The
Normandie-Niemen squadron was a fighter squadron of the
French Air ForceThe French Air Force is the air force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, it is the world’s oldest military air service.-History:...
. It served on the
Eastern FrontThe Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of war between the European Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Finland , and the Soviet Union which encompassed central and eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9...
of the
European Theatre of World War IIThe European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
with the
1st Air ArmyThe 1st Air Army was an Air Army in the Soviet Air Force which served during World War II. It was formed on May 10, 1942 within the Soviet Western Front, and renamed the 26th Air Army on January 10, 1949 in the Belorussian Military District....
. The regiment is notable for being one of only two air combat units from an Allied western European country to participate on the Eastern Front during World War II.
Description
The unit originated in mid-1943 during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Initially the
groupe comprised a group of French fighter-pilots sent to aid
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
forces on the
Eastern FrontThe Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of war between the European Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Finland , and the Soviet Union which encompassed central and eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9...
at the suggestion of
Charles de GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II...
, leader of the
Free French ForcesThe Free French Forces were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation.-Definition:...
, who felt it important that French servicemen serve on all fronts in the war.
The unit was the GC3 (
Groupe de Chasse 3 or 3rd Fighter Group) in the Free French Air Force, first commanded by Jean Tulasne (the 's' is silent). It fought in three campaigns on behalf of the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
between March 22, 1943, and May 9, 1945, during which time it destroyed 273 enemy aircraft and received many orders, citations and decorations from both
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, including the French
Légion d’Honneur and the Soviet
Order of the Red BannerThe Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War. The first recipient was Vasily Blyukher on September 28, 1918. It was later titled the Award of the Soviet Government of the Soviet Union...
.
Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953...
awarded the unit the name
NiemenNeman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
for its participation in the Battle of the Neman River (1944).
the unit, known as squadron 2/30, flies
Dassault Mirage F1The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French single-seat air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation as a successor of the Mirage III family. The Mirage F1 entered service in the French Air Force in the early seventies...
CT planes.
Operational history
Six months after the Germans
invadedOperation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a 2,900 km front...
the USSR in June 1941, talks aimed at closer co-operation between Free France and the Soviet Union resulted in setting up a special squadron with an initial core of twelve fighter pilots for service on the Russo-German front. De Gaulle officially promulgated the
Groupe de Chasse GC 3
Normandie on September 1, 1942, with
Commandant Pouliquen in command. Mechanics, pilots and hardware travelled by rail and air via
TehranTehran is the capital and largest city of Iran, and the administrative center of Tehran Province. Tehran is a sprawling city at the foot of the Tochal mountain range with an immense network of highways unparalleled in Western Asia...
(
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
) to
BakuBaku , sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakou, is the capital, the largest city, and the largest port of Azerbaijan and all the Caucasus. Located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, the city consists of two principal parts: the downtown and the old Inner City...
( the capital of
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
). They completed a period of training on the
Yakovlev Yak-7The Soviet Yakovlev Yak-7 was developed from the earlier Yak-1 fighter, initially as a trainer but converted into a "heavy" fighter. As both a fighter and later reverting to its original training role, the Yak-7 proved to be a capable aircraft and was well-liked by air crews.-Design and...
by end-January 1943, when
Commandant Jean Tulasne took command of the
groupe, which finally headed for the front on March 22, 1943.
The first campaign of GC 3, equipped with the
Yakovlev Yak-1The Yakovlev Yak-1 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft, produced from early 1940.-Design and development:Although prior to World War II Yakovlev was best known for building light sports aircraft, the Yak-4 light bomber impressed the Soviet government enough to order the OKB to design a new...
fighter-plane, lasted until October 5, and encompassed the area of
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
between Polotniani-Zavod and
SlobodaSloboda was a kind of settlement in the history of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The name is derived from the early Slavic word for "freedom" and may be vaguely translated as "free settlement". The status of "sloboda" varied over the time and territory. Initially the settlers of a sloboda were freed...
/Monostirtchina. From an initial aerial victory over an
Focke-Wulf Fw 190The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger, was a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. It was used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. The design was the last mass produced piston-engine German fighter to see action in the war. It partially...
on April 5, the tally rose dramatically and the squadron became the focus of much Soviet propaganda, so much so that
Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm KeitelWilhelm Bodewin Gustav Keitel was a German field marshal . As head of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and de facto war minister, he was one of Germany's most senior military leaders during World War II...
decreed that any French pilot captured would be executed.
Tragedy struck the squadron with the much-decorated Tulasne reported missing-in-action after combat on July 17, requiring
Commandant Pouyade to take command. In spite of the loss, GC 3 started to receive many Soviet unit citations and decorations as well as French awards. On October 11, de Gaulle accorded the
groupe the title of
Compagnon de la LibérationThe Ordre de la Libération is a French Order awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is an exceptional honor, the second highest after the Légion d’Honneur and only a small number of people and military units have received it, exclusively for deeds accomplished...
