Surveillance Squadron 3S-2

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Historical

In October 1936, an experimental unit was set up in Orly by the Navy to test the new aircraft of the kind that are Liore and Olivier C30.

These aircraft, called "Autogire", have no wing, and the lift is done by a free wing, rotating. The few inconclusive tests of landing on board the aircraft carrier "Béarn", cantoned on land base, the unit, became Escadrille 3S-2 in May 1939.

At the declaration of war, the squadron joined the field of Cuers-Pierrefeu, before joining Deauville in February 1940. But the LeO C30 is a very vulnerable aircraft, and the unit is folded on Lanvéoc-Poulmic from June 3 1940. The LeO C30 will be destroyed on this ground during the evacuation of the personnel on June 18, 1940.

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Staff

Commanders of the 3S-2 Squadron
CHATEL DE RAGUET DE BRANCION Paul Sub-Lieutenant	August 22,1937	December 1939
CHARRE Louis Sub-Lieutenant	December 1939	June 1940

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Personnel

Pilots and crew-members of Squadrons 3S-2
Names of pilots	Rank	Function	Informations	Civil Statut	Photo	Citations
CHARRE	Sub-Lieutenant	Commander of 3S-2	Commander of the unit from December 1939 to August 1940
CHATEL DE RAGUET DE BRANCION	Sub-Lieutenant	Commander of 3S-2	Commander of the unit from August 1937 to December 1939
DELERUE Jean	Sub-Lieutenant	Acting Commander of the Escadrille until its dissolution in August 1940	He was killed in a plane crash at Berre L'Etang on 27 May 1942	Born on 19 January 1914 at Ascq (59 - Nord) Killed on 27 May 1942 at Berre l'étang (13 - Bouches du Rhône)

 

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Airfields

Various used Airfields
City	Department or country	Period of use
Orly	94 - Val de Marne	From October 1936 to February 1938
Hyères	83 - Var	From February 1938 to September 1939
Cuers-Pierrefeu	83 - Var	From September 1939 to February 24, 1940
Deauville	14 - Calvados	From February 24, to June 3, 1940
Lanvéoc-Poulmic	29 - Finistère	From June 3 to 18, 1940

 

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Aircrafts

The Squadron 3S-2 was equipped since its creation, following aircrafts:

- Liore & Olivier LeO C30 et C301

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 :

• 3 Avro C.30
• 5 Lioré & Olivier LeO C30
• 6 Lioré & olivier Leo C301

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Casualties

The squadron "3S-2" had no losses to deplore during the Campaign of France.

 

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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"

- 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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