Origins and the Great War
The Belgian Air Component traces its roots back to the Compagnie des Ouvriers du Génie from 1887. This was an element of the engineers that operated hot air ballloons. Interest in propellor aircraft grew in the beginning of the 20th century. A few officers learned how to fly and several aircraft were purchased. Hence the new name of Compagnie des Ouvriers et d'Aérostiers du Génie.By 1913, the aviatiors had their own unit the Compagnie d'Aviateurs. It comprised7 four squadrons equipped with Farman Jero planes. In 1914, the Great War started. Aviation developed quickly during the war. At the start Belgium operated unarmed reconnaissance planes. Aerial confrontations led to the development of armed designs. During the war, Belgium swapped its old planes for newer French designs including the Nieuport 10, Nieuport 11 and SPAD S VII. As to be expected, France always reserved the first new models for its own air element. Belgium had to wait for later production batches. Essentially Belgian aviators were always one step behind the latest model.
Interwar
Belgium ended the Great War with several French and British designs in its inventory. The principal aircraft of the interwar period were the French Nieuport-Delage 29C1 fighter and the Breguet 19. The latter was use in two versions. The A2 was a reconnaissance aircraft, the B2 a bomber. During the interwar period, several Belgian manufacturers produced civilian and military aircraft. The most important companies were SABCA, Renard and Stampe et Vertongen. SABCA built most of the Belgian Nieport-Delage 29C1's and Breguet 19's under licence.
Local design and production improved. Nonetheless, the most successful enterprises were foreign designs that were produced under license in Belgium. During the 1930's, we see a radical change to mostly British designs. Marcel Lobelle, A Belgian citizen immigrated to Britain, to work for the Fairey Aviation corporation. He designed several aircraft for them. Fairey also established a production site near Charleroi in Belgium called Avions Fairey. (In 1977 the name changed to SONACA. This company is still active in the aerospace industry.)
in the 1930's, Avions Fairey produced the Firefly II and the Fairey Fox in large numbers for the Belgian Army Air Force. As a consequence, they still made up a large part of the inventory at the start of the Second World War.
World War Two
In 1940, military aircraft still fell under the control of the Army, hence the name Army Air Force. Belgium possessed rougly 265 planes at the start WW2. This included many models. Most were a bit outdated, about 70 could be called modern. The air element at the time consisted of a fighter regiment and two reconnaissance regiments.
The Belgian Military had a conservative view of airpower. Fighter aircraft had to protect the Belgian airspace. Reconnaissance aircraft could assist ground forces and drop small bombs. During the rising political tensions in the late 30's, Belgium adopted a neutral policy. Belgium suffered greatly during WW1. There was little enthousiasm to get involved in yet another Great Power war. Nevertheless, the Belgian leadership wasn't naive and took important measures to improve the Belgian defensive capabilities.
However only ground forces can actually halt an invasion. Because of this, the Army received most of the funding. The air element was also controlled by the Army. It was not a separate branch. Secondly, the neutral policy made it difficult to acquire offensive weapons like bombers. That is why the inventory is made up almost exclusively of fighters and reconnaissance aircraft.
In the late 1930's the aerospace industry developed rapidly. Belgium had trouble to keep up. Local manufactures like Renard came up with interesting designs such as the Renard R.36. They looked promising on paper but never made it beyond the prototype stage. Instead Belgium relied on local licence production of foreign designs or bought them abroad.
Belgium relied mostly on British and Italian designs. The Italian link may surprise you because Italy was ruled by Benito Mussolini since 1922. Belgium kept a reasonably good relationship with Italy during the interwar period. The two countries had no conflict of interest in the Meditteranean or North Africa (unlike Great Britain). Belgium was focused on Kongo at the time. It is also important to mention that the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III stayed in power during Mussolini's rule. His son crown prince Umberto II was married to the Belgian princess Marie José of Belgium. She was the last Queen of Italy in May 1946. The choice for Italy was also a choice of desperation. The UK and France were modernising their own airforces. Their companies were preoccupied with delivering national orders. They had no production room for foreign orders.
The main fighters in 1940 were the Hurricane Mk1, the Gloster Gladiator M and the Fiat CR. 42 B Falco. Ten more Falco's were on the way to Belgium. Avions Fairey had established a production line for the Hurricane in Belgium. The first planes were rolling of the production line in May 1940. The engines were still built in Britain and shipped to Belgium. In the meantime, 40 American Brewster B-339's fighters were ordered. They did not reach Belgium before the outbreak of the war.
The only bomber in the inventory was the Fairey Battle. The Army Air Force had thirteen of them. Belgium had acquired licenses to produce other foreign designs, including the Breguet 693, Caproni Ca. 335 and Caproni Ca.313. SABCAwas tasked with the construction. Production did not start in time for WW2.
As you can see, Belgium was in the process of acquiring or building new aircraft. They did not not reach the military in time. As a consequence the most numerous airplane of the Army Air Force was the Fairey Fox. Several models of the Fox were in use, together amounting to around 97 machines.
Most of the Belgian aircraft were stationed on airfields around Brussels. The plan was to disperse them to secondary airstrips once hostilities commenced. There were several reasons for this.
1) The Belgian High Command was worried about sabotage. Concentrating the force made it easier to prevent malicious acts.
2)The Germans had bombed Warsaw in 1939. The fear that Brussels could be targeted was real.
3) On 10 January 1940 a German Messerschmitt BF.108 crash-landed in Belgum. The two captured German officers carried secret German documents containing plans for an attack by paratroopers in Belgium and the Netherlands. This is known as the Mechelen incident. On April 9, Germany invaded Denmark an Norway with naval and airborne forces.
