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The number of victories obtained by the French Air Force in 1939/1940 has often been controversial and the figure of the "1000 Victories" has always been highly contested. This balance sheet is nevertheless explainable, even if the way it was built is rather Optimistic ... For my part, the record I would retain is rather 687.5 Victories. Some explanations after the table:

	Total	ME 110	ME 109	HE 126	HE 123	DO 215	DO 17	JU 87	JU 86	JU 88	HE 111	JU 52	Fiat Br20	Fiat Cr42	Savioa-Marchetti SM79
Victories Sures	687,5	60	203	86	4	12	113	42	6	13	139,5	1	3	4	1
Likely Victories	273	30	77	13	0	19	60	15	2	5	49	0	1	1	1

The calculation of victories :

- First peculiarity in this beginning of conflict, the Air Force, in its balance sheet, take into account the Likely Victories. For example, they are not counted in the Luftwaffe or the US Air Force. This detail explains in part the figure of the 1000 Victories, since the 273 Likely Victories added to the 687.5 Sures indeed give 960.5 victories ...

- A second peculiarity, if a group of pilots succeeded in bringing down an enemy aircraft, each one of them was attributed a victory, whatever its participation ... Doublons could be many: the weakness of the weapons of the French machines often obliged the French pilots to go several in order to succeed in felling the robust Germans Aircrafts

The Homologation of Victories:

- If the calculation of the victories was rather optimistic, the homologation of the French victories was rigorous. Upon returning from the missions, The Group Commander analyzed the pilots' applications for approval before submitting them to the Command of his Air Operations Zone. Victory is granted only if it is possible to locate the wreckage of the aircraft shot down, or if relevant evidence is available.

However, some of the victories that have been validated retain a certain amount of uncertainty: this is the case for Victories claimed by Units such as the Defense Patrols or fighting Groups such as the ECMJ 1/16, GC I / 145 ... These units, often without archives, have a balance sheet difficult to clarify..

The balance sheet does not take into account :

- Likely victories listed in the table above.

- Victories claimed by the Reconnaissance Crews or the Bombardment: the confrontations with the German fighter aircrafts were extremely violent, and the aircrafts pursued by the hunters, could not confirm the fall of the damaged enemy aircraft.

- Victories obtained by the Aéronavale, which leave the context of the Air Force.