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Historical
Squadron AB-3 was born December
1, 1939 on the basis of Lanvéoc-Poulmic. It is equipped with
Vought 156F and its endowment is complete end of February 1940.
Declared operational, the unit joins the airfield of Boulogne-Albrech
from which it will carry out missions of maritime surveillance until
the outbreak of the German attack.
On May 10, 1940, the Boulogne-Alprech
airfield was bombed at dawn. The hangar, which houses all the Vought
156F unit is destroyed, with all aircraft .... The crews, unscathed,
will receive 11 new aircraft to Lanvéoc-Pöulmic before
joining the airfield of Querqueville May 23. While waiting for this
rearmament, the squadron is replaced by the AB-1, which is transferred
urgently from Hyères to the south.
The squadron, again operational,
joined the Querqueville airfield before being moved to the south,
Hyères, in anticipation of the declaration of War likely
Italians. The Vought 156F will perform maritime surveillance or
ground attack missions. But the story is repeated: June 15, the
airfield of Hyères is bombed by the Italians and 6 Vought
156F are destroyed on the ground ... June 18, during what will be
the last mission of the AB-3 , 3 aircraft bombard the port of San
Stefano by night. On June 24, surviving aircraft will be transferred
to Bone in Algeria just before the Armistice-related flight ban.
Staff
|
Commanders
of the Squadron AB-3
|
| PIERRET
Robert - Lieutenant |
December
1st, 1939
|
September
1st, 1940 |
Pilots
|
Pilots
of Squadron AB-3
|
|
Names
of pilots
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Informations
|
Civil-statut
|
Photos |
Citations
|
| BRUNEL
François |
Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
Second
in command of the Squadron |
|
|
|
| LE-DROUCPEET
Yves - Marie |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
Killed
on 13th June 1940 in aerial combat: his aircraft was shot down
by a Fiat CR-42 while landing at Hyères on his way back
from a training mission. |
Born
on 02 August 1916 at Louannec (22-Côtes d'Armor)
Killed on 13 June 1940 at Hyères (83 - Var) |
|
|
| LUCAS
Jean - Louis |
Chief
Bosun’s Mate
|
Machine-Gunner
|
Killed
on 13th June 1940 in aerial combat: his aircraft was shot down
by a Fiat CR-42 while landing at Hyères on his way back
from a training mission. |
Born
on 07 August 1914 at Ploaré (29 - Finistère)
Killed on 13 June 1940 at Hyères (83 - Var) |
|
|
| PIERRET
Robert |
Lieutenant
|
Commander
of Squadron
|
Commander
of the Squadron AB-3 |
|
|
|
| ROY
René - Julien |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
He
was killed on 2 February 1944 during a Convoy Escort mission
in a Vickers Wellington |
Born
on 07 May 1915 in Bernouil (89 - Yonne)
Killed on 02 February 1944 off Senegal |
|
|
Stories
of crews
|
Crews
of squadron AB-3
|
|
Names
of crew members
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Informations
|
|
Crew |
LE-DROUCPEET
Yves |
Petty-Officer
|
Pilot
|
Vought
156F No36 AB3-6: On June 13, 1940, during a training flight,
the aircraft was shot down by a Fiat CR-42. The crew is killed. |
| LUCAS
Jean |
Chief
Bosun’s Mate
|
Machine-Gunner
|
Airfields
|
Various
used Airfields
|
|
City
|
Department
or country
|
Period
of use
|
|
Lanvéoc-Poulmic
|
29 -
Finistère
|
December
1, 1939 to March 22, 1940
|
|
Boulogne-Alprech
|
62 -
Pas de Calais
|
From
March 22 to mid-May 1940
|
|
Lanvéoc-Poulmic
|
29 -
Finistère
|
Mid-May
1940 to May 23, 1940
|
|
Querqueville
|
50 -
Manche
|
May 23
to May 25, 1940
|
|
Maupertus
|
50 -
Manche
|
May 25
to May 26, 1940
|
|
Querqueville
|
50 -
Manche
|
May 26
to June 4, 1940
|
|
Hyères
|
83 -
Var
|
June
4 to June 24 1940
|
|
Bône
|
Algérie
|
From
June 24, 1940
|
Aircrafts
The
Squadron AB-3 was equipped since its creation, following aircrafts:
-
Vought 156F
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 :
Casualties
|
Killed Pilots
|
2
|
| LE-DROUCPEET
Yves Petty-Officer |
June
13,1940
|
| LUCAS
Jean Chief Bosun’s Mate |
June
13,1940
|
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
- ...
|
