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 "hun ...

during the World War I. Its roster included

Georges Guynemer Georges Marie Lodovic Jules Guynemer (, 24 December 1894 – 11 September 1917 Missing in action, MIA) was the second highest-scoring French Third Republic, French Flying ace, fighter ace with 54 victories during World War I, and a French ...

, René Dorme, Alfred Heurteaux,

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 Triple Entente, Entente fighter Flying ace, ace and, when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centurie ...

, Raoul Echard, Joseph-Henri Guiguet, Roland Garros, Mathieu Tenant de la Tour, and the Serb Tadija Sondermajer, among other 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 List of Latin phrases, Latin phrase meaning literally for this. In English language, English, it typically signifies a solution designed for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a Generalization, generalized solution ...

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

N26 N26 Bank SE, doing business as N26, and formerly named Papayer GmbH, and Number26 GmbH'','' is a multinational German fintech and neobank company based in Berlin that offers a variety of financial services to individuals and businesses. N26 was ...

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

Second Battle of the Aisne The Second Battle of the Aisne ( or , 16 April – mid-May 1917) was the main part of the Nivelle Offensive, a French Third Republic, Franco-British attempt to inflict a decisive defeat on the German Empire, German armies in France. The Entente ...

, 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 ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-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 culture, la ...

. GC 12 was transferred to VI Armee again on 11 December 1917. On 18 January 1918, '' Escadrille 67'' 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