World War 2 In Review: French air force

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Amiot 350 Series: French Bomber

Amiot 351 01 prototype.

The Amiot 354 was the last in a series of fast, twin-engine bombers which fought with the Armée de l'Air in limited numbers during the Battle of France.

The Amiot 350 series originated in the same 1934 requirement as a rival to the Lioré et Olivier LeO 451. Derived from the Amiot 341 mail plane, the Amiot 340 prototype was involved in a propaganda misinformation flight to Berlin in August 1938 to convince the Germans that the French employed modern bombers. Though 130 machines were ordered by the French government that year, production delays and ordered modifications ensured that September 1939 saw no delivered aircraft. Eventually, the ordered number of this very modern aircraft reached 830, though ultimately only 80 machines were received by the Air Ministry. The main variant was the twin-tailed 351; however, due to various delays, the single-tailed 354 was accepted into service as an interim type.

The Amiot 351 was planned to mount one 7.5 mm (.295 in) MAC 1934 machine gun in nose and ventral positions and one 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in the dorsal position. Due to technical problems with the armament installation, many aircraft went to operational units with only a light machine gun in the dorsal position.

In May 1940, the Amiot 351/354 was in the process of equipping just two bomber groupes: GB 1/21 and GB II/21 based at Avignon. Though 200 were in the final stages of construction, only 35 were ready for flight. This situation was exacerbated by the Amiot 351/354 being built in three factories, two of which were later bombed by the Germans. On 16 May 1940, the Amiot 351/354's carried out armed reconnaissance sorties over Maastricht in the Netherlands - the first operation conducted by planes of this type.

By June, the Amiot 351/354 was also delivered for GB I/34 and GB II/34, neither flying them in combat. At that time, all Amiot 351/354s were based on the northern front. Three had been lost in combat, ten in training accidents. All aircraft were ordered to evacuate to Africa on 17 June, 37 surviving the trip. As their numbers were too few to engage the Italians, the aircraft were sent back to Metropolitan France and their groupes disbanded in August 1940.

Five Amiot 351/354s continued to be used as mail planes after the Battle of France. Four Amiot 351/354s were commandeered by the Luftwaffe as transports, two found service in the 1./KG200 special service geschwader.

Engines taken from these aircraft were later used on Messerschmitt Me 323 cargo transports.

The Amiot 351/354 saw service with the Armée de l'Air (80?)

Variants

Amiot 340.01: Two 686 kW (920 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14P, single-tail prototype (one built).

Amiot 350: 351 re-engined with two 686 kW (920 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Y-28 / Hispano-Suiza 12Y-29 engines (one built)

Amiot 351.01: Amiot 351 prototype.

Amiot 351: Two 707 kW (950 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14N-38 / Gnome-Rhône 14N-39, twin-tail (17) (This number may be low)

Amiot 352: 351 re-engined with two 820 kW (1,100 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Y-50 / Hispano-Suiza 12Y-51 engines (one built)

Amiot 353: 351 re-engined with two 768 kW (1,030 hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin III engines (one built)

Amiot 354: 351 re-engined with two 798 kW (1,070 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14N-48 / Gnome-Rhône 14N-49, most with single-tail. (45) (This number is probably low).

Amiot 354 B4

Role: Bomber

Manufacturer: Avions Amiot

Introduction: 1940

Primary user: French Air Force

Number built: ca. 86

Crew: four (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier)

Length: 14.50 m (37 ft 6¾ in)

Wingspan: 22.83 m (74 ft 10¾ in)

Height: 4.08 m (13 ft 4½ in)

Wing area: 67.0 m² (721 ft²)

Empty weight: 4,735 kg (10,417 lb)

Loaded weight: 11,324 kg (24,912 lb)

Powerplant: 2 × Gnome-Rhône 14N48/49 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 791 kW (1,060 hp) (take off power) each

Maximum speed: 480 km/h (259 knots, 298 mph) at 4,000 m (13,100 ft)

Cruise speed: 349 km/h (189 knots , 217 mph) (long range cruise)

