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Historical
This unit is initially part
of the "Flotilla of Bearn" (future flotilla "F1A"),
under the name of Escadrille 7S1. In October 1938 she will become
the AB-2 Squadron. At the outbreak of the conflict, the unit is
disembarked Béarn and its three sections of 3 aircraft (levasseur
PL-101) are distributed on the bases of Lanvéoc-Poulmic,
Château-Bougon and Boulogne sur Mer. But from the end of the
month from October, the 3 sections are gathered on the basis of
Lanvéoc-Poulmic, where the unit is transformed into Loiré-Nieuport
LN401 and LN411, replacing the old Levasseur PL101 which are donated
to surveillance squadrons 2S3 and 2S4. On the other hand, since
the new aircraft are single-seater, the crew members, other than
the pilots, are transferred to other units. The "semi-dive"
bombardment training continues intensively, and the Escadrille is
declared operational in March 1940.
The AB-2 thus joins the Berck
airfield by carrying out surveillance missions until the German
attack of May 10, 1940. The first bombing missions are successfully
and without losses. But the mission of 19 May 1940 will remain infamous
... The AB-2 and AB-4 are responsible for bombarding a concentration
of armored at the crossroads of Berlaimont, and no less than 20
aircraft participate in the operation. But the place is heavily
defended by the Flak and 5 aircraft of the AB-2 are slaughtered
in a few moments: 1 pilot is killed, and 4 others will be captured.
Survivors returning to the airfield are either very damaged or deemed
irreparable ... The next day, only one aircraft will be able to
participate in a new mission, but it will be shot down and its pilot
taken prisoner.
The unit joined the Querqueville
airfield on May 21st, where it will receive some new aircraft. On
June 4th, squadrons AB-2 and AB-4 are transferred to the south,
to Hyères to counter a possible Italian attack that the General
Staff feels as imminent. The Italians actually go to war on June
10, 1940, and launch attacks against French land, without causing
losses to the AB-2. The Squadron will carry out some missions against
the Italians before receiving the order to evacuate on Bone in Algeria.
Two of the Loire-Nieuport, victims of breakdowns, will have to land
in Sardinia where the pilots will be interned.
Staff
|
Commanders
of the Squadron AB-2
|
| LORENZI
Jean - Lieutenant |
September
1st, 1938
|
June
1938
|
Pilots
|
Pilots
and crew members of the squadron AB-2
|
|
Names
of pilots
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Informations
|
Civil-statut
|
Photos |
Citations
& Decorations |
| BAGOT |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
|
|
|
|
| BONNEFOY
Louis - Gabriel |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
Petty
Officer BONNEFOY will be killed on April 16th 1945 while serving
in the Naval Air Group No2 in Cognac during the operations
of liberation of the Atlantic pockets |
Born
on 18 January 1915 at Auxerre (89 - Yonne)
Killed on 16 April 1945 at Saint-Augustin (17 - Charente Maritime) |
|
|
| DOUXAMI
Marcel - Pierre |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
During the attack on May
19, 1940 against an armored column, his aircraft is hit by
the Flak, and forced to land in the countryside, he will be
taken prisoner
He was killed on 4 August
1943, when his Hudson crashed on take-off and caught fire
|
Born
on 20 April 1911 in Toulon (83 - Var)
Killed on 4 August 1943 in Dakar (Senegal) |
|
|
| FAIVRE
Robert Henri |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
During the attack on May
19, 1940 against an armored column, his aircraft was hit by
the Flak. He tries to join the lines, but he is attacked by
ME109 on the way back and he must land in the countryside
where he will be taken prisoner.
