The Luftwaffe was the best Air-Force in Europe during WW2, The Luftwaffe was twice the size of both RAF & FAF. The main power of the Germans during the Battle of France 1940, Was Airpower Blitzreig.
Some Finland statistics: I counted that the Finnish Moranes of the 28th sqn shot down 115 planes to the loss of 13 planes. An ace Urho Lehtovaara once shot down 3 MiG's with a Morane.
What a TOTAL CROCK OF SHIT!!! The Morane-Saulnier MS 406 was a DEATH TRAP and my nomination for worst operational fighter of WWII. Look at it's kill ratio: 175 Kills for more than 400 Losses!!! France had THE FINEST AIRCRAFT OF WWI and THE WORST AIRCRAFT of WWII!!! I blame Petain as SECDEF!!! MS406 v. ME 109E-3 302mph v. 348. Carb'd v. Fuel Injection, two 7.5mm and one jam prone 20mm v. two 7.9 and three 20mm FF cannons. Climb to 16K' 6.5min v. Climb to 20K' 7.8min. France had better shit!
@Armydicked Interesting use of statistics. Since the Mauranes have had -i've read more, but give you- 175 confirmed air combat victories, For nearly 450 losses. Right.
300 of them were abandoned, or ground-destroyed planes. Only 150 were shot down in combat. Against bombers, but also the REALLY faster, better armed luftwaffe fighters. Even before the 300 british planes withdrew, fighting one to two.
And suddenly, they don't look so bad. Them, the men that flew them, or, how knows ? Both.
@canicheenrage The MS 406 was still a good weapon against German bombers in 1940, but it could not match Messerschmidt fighters. The new Dewoitine 520 were more "competitive" in fighter combat, and so were the Curtiss bought from the US. These defects were partly compensated for by the quality of the French pilots (this was written by German pilots like Galland). Some French pilots even rammed their aircraft against Germans, just like Japanese kamikaze did later.
Tremendous murraines ! Only served as a shot-to-target for german fighters. They were neighbors of Germany and never became aware of how the Nazis were arming ? Sure ! If only they lived in " l'amour " and getting drunk with wine. So were the french...
a bit short as an explanation...things were getting very fast at this time and no doubt the morane had been, a short time though a top notch fighter plane, like the hurricane was in 1938 a record breaker plane. There was a lot of problems in the French weapon industry at this time and better models were not built quick enough , the D.520 for instance...the French were aware of that and bought, as for the Curtiss 75, US made models, amongst them early P-38 models.
It was an inferior plane compared to the Germans but the pilots fighting spirit and the leadership were more important. The French could have achieved the same feats as the British in the Battle of Britain except France's officer corps was low class and their planning and preparations for the war were not satisfactory.
True...even the Dewoitine 520 lacked "jus" (juice) compared to the magnificent Yak-3's that the Normandie-Niemen's flew. Forget the French ace's name who flew a Dewoitine who shot down two German bombers plus six Italian Fiats over the Riviera June 1940 and then shot down four Tommys over Syria 1941.
I believe you mean Pierre le Gloan. The only French ace (and Allied for that matter - since he ended up with the Free French in North Africa)who shot down more British than German aircraft.
That's right! Pierre le Gloan. It's not funny, but I love the description of how he shot down so many Italian planes in one go. He said the Fiats were in parade formation on their way to the French coast when he swooped upon them.
There's a film on the Liebstandarte where one sees (what I believe is) a Morane with Polish markings being set ablaze by soldiers at the Clermand airfield late June 1940. See this film?
The Luftwaffe was the best Air-Force in Europe during WW2, The Luftwaffe was twice the size of both RAF & FAF. The main power of the Germans during the Battle of France 1940, Was Airpower Blitzreig.
martynrobin121 2 months ago
Some Finland statistics: I counted that the Finnish Moranes of the 28th sqn shot down 115 planes to the loss of 13 planes. An ace Urho Lehtovaara once shot down 3 MiG's with a Morane.
JapaninArmeija 4 months ago
What a TOTAL CROCK OF SHIT!!! The Morane-Saulnier MS 406 was a DEATH TRAP and my nomination for worst operational fighter of WWII. Look at it's kill ratio: 175 Kills for more than 400 Losses!!! France had THE FINEST AIRCRAFT OF WWI and THE WORST AIRCRAFT of WWII!!! I blame Petain as SECDEF!!! MS406 v. ME 109E-3 302mph v. 348. Carb'd v. Fuel Injection, two 7.5mm and one jam prone 20mm v. two 7.9 and three 20mm FF cannons. Climb to 16K' 6.5min v. Climb to 20K' 7.8min. France had better shit!
Armydicked 5 months ago
@Armydicked Interesting use of statistics. Since the Mauranes have had -i've read more, but give you- 175 confirmed air combat victories, For nearly 450 losses. Right.
300 of them were abandoned, or ground-destroyed planes. Only 150 were shot down in combat. Against bombers, but also the REALLY faster, better armed luftwaffe fighters. Even before the 300 british planes withdrew, fighting one to two.