Range: 3,502 km (1,891 nmi, 2,175 mi)

Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft)

Climb to 4,000 m (13,100 ft): 8.7 min

Guns:

3 × 7.5 mm (.295 in) MAC 1934 machine guns

2 × 7.5 mm (.295 in) MAC 1934 machine guns and 1 × 20 mm cannon

Bombs: 1,200 kg (2,650 lb)

Amiot 355.01: 351 re-engined with two 895 kW (1,200 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14R-2 / Gnome-et-Rhone 14R-3 engines (one built)

Amiot 356.01: 354 re-engined with two 842 kW (1,130 hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin X engines (one built)

Amiot 357: High-altitude prototype with pressurized cabin, two 895 kW (1,200 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Z-89 turbocharged engines (one built)

Amiot 358: 351 re-engined post-war with two 895 kW (1,200 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines (one built)

Amiot 370: Single-tail racer with two 642 kW (860 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Yirs / Hispano-Suiza 12Yjrs engines, developed specifically for (later cancelled) Paris-New York race (one built)

Operators

France: Armée de l'Air

Germany: Luftwaffe

Amiot 351.

Amiot 341 and Caudron C.600 Aigion being set up for an air exhibition.

Amiot 341 and Caudron C.600 Aigion being set up for an air exhibition. Farman F.224 in the background.

The Amiot 340 was used for an unscheduled propaganda flight. General Ernst Udet, director of the Reich Air Ministry's Technical Office, invited General Joseph Vuillemin, Chef d’état-major de l'Air (French Chief of Air Staff), to visit Germany. Vuillemin decided to fly to Germany in the Amiot 340 prototype, which was stripped of its prototype markings, the intention being this would lead the Germans to believe this aircraft was in squadron service. The Amiot 340 flew from Villacoublay to Berlin on 16 August 1938, averaging 440 km/h on this journey. The photo shows General Vuillemin's arrival in Berlin.

Milch greeting Vuillemin in front of the Amiot 340.

Amiot 340.

Amiot 350.

Amiot 351.

Cockpit of Amiot 351.

Amiot 351.

Amiot 351's.

General Weygand and Nogues inspecting Amiot 351 unit, Algeria. 1940.

Amiot 354.

German troops pose with an Amiot 354. 1940.

Amiot 370.

ANF Les Mureaux 113: French Reconnaissance Aircraft

ANF Les Mureaux 113, 1931.

The ANF Les Mureaux 110 and its derivatives were a family of French reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1930s. They were all-metal, parasol-wing monoplanes that seated the pilot and observer in tandem open cockpits. The aircraft were widely used in the Battle of France, but were all scrapped soon thereafter.

The ANF Les Mureaux 110 originated with a French air ministry requirement for an aircraft to replace the Bréguet 19 in Armée de l'Air service in the "R2" reconnaissance role. Two slightly different variants, the 110 and 111 were presented to the air force for evaluation, and were soon ordered into production.

The first mass-production version was the 113 in 1933, of which 49 examples were purchased. This was supplanted in production by the 115 in 1935 and the 117 later than year. Both these series were given light bombing capability as well.

The 113 entered service initially with the Armée de l'Air's reconnaissance Groupes, followed by the observation Groupes, and finally replacing the venerable Potez 25s in the Groupes Aériens Régionaux reserve units. It was followed into service by the 117 and 115. From 1934 to 35, 40 of the original 113s were converted into night fighters and used to replace the Bréguet 19s still in service with France's two nightfighter Groupes.

By the outbreak of World War II, the 115 equipped nine Groupes Aériens d'Observation, and the 117 nine more. By April 1940, 11 aircraft had been lost in action, leaving 228 on strength at the commencement of the Blitzkrieg in May. By the time of the French armistice with Germany on June 25, only 62 remained, some of these in North Africa.

Variants

ANF Les Mureaux 110: Two examples built for evaluation, 1x Hispano-Suiza 12Nb engine.

ANF Les Mureaux 110A-2: Prototype, 1x Hispano-Suiza 12Nb engine.