. By the time GC 3 relocated to
TulaTula is an industrial city in the European part of Russia, located 193 km south of Moscow, on the river Upa. Population: 481,216 ; 543,000 . Tula is the administrative center of Tula Oblast. Dialing code: +7 4872....
on November 6, 1943, only six pilots remained from the original
groupe, which had accumulated 72 aerial victories since joining the fighting.
1944 witnessed the expansion of the
groupe to become a
régiment, with a fourth
escadrille joining its ranks. After completing training on the more advanced
Yakovlev Yak-9The Yakovlev Yak-9 was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union in World War II and after. It was the most numerous Soviet fighter of the war and remained in production from 1942 to 1948, with 16,769 built.-Design and development:...
D fighter-planes at
TulaTula is an industrial city in the European part of Russia, located 193 km south of Moscow, on the river Upa. Population: 481,216 ; 543,000 . Tula is the administrative center of Tula Oblast. Dialing code: +7 4872....
, the new regiment rejoined the front line for its second campaign. This lasted until November 27, and took in the area between Doubrovka (in Russia) and Gross-Kalweitchen (in East Prussia, Germany). During this campaign
Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953...
ordered the regiment to style itself
Normandie-Niemen in recognition of its participation in the battles to liberate the river of that name. On October 16, the first day of a new offensive against
East PrussiaEast Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia...
, the easternmost part of Germany, the regiment’s pilots destroyed 29 enemy aircraft without loss. By the following month, the regiment found itself based in German territory. By the end of the year, Pouyade had been released from his command of the regiment and he, along with other veteran pilots, returned to France.
January 14, 1945, saw the
Normandie-Niemen regiment start its third campaign (from Dopenen to
HeiligenbeilMamonovo , prior to 1945 known by its German name Heiligenbeil, is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia...
), concentrating in the East Prussian part of the German
Reich, until the formal announcement of victory in the east on May 9, the day after
V-E DayVictory in Europe Day was on 8 May 1945, the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich...
in western Europe. By the end of the war, the regiment had shot down 273 enemy aircraft and had received many citations and decorations. The USSR expressed its gratitude to the regiment by offering 37 of the unit’s
Yak-3The Yakovlev Yak-3 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft regarded as one of the best fighters of the war. It was one of the smallest and lightest major combat fighters fielded by any combatant during the war, and its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance...
fighters to France. The pilots returned to a heroes' welcome in Paris on June 20, 1945.
Its flag bore the testimony of its battle experience, with names such as
BryanskBryansk is a city in Russia, located 379 km southwest from Moscow. It is the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast. Population: 431,526 .-History:...
,
OrelOrel or Oryol can refer to:*Oryol, a city in Russia, the administrative center of Oryol OblastIt can also refer to:*Alexander Oryol , Soviet military leader and admiral...
,
IelniaYelnya is a town in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna River 82 km from Smolensk. It is the administrative center of Yelninsky District...
,
SmolenskSmolensk is a Russian city and the administrative centre of Smolensk Oblast, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
,
KönigsbergKönigsberg was the capital of eastern Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945. It was founded by the Teutonic Knights just south of the Sambian peninsula in the year 1255 AD during the Northern Crusades and named for King Ottokar II of Bohemia...
(later renamed
KaliningradKaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
by the Soviets), and Pillau. It received the following decorations: from France, the
Légion d'HonneurThe Légion d'honneur or Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, the
Croix de la LibérationThe Ordre de la Libération is a French Order awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is an exceptional honor, the second highest after the Légion d’Honneur and only a small number of people and military units have received it, exclusively for deeds accomplished...
, the
Médaille Militaire, the
Croix de guerreThe croix de guerre is a military decoration of both France and Belgium, where it is also known as the Oorlogskruis . It was first created in 1915 in both countries and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins...
with six
palmes; from the USSR, it received the
Order of the Red BannerThe Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War. The first recipient was Vasily Blyukher on September 28, 1918. It was later titled the Award of the Soviet Government of the Soviet Union...
and the
Order of Alexander NevskyThe Order of Alexander Nevsky was first instituted as the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky in 1725 by Catherine I of Russia. It was originally awarded to distinguished Russian citizens who had served their country with honor, mostly through political or military service. Tolstoy states in...
, with eleven citations between the two orders. Individual pilots Marcel Albert, Marcel Lefèvre, Jacques André and Roland de La Poype were appointed
Hero of the Soviet UnionThe title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
.
The remaining Yak-3 fighter aircraft have now dwindled down to one which is on static display at Le Bourget's Air and Space Museum/Musée de l’air et de l’espace.
