1939 to 1940: On the road to in the sky

[cardboard_killer]

"Air Minister Guy La Chambre’s 1939 gamble to cut production of MS-406 fighters in favor of the next generation should have resulted in strong squadrons by now, but almost none of the new fighters are in service. The Bloch MB-152 which directly replaced the Morane Saulnier is actually inferior to it, and numbers are low due to necessary modifications (to the MB-155) when it became apparent the Bloch company had provided falsified performance figures. Instead of a central fighter reserve of 200 machines as planned, the reserve consists of only eleven MS-406, five Curtiss Hawk-75s, and fifteen MB-152.

- Dewoitine De-520s are only now beginning to arrive in numbers, equipping a single Groupe, with pilots not very familiar with the machines. The first Arsenal VG-33 and Bloch MB-155 fighters are being readied, and 150 MS-406 are ready for conversion to the MS-410 with better wings and propellers. If France can hold for the summer, these next generation fighters will become available.

 

 

[THERION]

It's always difficult when politicians try to mess with the professionals - something Marcel Bloch (MB), later better known as Marcel Dassault

avoided and made some very successful airplanes - one of those, the epic Mirage III.