ANF Les Mureaux 111: One example built for evaluation, 1x Hispano-Suiza 12Nb engine.

ANF Les Mureaux 112 R2: The 110 prototypes re-engined as pre-production machines, 1x Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs engine.

ANF Les Mureaux 112 GR: One specially-built aircraft to participate in 1934 Bibescu Cup air race

ANF Les Mureaux 113 R2: Initial production version (Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs) - 49 built

ANF Les Mureaux 113 CN: 40 113s converted into night fighters

ANF Les Mureaux 113 GR: Racing version, equipped with a supercharged Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs piston engine. Only one was built.

ANF Les Mureaux 114 CN: Single prototype of a purpose-built night fighter version

ANF Les Mureaux 115 R2B2: Reconnaissance bomber with upgraded engine (119 built), 1x Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine.

Role: Military reconnaissance aircraft

Manufacturer: ANF Les Mureaux

Designer: André Brunet

First flight: April 1931

Number built: ~285

Crew: two, pilot and observer

Length: 9.95 m (32 ft 7 in)

Wingspan: 15.4 m (50 ft 6 in)

Height: 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in)

Wing area: 34.9 m2 (375 sq ft)

Empty weight: 1,757 kg (3,874 lb)

Gross weight: 2,885 kg (6,360 lb)

Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs , 640 kW (860 hp)

Maximum speed: 340 km/h (210 mph, 180 kn)

Range: 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi)

Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft)

Armament:

1 × 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.9 cannon firing through propeller hub

2 × fixed, forward firing 7.5 mm MAC 34 machine guns

2 × flexible 7.5 mm MAC 34 machine guns for observer; 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs

ANF Les Mureaux 115 R2: This version was powered by a 634-kW (850-hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Yers piston engine.

ANF Les Mureaux 117 R2B2: Reconnaissance bomber with revised aerodynamics (115 built), 1x Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs engine.

ANF Les Mureaux 119: One 113 modified to challenge world altitude record with 500 kg payload, 1x Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs engine.

ANF Les Mureaux 200A.3: Prototype observation aircraft, 1x Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine.

Operators

France: French Air Force

References

Cortet, Pierre (October 1997). "La série des avions d'observation A.N.F. Les Mureaux 110 (1ère partie)" [The A.N.F. Mureaux 110 Series of Observation Aircraft]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (55): 19–24.

Cortet, Pierre (November 1997). "La série des avions d'observation A.N.F. Les Mureaux 110 (2ème partie)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (56): 28–32.

Cortet, Pierre (December 1997). "La série des avions d'observation A.N.F. Les Mureaux 110 (3ème partie)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (57): 32–36.

Cortet, Pierre (January 1998). "La série des avions d'observation A.N.F. Les Mureaux 110 (4ème partie)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (58): 20–31.

Cortet, Pierre (February 1998). "La série des avions d'observation A.N.F. Les Mureaux 110 (5ème partie)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (59): 19–28.

Cortet, Pierre (March 1998). "La série des avions d'observation A.N.F. Les Mureaux 110 (6ème partie)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (60): 7–15.

Cortet, Pierre (April 1998). "La série des avions d'observation A.N.F. Les Mureaux 110 (photoscape)" [The A.N.F. Mureaux 110 Series of Observation Aircraft (Photospread)]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (61): 16–19.

Cortet, Pierre (March 1999). "Rétros du Mois" [Retros of the Month]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (72): 5.

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.

ANF Les Mureaux 114.

ANF Les Mureaux 113.

ANF Les Mureaux 117 R2B2.

ANF Les Mureaux 200.

ANF Les Mureaux 117.

ANF Les Mureaux 115 R2.

ANF Les Mureaux 113 R2.

ANF Les Mureaux 115 R2.

ANF Les Mureaux 113.R2.

ANF Les Mureaux 114CN.2.

ANF Les Mureaux 117.

French airfield under attack by Do 17 bombers (one is visible above the buildings) and several ANF Les Mureaux 117s on the ground, with one on fire.