Escadrille MS 26 - N 26 - SPA 26
Nieuport 11
Active	August 1914
Country	France
Branch	French Air Service
Type	Pursuit Squadron
Engagements	World War I

Escadrille 26 is a squadron of the French Air Force founded in 1914 and still active today.

History [ edit ]

Escadrille 26 was founded on 26 August 1914, at Arras . It was originally equipped with Morane-Saulnier aircraft, leading to its designation as Escadrille MS26 . It went into action attached to VI Armee of the French ground forces until 24 September 1914; it then switched bases to the Kingdom of Belgium . ^[1]

During 1915, it re-armed with Nieuport 11s , and became Escadrille N26 . In June 1916, it moved to Cachy to join an improvised formation, Groupe de Combat de la Somme . This groupe initially consisted of three other units in addition to Escadrille N26 — Escadrille N3 , Escadrille N103 , and Escadrille N73 and became the famous Fighter Squadron Storks (Escadrille des Cigognes) . Command of the groupe was granted to Capitaine Antonin Brocard. On 1 November 1916, the groupe was formalized as Groupe de Combat 12 , Brocard commanding. ^[1]

On 16 April 1917, GC 12 switched from VIII Armee' s theater of operations to that of X Armee and VII Armee; they were then involved in the Second Battle of the Aisne . During July 1917, the escadrille moved to Flanders to aid 1er Armee . On 11 December 1917, it would return to VII Armee . As the year ended, the escadrille restocked with SPADs , becoming Escadrille SPA 26 . ^[1]

In January 1918, SPA 26 was posted to IV Armee . It moved to VI Armee in March, and X Armee in June. It began July 1918 with V Armee , and moved to 1er Armee on the 29th. On 18 September 1918, the escadrille was posted back to IV Armee, and remained there until war's end. ^[1]

On 12 January 1919, Escadrille SPA 26 was cited by IV Armee for the destruction of 51 enemy aircraft and the disability of 70 more. ^[1]

Escadrille SPA 26 is still current in today's French Air Force.

Commanding officers [ edit ]

• Capitaine Robert Jannerod: 26 August 1914 - January 1915
• Capitaine Pierre de Malherbe: January 1915 - November 1915
• Capitaine Thobie: mid-November 1915
• Capitaine Jacques de Sieyes de Veynes: 17 May 1916 - POW 3 July 1916
• Capitaine Victor Menard: July 1916 - April 1917
• Capitaine Mathieu Tenant de la Tour : April 1917 - Killed in flying accident 17 December 1917
• Capitaine Joseph M. X. de Sevin : 25 December 1917 - end of war ^[1]

Notable personnel [ edit ]

• Lieutenant Roland Garros
• Lieutenant Marcel Bernard
• Major general ^[2] Joseph M. X. de Sevin
• Sous lieutenant Noel de Rochefort
• Adjutant Gustave Naudin
• Marechal-des-logis Constant Soulier ^[1]

Aircraft [ edit ]

• Morane-Saulnier : 26 August 1914
• Nieuport 11 : 1915
• Nieuport 17
• SPAD ^[1]

Endnotes [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

• Franks, Norman ; Frank W. Bailey. Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918 Grub Street, 1992. ISBN   0-948817-54-2 , ISBN   978-0-948817-54-0 .

Further reading [ edit ]

• Bailey, Frank W., and Christophe Cony. French Air Service War Chronology, 1914-1918: Day-to-Day Claims and Losses by French Fighter, Bomber and Two-Seat Pilots on the Western Front . London: Grub Street, 2001.
• Davilla, James J., and Arthur M. Soltan. French Aircraft of the First World War . Stratford, CT: Flying Machines Press, 1997.
• Les escadrilles de l'aeronautique militaire francaise: symbolique et histoire, 1912-1920 . Vincennes: Service historique de l'armee de l'air, 2004. ISBN   2-11-094692-X

External links [ edit ]

• Escadrille MS26 - N 26 - SPA 26