And suddenly, they don't look so bad. Them, the men that flew them, or, how knows ? Both.
canicheenrage 4 months ago
@canicheenrage The MS 406 was still a good weapon against German bombers in 1940, but it could not match Messerschmidt fighters. The new Dewoitine 520 were more "competitive" in fighter combat, and so were the Curtiss bought from the US. These defects were partly compensated for by the quality of the French pilots (this was written by German pilots like Galland). Some French pilots even rammed their aircraft against Germans, just like Japanese kamikaze did later.
Hippophilee 2 weeks ago
Tremendous murraines ! Only served as a shot-to-target for german fighters. They were neighbors of Germany and never became aware of how the Nazis were arming ? Sure ! If only they lived in " l'amour " and getting drunk with wine. So were the french...
bompiberlot 5 months ago
@bompiberlot
a bit short as an explanation...things were getting very fast at this time and no doubt the morane had been, a short time though a top notch fighter plane, like the hurricane was in 1938 a record breaker plane. There was a lot of problems in the French weapon industry at this time and better models were not built quick enough , the D.520 for instance...the French were aware of that and bought, as for the Curtiss 75, US made models, amongst them early P-38 models.
kaa13 1 month ago
It was an inferior plane compared to the Germans but the pilots fighting spirit and the leadership were more important. The French could have achieved the same feats as the British in the Battle of Britain except France's officer corps was low class and their planning and preparations for the war were not satisfactory.
monsterzeroJr 6 months ago
...until France was over run and these planes were bombed into eternity...
356butch 6 months ago
These planes really helped Finland to defend itself against the Soviet-union in the Winter war. Thank you France!
qelleri 6 months ago
These planes had a retractable radiator below the engine and you can see them, extended, in this film. (00:24)
Rickinsf 8 months ago
well..it wasnt nearly as good as the war propagande wants to make us believe...
Nebukadnezarthe2nd 8 months ago
ms 406 : 191 air victory on luftwaffe, 90 un-confirmed...
bingofioul 11 months ago
ahhahaahah they were downed 15 of those every day... Bf 109 owns this piece of...
88Matija 11 months ago
they actually fought quite well despite the handicap of being underpowered, undergunned and piloted mainly by frenchmen.
tommiatkins 11 months ago
Just flying Me109 targets...
Kal50BMG 1 year ago
D 520 was fitted with a french Hispano Suiza 12Y.
Yak 3 was fitted with a rusian Klimov 105.
The Klimov engine was in fact a 12Y made by rusian.
So, no doubt that the D520 could reach more than 1200 Hp if still in development during the all war.
syntaxerror9 1 year ago
@syntaxerror9 Its successor, the HS 12Z, was about to enter production. That would have been a ~1,500 hp V12 engine in summer 1940...
In particular, it was supposed to fit into an ultralight wooden Arsenal VG39 fighter. Quite an impressive power/weight ratio i guess ^^
bidon3332000 11 months ago
looks like a p-36 is flying in formation also
balsaboy55 1 year ago
Great! One Curtiss H-75 can be watched the last in formation
FirebrandB37 2 years ago
I wonder why this plane is not in the WW2 Online game?
DEP717 2 years ago
Cool. Not too often you can find this kind of footage from 1940. Plan on putting any more up?
Kaigun06 3 years ago 9
All 100 videos posted so far are from 1940. I have about 300 more to upload just for 1940. Then comes 1941.......
skoblinI 3 years ago 4
Cool, I look forward to seeing them. Not to often you can find any footage from 1940.
Kaigun06 3 years ago
True...even the Dewoitine 520 lacked "jus" (juice) compared to the magnificent Yak-3's that the Normandie-Niemen's flew. Forget the French ace's name who flew a Dewoitine who shot down two German bombers plus six Italian Fiats over the Riviera June 1940 and then shot down four Tommys over Syria 1941.
olivenstein 3 years ago
I believe you mean Pierre le Gloan. The only French ace (and Allied for that matter - since he ended up with the Free French in North Africa)who shot down more British than German aircraft.
skoblinI 3 years ago
That's right! Pierre le Gloan. It's not funny, but I love the description of how he shot down so many Italian planes in one go. He said the Fiats were in parade formation on their way to the French coast when he swooped upon them.
olivenstein 3 years ago
Apparently le Gloan died trying to crash land his American-built Aircobra - forgot it had a fuel tank on the underbelly of the aircraft.
skoblinI 3 years ago
There's a film on the Liebstandarte where one sees (what I believe is) a Morane with Polish markings being set ablaze by soldiers at the Clermand airfield late June 1940. See this film?
olivenstein 3 years ago
"Dewoitine 520 lacked "jus" (juice) compared to the magnificent Yak-3's "
D520 was ingeneered in 1936
Yak 3 appeared in ... 1943.
So...?
artyparis 3 years ago 6
5*****
Charlemagne8888 3 years ago