Because of this, the Belgian Army took precautions against an attack by paratroopers. The Belgian fighters could shoot down transport aircraft. On the ground, most of the 2nd Cavalry Division was ready to intervene around Brussels. This division included an ad hoc armoured battalion with 8 ACG-1 tanks and 24 T-13 tankdestroyers, 2 motorised infantry regiments, an artillery regiment and support units.
Eventually, Germany drastically scaled back its airborne operation plan for Belgium. There was no major assault by air. Two smaller actions did take place. Sturmabteilung Koch landed with gliders on the roof of Eben Emael and destroyed the gun turrets of the fortress. Other Fallshirmjäger captured two nearby bridges at Veldwezelt and Vroenhoven. The Belgian army destroyed two other bridges close by at Kanne and Briegden.
A second, largely uknown event was operation NIWI. For this operation two companies of the 3rd battalion from the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment landed behind Belgian lines by Fi 156 Fieseler Storch aircraft at Nives and Witry. The goal of this small action in the Ardennes was to clear a path for the 1st and 2nd Panzer divisions which were advancing through the Belgian–Luxembourg Ardennes. They were not very succesful. The Belgian Chasseurs Ardennais had light T-15 tanks in the area to confront them. The Grossdeutschland infantry also cut the Belgian telephone lines. The result of these actions was that the Chasseurs Ardennais did not receive orders to withdraw. Instead they stood and fought, delaying the German spearheads for almost a day.
As you can see there were several good reasons to station the aircraft around Brussels. The obvious drawback was that this made them vulnerable to preemptive strikes. The Belgian airfields were only around 150 km away from the German border. German Schnellbomber like the Dornier 17 could reach speeds of 350 to 410 km/h.
So how did the Belgian Army Air Force do against the German opponent? Stay tuned for part 2!
The main fighters in 1940 were the Hurricane Mk1, the Gloster Gladiator M and the Fiat CR. 42 B Falco. Ten more Falco's were on the way to Belgium. Avions Fairey had established a production line for the Hurricane in Belgium. The first planes were rolling of the production line in May 1940. The engines were still built in Britain and shipped to Belgium. In the meantime, 40 American Brewster B-339's fighters were ordered. They did not reach Belgium before the outbreak of the war.
The only bomber in the inventory was the Fairey Battle. The Army Air Force had thirteen of them. Belgium had acquired licenses to produce other foreign designs, including the Breguet 693, Caproni Ca. 335 and Caproni Ca.313. SABCAwas tasked with the construction. Production did not start in time for WW2.
As you can see, Belgium was in the process of acquiring or building new aircraft. They did not not reach the military in time. As a consequence the most numerous airplane of the Army Air Force was the Fairey Fox. Several models of the Fox were in use, together amounting to around 97 machines.
Invasion
On the 10th of May, Germany attacked the neutral countries of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. As per agreement, France and the UK send ground units north to assist them in the fight against the German invasion.Most of the Belgian aircraft were stationed on airfields around Brussels. The plan was to disperse them to secondary airstrips once hostilities commenced. There were several reasons for this.
1) The Belgian High Command was worried about sabotage. Concentrating the force made it easier to prevent malicious acts.
2)The Germans had bombed Warsaw in 1939. The fear that Brussels could be targeted was real.
3) On 10 January 1940 a German Messerschmitt BF.108 crash-landed in Belgum. The two captured German officers carried secret German documents containing plans for an attack by paratroopers in Belgium and the Netherlands. This is known as the Mechelen incident. On April 9, Germany invaded Denmark an Norway with naval and airborne forces.
Because of this, the Belgian Army took precautions against an attack by paratroopers. The Belgian fighters could shoot down transport aircraft. On the ground, most of the 2nd Cavalry Division was ready to intervene around Brussels. This division included an ad hoc armoured battalion with 8 ACG-1 tanks and 24 T-13 tankdestroyers, 2 motorised infantry regiments, an artillery regiment and support units.
Eventually, Germany drastically scaled back its airborne operation plan for Belgium. There was no major assault by air. Two smaller actions did take place. Sturmabteilung Koch landed with gliders on the roof of Eben Emael and destroyed the gun turrets of the fortress. Other Fallshirmjäger captured two nearby bridges at Veldwezelt and Vroenhoven. The Belgian army destroyed two other bridges close by at Kanne and Briegden.
A second, largely uknown event was operation NIWI. For this operation two companies of the 3rd battalion from the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment landed behind Belgian lines by Fi 156 Fieseler Storch aircraft at Nives and Witry. The goal of this small action in the Ardennes was to clear a path for the 1st and 2nd Panzer divisions which were advancing through the Belgian–Luxembourg Ardennes. They were not very succesful. The Belgian Chasseurs Ardennais had light T-15 tanks in the area to confront them. The Grossdeutschland infantry also cut the Belgian telephone lines. The result of these actions was that the Chasseurs Ardennais did not receive orders to withdraw. Instead they stood and fought, delaying the German spearheads for almost a day.
As you can see there were several good reasons to station the aircraft around Brussels. The obvious drawback was that this made them vulnerable to preemptive strikes. The Belgian airfields were only around 150 km away from the German border. German Schnellbomber like the Dornier 17 could reach speeds of 350 to 410 km/h.
So how did the Belgian Army Air Force do against the German opponent? Stay tuned for part 2!
No comments:
Post a Comment