Escadrille SPA.48 was a unit of the French Air Force during World War I.[1]
| Escadrille MS 48 / N 48 / SPA 48 | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1915–1918 |
| Country |  France |
| Branch |  French Air Service |
| Type | Fighter Squadron |
| Mascot(s) | The Crowing Rooster |
| Engagements |  World War I |
Unit history
editEscadrille 48 was created on 29 March 1915 at Villacoublay near Paris, flying the Morane-Saulnier L. Active throughout the war at various locations on the Western Front, the escadrille replaced its aircraft with Nieuports in early 1915, then with SPADs at the end of 1916. By 11 November 1918 the pilots of the escadrille had logged 9,826 flying hours, with 54 confirmed and 48 probable victories, at a cost of 11 killed and 12 wounded.[2]
Commanders
edit| Name | Appointed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Paul Fernand du Peuty | 29 March 1915 | Served as Directeur du Service Aéronautique from 20 February to 20 August 1917. Returned to the infantry to command a battalion of Zouaves in October 1917 and was killed in action on 30 March 1918. |
| Captain François de Thonel d'Orgeix | 5 September 1915 | |
| Captain Jean Georges Fernand Matton[3] | 8 October 1916 | Killed in action on 10 September 1917 near Koekelare, Belgium, probably by Josef Jacobs of Jasta 7. |
| Captain Jacques Victor Sabattier de Vignolle[4] | 12 September 1917 | |
| Lieutenant Jean-Marie Thobie | 13 February 1918 | |
| Lieutenant Gilbert Sardier[5] | 23 July 1918 |
Notable members
edit- Albert Achard (3 April – 29 September 1915)[2]
- René Dousinelle (13 April 1917 – October 1918)[2][6]
- Gilbert de Guingand (22 April 1917 – 22 October 1918)[7]
- Auguste Lahoulle (19 May 1916 – 4 January 1917 & 16 October 1917 – January 1918)[8]
- René Montrion (6 April 1917 – 28 June 1918 †)[9]
- Jean Navarre (1 – 24 February 1916)[2]
- Jacques Roques (2 January 1917 – November 1918)[10]
- Armand de Turenne (13 June 1916 – 12 January 1918)[2]
- Edmond Caillaux (18 February 1896 – 22 January 1943)[11]
Aircraft flown
editThe following aircraft were operated by the unit between 1915 and 1918.[2]
References
edit- ^ Franks & Bailey (1992), p. 92.
- ^ a b c d e f g Albin, Denis. "L'escadrille 48". L'histoire de l'aviation militaire française (in French). Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Jean Georges Fernand Matton". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Jacques Sabattier de Vignolle". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Jean Marie Luc Gilbert Sardier". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "René Paul Louis Dousinelle". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Gilbert Marie de Guingand". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Auguste Joseph Marie Lahoulle". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "René Montrion". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Jacques Raphaël Roques". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/caillaux.php Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- Bibliography
- Franks, Norman & Bailey, Frank W. (1992). Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
Further reading
edit- Bailey, Frank W.; Cony, Christophe (2001). 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, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-90230-434-2.
- Davilla, James J.; Soltan, Arthur M. (1997). French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-0-96371-104-5.
- Lefèbvre, Jean-Michel (October 1976). "Escadron 2/7 "Argonne" historique (2): escadrilles de traditions" [Historic Squadron 2/7 Argonne, Part 3: Ancestral Flights]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (83): 16–19. ISSN 0757-4169.
- Les escadrilles de l'aéronautique militaire française: symbolique et histoire, 1912-1920 (in French). Vincennes: Service historique de l'armée de l'air. 2004. ISBN 2-11-094692-X.