Groupe de Combat 12 (GC 12) 'Les Cigognes' ('The Storks') was the most celebrated and successful French Air Service

Groupe de Chasse ''Groupe de Chasse'' or ''groupe de chasse'' (usually abbreviated as GC) is the French language term for " fighter group" or "fighter wing". More literal translations include "pursuit group" (the US term for fighter groups prior to 1942) and "h ...

during the World War I. Its roster included

Georges Guynemer Georges Guynemer (, 24 December 1894 – 11 September 1917 MIA) was the second highest-scoring French fighter ace with 54 victories during World War I, and a French national hero at the time of his death. Guynemer's death was a profound s ...

, René Dorme,

Alfred Heurteaux Alfred Marie-Joseph Heurtaux (20 May 1893 – 30 December 1985) was a French World War I fighter ace credited with 21 victories. Later in his life, he joined the French Resistance during World War II, and survived imprisonment in Buchenwald death ...

René Fonck Colonel René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894 – 18 June 1953) was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top Entente fighter ace and, when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries are also considered, Fonc ...

, Raoul Echard, Joseph-Henri Guiguet, Roland Garros,

Mathieu Tenant de la Tour Capitaine Mathieu Marie Joseph Antoine Tenant de la Tour (5 December 1883 - 17 December 1917) was a French World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories. He scored one of the first aerial victories over an observation balloon. Biogra ...

, Jean Laulhé, among other French World War I aces. The fliers from CG 12 carried different stork insignia on their planes.

History

It originated as an

ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with '' a priori''.) C ...

group, ''Groupement de Combat de la Somme''. Four ''escadrilles'' were consolidated in this group—'' Escadrilles N3'', ''

N26 N26 (known as ''Number 26'' until July 2016) is a German neobank headquartered in Berlin, Germany. N26 was founded in 2013 in a Rocket Internet Incubator and currently operates in various member states of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). I ...

'', '' N73'', and '' N103''. Founded on 16 April 1916 to fight in the

Second Battle of the Aisne The Second Battle of the Aisne (french: Bataille du Chemin des Dames or french: Seconde bataille de l'Aisne, 16 April – mid-May 1917) was the main part of the Nivelle Offensive, a Franco-British attempt to inflict a decisive defeat on the Germ ...

, the makeshift group also had three other ''escadrilles'' temporarily assigned—'' N37'', '' N62'', and '' N65''. The group was placed under command of Capitaine Felix Brocard; he was promoted from command of ''Escadrille 3N''. On 1 November 1916, it was formalized as ''Groupe de Combat 12''; its original table of organization contained the four permanent ''escadrilles''. On 28 January 1917, the unit was posted to the X Armee. It transferred to the VII Armee in March. On 12 July, it moved to support Ier Armee in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

. GC 12 was transferred to VI Armee again on 11 December 1917. On 18 January 1918, ''

Escadrille 67 ''Escadrille 67'' of the French Air Force was founded at Lyon-Bron Airport during the First World War, on 17 September 1915. On 24 September, they were assigned to the ''IV Armee'' of the French Army. By late October, the ''escadrille'' was assign ...

'' replaced ''Escadrille 73'' within the ''groupe''. The ''groupe'' made the transition to support X Armee on 5 June 1918; to V Armee on 17 July; to Ier Armee on 29 July; and to IV Armee on 18 September 1918.

Commanding officers

* Capitaine Felix Brocard: 1 November 1916 - early 1918 * Capitaine Horment: early 1918 - 4 May 1918 * Capitaine Charles Dupuy: 4 May 1918 - end of war

Assignments

* X Armee: 28 January 1917 * VIII Armee: March 1917 * Ier Armee: 12 July 1917 * VI Armee: 11 December 1917 * X Armee: 5 June 1918 * V Armee: 17 July 1918 * Ier Armee: 29 July 1918 * IV Armee: 18 September 1918

References

;Bibliography *

External links

GC 12
{{wwi-air Military units and formations of the French Air and Space Force

History

Commanding officers

Assignments

References

Further reading

External links