Related units
- In the Russian Federation there is a regiment, also called Normandie-Niémen (or 18-й гвардейский Витебский дважды Краснознаменный ордена Суворова второй степени истребительный полк ВВС России "Нормандия - Неман" - in Russian). It is deployed near Ussuriysk
Ussuriysk is a city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated in the fertile valley of the Rasdolnaya River, 98 km north of Vladivostok. The town is around 60 km from both the Chinese border and the Pacific Ocean.-Medieval history:...
, a city in the Russian Far EastRussian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
, as part of the 11th Air ArmyThe 11th Air Army of the Russian Air Force, is located in the Russian Far East and Pacific Coast area, and its zone of responsibility covers the Far East Military District....
. The regiment maintains the traditions of French-Soviet/Russian combat friendship.
Popular culture
The 1960 Franco-Russian film
Normandie-Niemen directed by Jean Dréville and Damir Viatich-Berejnykh, relates the arrival in Russia of the first twenty pilots for intensive training and the formation of the squadron.
Aircraft
-
- Yakovlev UT-2
The Yakovlev UT-2 was a trainer aircraft used by the Soviet Air Force from 1937 until the 1950s. It was the standard Soviet trainer during World War II.-Development:...
: Basic training aircraft, used for training between 1 and 18 December, 1942.
-
- Polikarpov Po-2
The Polikarpov U-2 or Po-2 served as a general-purpose Soviet biplane, nicknamed Kukuruznik , NATO reporting name of "Mule". The reliable, uncomplicated and forgiving aircraft served as a trainer and crop-duster...
: Initially Po-2s were used for training (between 1 and 18 December, 1942), later were used for liaison and courier duties.
-
- Yakovlev Yak-7
The Soviet Yakovlev Yak-7 was developed from the earlier Yak-1 fighter, initially as a trainer but converted into a "heavy" fighter. As both a fighter and later reverting to its original training role, the Yak-7 proved to be a capable aircraft and was well-liked by air crews.-Design and...
V: Advanced training aircraft used for operational training between December 1942 and January 25, 1943. These aircraft were not owned by French unit.
-
- Yakovlev Yak-1
The Yakovlev Yak-1 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft, produced from early 1940.-Design and development:Although prior to World War II Yakovlev was best known for building light sports aircraft, the Yak-4 light bomber impressed the Soviet government enough to order the OKB to design a new...
b: Fighter aircraft used between January 19 and March 22 for advanced and dogfight training, later used as fighter aircraft. Initially Normandie-Niemen received 6 aircraft, next 8 were sent in March 1943 and last 4 at the end of April 1943. Since June 1943 Jak-1bs were used for training of new pilots and remained in Normandie-Niemen till the end of that year.
-
- Yakovlev Yak-9
The Yakovlev Yak-9 was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union in World War II and after. It was the most numerous Soviet fighter of the war and remained in production from 1942 to 1948, with 16,769 built.-Design and development:...
D: Fighter aircraft used for training in TulaTula is an industrial city in the European part of Russia, located 193 km south of Moscow, on the river Upa. Population: 481,216 ; 543,000 . Tula is the administrative center of Tula Oblast. Dialing code: +7 4872....
between early June 1944 and late July 1944. Two Yak-9Ds were still used in September 10, 1944.along such type theirs receiving some examples of Yak-9T,tactical ground support variant in same period.
-
- Yakovlev Yak-3
The Yakovlev Yak-3 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft regarded as one of the best fighters of the war. It was one of the smallest and lightest major combat fighters fielded by any combatant during the war, and its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance...
: Main fighter aircraft of Normandie-Niemen used between end of July 1944 and May 1945. 37 Yak-3s were handed over to French Air ForceThe French Air Force is the air force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, it is the world’s oldest military air service.-History:...
and were used between June 1945 and April 1947.
-
- Yakovlev Yak-6
The Yakovlev Yak-6 was a Soviet twin engined utility aircraft, developed and built during World War II. It was used as a short range light night bomber and a light transport.-Development:...
: Transport aircraft of Normandie-Niemen.
See also
- List of Members in Normandie-Niemen Air Unit
- History of the Armée de l'Air (1940-1945)
- French wiki on the 1960 film
- Mongolian Arat Fighter Squadron
- 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French)
The 33. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS Charlemagne and Charlemagne Regiment are collective names used for units of French volunteers in the Wehrmacht and later Waffen-SS during World War II.-Formation and history:...
Literature
- Normandie Niemen, Yves Courrière, Omnibus, 2004 ISBN 2-258-06171-7
- Un du Normandie-Niemen, Roger Sauvage, Poche, 1971 ISBN B0000DOP3V
- " French Eagles Soviet Heroes " ,John D. Clark, Sutton, 2005 ISBN 0-7509-4074-3
External links