''Escadrille 73'' of the
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
originated at
Corcieux
Corcieux () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include ...
on 23 May 1915 as Detachment N 49 during the World War I.
History
It was initially assigned to the ''VII Armee'' front. On 1 April 1916, it was renamed Detachment
Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
de Corcieux. On 18 April 1916, it was redesignated, this time as Detachment N73. It became ''Escadrille N73'' on 4 July 1916. On 1 November 1916, it was one of the units gathered into ''
Groupe de Combat 12
Groupe de Combat 12 (GC 12) 'Les Cigognes' ('The Storks') was the most celebrated and successful French Air Service Groupe de Chasse during the World War I. Its roster included Georges Guynemer, René Dorme, Alfred Heurteaux, René Fonck, Raoul ...
'', along with ''
Escadrille N3'', ''
Escadrille N26
''Escadrille 26'' is a squadron of the French Air Force founded in 1914 and still active today.
History
Escadrille 26 was founded on 26 August 1914, at Arras. It was originally equipped with ''Morane-Saulnier'' aircraft, leading to its designation ...
'', and ''
Escadrille N103''. The unit became ''Escadrille Spa73'' when it re-equipped with
Spad VII
The SPAD S.VII C.1 was the first in a series of single-seat biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugge ...
s in January 1917.
[Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 96.] The ''escadrille'' left ''GC 12'' on 18 January 1918, being replaced by ''
Escadrille SPA.67''.
[Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 95.] On 4 October 1918, ''Escadrille Spa73'' was cited in orders as having downed 30 enemy aircraft and an
observation balloon
An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for gathering intelligence and spotting artillery. The use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World ...
.
[
]
Commanding officers
* Lieutenant Pierre Bouny
* Lieutenant Honore Lareinty-Tholozan: Killed in flying accident 5 May 1916
* Unknown
* Lieutenant Jean Ricard: 4 July 1916
* Capitaine Albert Deullin
Capitaine Albert Louis Deullin (24 August 1890 – 29 May 1923) was a French World War I flying ace credited with twenty aerial victories. He served for the entirety of World War I. By war's end, he had risen to command of a fighter wing. He woul ...
: 22 February 19178 February 1918
* Capitaine Pierre Cahuzac: ca 9 February 1918ca 2 March 1918
* Lieutenant Maurice Noguès
Maurice Noguès (31 October 1889 – 15 January 1934) was a French aviator from Brittany.
Biography
Noguès was born in Rennes, to Marthe Vallée and Émile Noguès; his father was a Colonel in the artillery. He taught himself to fly in 1909, an ...
: 3 March 1918April 1918
* Lieutenant Robert Gerdes: April 1918ca 9 July 1918
* Lieutenant Pierre Jaille: 10 July 1918?[
]
Notable personnel
* Capitaine Albert Deullin
Capitaine Albert Louis Deullin (24 August 1890 – 29 May 1923) was a French World War I flying ace credited with twenty aerial victories. He served for the entirety of World War I. By war's end, he had risen to command of a fighter wing. He woul ...
* Lieutenant François Battesti
Lieutenant François Marie Noel Battesti (5 May 1890 – 24 August 1977) was a French World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.
Early life and background
Battesti was born Azzana, Corsica, the son of Nicolas and Antoinette Ba ...
Aircraft
* Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
* Nieuport 24
The Nieuport 24 (or Nieuport XXIV C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage as a development of the successful Nieuport 17.
The Nieuport 24 had the misfortune to be the penul ...
* Spad VII
The SPAD S.VII C.1 was the first in a series of single-seat biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugge ...
: Received January 1917[
]
Endnotes
References
* 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. , .
Further reading
* 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'aéronautique militaire française: symbolique et histoire, 1912-1920''. Vincennes: Service historique de l'armée de l'air, 2004.
External links
Escadrille N 73 - SPA 73
French Air and Space Force squadrons
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