940
  
Commanders of the 3rd Squadron
Captain DE CALONNES D'AVESNES Baudouin
September 1, 1939
August 1940
  
Commanders of the 4th Squadron
Captain ALEXANDRE Jean
September 1, 1939
June 11, 1940
  
Captain LABIT Georges
June 12, 1940
August 10, 1940
  

 

Pilots

Pilots of Group
Names of pilots
Rank
Squadron
Victories
Informations
Civil Statut
Photo
Citations
Sure
Prob.
ACQUILINA René
Sub-Lieutenant
3
accidented in aerial combat on June 2, 1940.
      
ALEXANDRE Jean
Captain
4th Sqn.
4
     
BERLAND Georges
Adjutant
2
5
     
BERNARD Frantisek
Master-Corporal
Czech Pilot
      
BERNAVON Adrien
Sergeant
3
5
     
BERTROU Paul
Commander
2
1
Killed in aerial combat May 13, 1940
      
BOISSEL Pierre
Lieutenant
Killed in aerial combat on June 16, 1940
      
BREITENSTEIN André
Sergeant
3
1
     
BRICART Raoul
Chief Warrant Officer
4
2
     
D'ABBADIE D'ARRAST Charles
Commander
Transferred to GC II/2 May 19, 1940. Killed in air combat on June 8, 1940.
      
DAUBRESSE
Lieutenant
Accidentally accidented on May 5, 1940
      
DE-CALONNE D'AVESNES Baudouin
Captain
1
2
     
DE-GAIL Henri
Captain
2
1
Killed in aerial combat May 13, 1940
      
DE-LA-GASNERIE Etienne
Staff-Sergeant
2
2
     
DELISLE André
Sergeant
3
1
     
DE-MUYSER Guy
Staff-Sergeant
1
     
DE-ROHAN-CHABOT Henri
Lieutenant
3
Killed in aerial combat May 14, 1940
  
 
DESRUMEAUX
Staff-Sergeant
1
2
     
DOLEZAL Frantisek
Lieutenant
2
1
     
DORCY Pierre
Chief Warrant Officer
6
 
 
DOUCHA
Staff-Sergeant
1
     
DURANTHON André
Sub-Lieutenant
Left the Group on April 6, 1940 to join GC I / 9
  
 
FORTIN Jean
Sergeant
4
5
     
FURSGT Bohumir
Adjutant
Czech Pilot
      
FURST
Adjutant
1
accidented in aerial combat May 21, 1940
      
GERAUDEL
Lieutenant
1
1
     
HYBLER Josef
Sergeant
Czech Pilot
      
KOPRIVA Josef
Staff-Sergeant
1
     
LABIT Georges
Captain
1
4
     
LARIQUE
Captain
     
MARCONNET René
Adjutant
2
Killed in aerial combat on June 8, 1940.
      
MICHEL
Commander
     
MILHIET Rémy
Sub-Lieutenant
3
Seriously accidented in air combat on June 5, 1940
      
MOREAU Jean
Sergeant
4th Sqn.
1
Killed in aerial combat on May 11, 1940
  
 
PARENT Pierre
Sergeant
2
4
     
PLZAK Stanislav
Staff-Sergeant
3
     
POLLONO
Adjutant
1
     
RENAUDIE Marcel
Chief Warrant Officer
3
Killed in aerial combat May 13, 1940
      
ROBIAUD Jacques
Sub-Lieutenant
3
5
     
SEDA Karel
Sub-Lieutenant
Czech Pilot
      
SIKL Vaclav
Lieutenant
Czech Pilot
      
TORTRAT
Lieutenant
 
 

 

Airfields

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Clermont-Les-Fermes
02 - Aisne
August 27, 1939
Soissons-Saconin
02 - Aisne
October 13, 1939
Laon-Chambry
02 - Aisne
April 9, 1940
Le Plessis-Belleville
60 - Oise
May 16, 1940
Chissey
39 - Jura
May 21, 1940
Lognes-Emerainville
77 - Seine et Marne
June 5, 1940
Feurs
42 - Loire
June 15, 1940
Saint-Etienne-Bouthéon
42 - Loire
June 16, 1940
Feurs
42 - Loire
June 16, 1940
Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon
69 - Rhône
June 17, 1940
Montpellier-Fréjorgues
34 - Hérault
June 17, 1940
Nimes-Courbessac
30 - Gard
June 23, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GC II/2

 

Aircrafts

The GC II/2 was equipped since its creation at the end of 1933, following aircrafts :

The used aircrafts are described in the accessible file by the link below. You will find Nb of series, Registration, date of affectation to the group, and fate of the plane there.

In this list are identified :

    - 1 Nieuport-Delage Nid 622
    - 1 Dewoitine D500
    - 2 Dewoitine D501
    - 63 Morane MS406

     

Records

1/2 or 1/3 of victories were obtained in association with another Group.

Confirmed Victories
16
Messerschmitt BF110
2
Messerschmitt BF109
3
Henschel Hs 126
3
Junker Ju 88
1
Dornier Do 17
5.5
Heinkel He111
1.5
Likely Victories
19
Messerschmitt BF110
3
Messerschmitt BF109
5
Henschel Hs 126
2
Heinkel He111
4
Dornier Do 215
2
Dornier Do 17
3

 

Casualties

Killed Pilots
8
Sergeant MOREAU (Combat)
May 11, 1940
Chief Warrant Officer RENAUDIE (Combat)
May 13, 1940
Captain DE-GAIL (Combat)
May 13, 1940
Commander BERTROU (Combat)
May 13, 1940
Lieutenant DE-ROHAN-CHABOT (Combat)
May 14, 1940
Captain D'ABBADIE-D'ARRAST (Combat)
June 8, 1940
Adjutant MARCONNET (Combat)
June 8, 1940
Lieutenant BOISSEL (Combat)
June 16, 1940
Wounded Pilots
3
Adjutant FURST (Combat)
May 21, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant AQUILINA (Combat)
June 2, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant MILHIET (Combat)
May 5, 1940

 

Sources

- The citations or decorations listed are extracted from the Official Journals archived in « Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France »
- The dates and places of birth of the Group's personnel are taken mainly from the site : "Mémoires des Hommes"
- Book "Morane MS406" Collective Work - Editions LELA Presse
- Book : "Ils étaient là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions