Wednesday 6 August 2014

The French and British air services

6 August 1914


Having invested heavily in aviation technology in recent years, both France and Great Britain bring significant aviation assets to the war.

The French army air service


The Aéronautique Militaire possesses 126 aeroplanes in front-line service, organised into 23 escadrilles (“squadrons”). The organisation of these units is noteworthy, as each of the escadrilles is composed of only a single aircraft type, and specialises in a particular rôle. Escadrilles contain six aeroplanes each.

Aéronautique Militaire units mobilised by 3 August 1914
Aviation unit Commanding officer
1ère armée
Escadrille BL 3 Lieutenant Georges Bellemois
Escadrille MF 5 Lieutenant Michel le Ray d’Abrantès
Escadrille BL 9 Capitaine Armand Des Prez de la Morlais
Escadrille BL 10 Capitaine Constantin Zarapoff
Escadrille BL 17 Capitaine Georges Benoist
Escadrille BL 18 Capitaine Max Boucher
2ème armée
Escadrille HF 1 Capitaine Camille Fuzier
Escadrille MF 8 Capitaine Fassin
Escadrille HF 19 Capitaine Michel Jolain
Escadrille MF 20 Capitaine Maurice Marquer
3ème armée
Escadrille MF 2 Lieutenant Léon Bretey
Escadrille HF 7 Lieutenant Adrien Gautier
Escadrille HF 13 Capitaine André Provillard
Escadrille MF 16 Capitaine Vaudein
4ème armée
Escadrille V 14 Lieutenant Mouchard
Escadrille V 21 Lieutenant Guichard
5ème armée
Escadrille D 4 Capitaine Albert Marie Adrian
Escadrille D 6 Capitaine Jules Aubry
Escadrille C 11 Lieutenant Jacques Pégat
Escadrille N 12 Commandant Charles Tricornot de Rose
Escadrille REP 15 Capitaine André Geibel
Corps de cavalerie
Escadrille BLC 2 Lieutenant Charles Mendès
Escadrille BLC 4 Lieutenant Emile Gouin

The prefixes on the squadron numbers indicate the type of aeroplane operated:
  • BL and BLC — Blériot XI (the “C” suffix denotes a cavalry unit)
  • C — Caudron G.3 
  • D — Deperdussin Type TT
  • HF — Henri Farman HF.20
  • MF — Maurice Farman MF.7
  • MS — Morane–Saulnier Type L
  • N — Nieuport Type VI
  • REP — REP Type K
  • V — Voisin Type L




Britain’s Royal Flying Corps

Although smaller than its continental counterparts, Britain’s Royal Flying Corps is equipped with very modern aeroplanes. British squadrons generally contain twelve machines.


Royal Flying Corps units mobilised by 4 August 1914
Unit Commanding officer
1 Squadron Major Charles Longcroft
2 Squadron Major Charles Burke
3 Squadron Major Robert Brooke-Popham
4 Squadron Major George Raleigh
5 Squadron Major John Higgins
6 Squadron Major John Becke
7 Squadron Major John Salmond




Montenegro enters the war


Montenegro has declared war on Austria–Hungary.




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