He was killed on 30 June
1943 while serving at the Agadir Naval Air Station in Morocco
|
Born
on 11 November 1912 in Paris (75)
Killed on 30 June 1943 in Inezgane (Morocco) |
|
|
| HAUTIN |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
Shot
and taken prisoner on May 20, 1940 |
|
|
|
| LANSONNEUR
Alexis - Marie |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
Killed
by accident on 22 December 1939 at Orly: while landing, he tried
to avoid an aircraft in his path, but the aircraft went into
a spin and crashed. |
Born
on 31 May 1912 at Ploumoguer (29 - Finistère)
Killed on 22 December 1939 at Orly (94 - Val de Marne) |
|
|
| LE-MOAL |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
On
May 24, during the transfer of the AB-2 to the AFN, he suffered
a motor failure between Corsica and Bône (Algeria) and
he must land in Sardinia where he is interned. |
|
|
|
| LORENZI
Jean |
Lieutenant
|
Commander
of Squadron
|
Commander
of the AB-2 Escadrille from September 1st, 1938 to June 1940 |
|
|
|
| MEHEUT |
Petty-Officer
1st Class
|
Pilot
|
On
May 24, during the transfer of the AB-2 to the AFN (North Africa),
he suffered a motor failure between Corsica and Bone (Algeria)
and he must land in Sardinia where he is interned. |
|
|
|
| MOULINIER
Robert |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
On
May 20, 1940, he attacked a Heinkel HE111 and managed to burn
one of his engines, but himself hit by the rear gunner of the
bomber, he was forced to land in the countryside |
|
|
|
| NIEL
Max Gustave |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
He
was killed on February 2nd 1944 while serving at the Dakar Naval
Air Station (Senegal) |
Born
on 07 May 1914 in Marsqeille (13 - Bouches du Rhône)
Killed on 02 February 1944 at sea |
|
|
| PASCAL
Louis Jules |
Petty-Officer
1st Class
|
Pilot
|
Killed
in Air Combat May 19, 1940
|
Born
on 15 November 1912 at Marmande (47 - Lot et Garonne)
Killed on 19 May 1940 at Landrecies (59 - Nord) |
|
|
| VILBERT
Jules |
Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
During
the attack of a concentration of armored vehicles on May 19,
1940, he was hit hard but managed to finish his attack before
landing in the countryside. |
|
|
|
Airfields
|
Various
used Airfields
|
|
City
|
Department
or country
|
Period
of use
|
| Lanvéoc-Poulmic
(1ere section) |
29 -
Finistère
|
From
September 3rd to the end of October 1939
|
| Nantes-Château
Bougon (2eme Section) |
44 -
Loire Ataltique
|
From
September 3rd to the end of October 1939
|
| Boulogne
sur Mer (3eme Section) |
62 -
Pas de Calais
|
From
September 3rd to the end of October 1939
|
| Lanvéoc-Poulmic
(Toute l'Escadrille) |
29 -
Finistère
|
End of
October 1939 to November 1939
|
| Querqueville
|
50 -
Manche
|
November
1939 to March 1940
|
| Berck |
62 -
Pas de Calais
|
From
March 1940 to May 21, 1940
|
| Calais |
62 -
Pas de Calais
|
May 21st
only
|
| Querqueville |
50 -
Manche
|
May 21,
1940 to June 4, 1940
|
| Hyères |
83 -
Var
|
June
4 to June 24, 1940
|
| Bône |
Algérie
|
From
June 24th
|
Aircrafts
The
Squadron AB-2 was equipped since its creation, following aircrafts:
The used aircrafts
are dSqnribed in the accessible file by the link below. You will find
N ° of series, Registration, date of affectation to the group, and
fate of the plane there.
In
this list are identified :
- 10 Loire-Nieuport LN-401
- 4 Loire-Nieuport LN-411
Casualties
|
Killed Pilots
|
2
|
| LANSONNEUR
Alexis Petty-Officer (Accident) |
December
22, 1939
|
| PASCAL
Petty-Officer 1st Class (Combat) |
May 19,1940
|
|
Prisoners
Pilots
|
7
|
| VILBERT
Jules Lieutenant |
May 19,1940
|
| DOUXAMI
Marcel Sub-Lieutenant |
May 19,1940
|
| FAIVRE
Sub-Lieutenant |
May 19,1940
|
| BAGOT
Petty-Officer |
May 19,1940
|
| HAUTIN
Petty-Officer |
May 20,1940
|
| LE-MOAL
Petty-Officer (Internéd in Sardaigne) |
June
24,1940
|
| MEHEUT
Maître (Interned in Sardaigne) |
June
24,1940
|
Sources
- The
dates and places of birth of the Group's personnel are taken mainly
from the site : "Mémoires
des Hommes"
- Hors série AVIONS No1
- "L'Aéronautique Navale Française de Septembre
1940 à Juin 1940" by L. Morareau - Editions LELA Presse
- Aéro-Journal No18
"L'Aéronautique Navale en Guerre 1939-1940": by Christian-Jacques
EHRENGARDT - Editions Aéro-Editions
- ...
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