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gregoire · 22 February 2002, 02:51 AM

Here is how france was doing
in 14 the unit were numbered from 1 to n with following nuber the letter before the number desinging the main plane that the unit was using (in fact the builder)
in 1915 the system was the same with a small exception some bomber unit were created and numbered with number above 100 and grouped in a GB (groupe de bombardement , bomber group) the GB being numbered from 1
a small exception was the GBM 5 it was the official appelation of GB 5 that was using Breguet Michelin bomber plane.
in 1916 see the apparition of figher group they were first named after the location of the airfield like the future GC 12 or groupe de cachy.
the figher groupe were to be numbered from the number 10, he ground based support unit (rear echelon mechanic parc ...) were numeroted like there group with the addition of 100 so the parc aeronautique 112 was the support unit and parc of reserve of GC12
still in 1916 it was decided that the fighter unit were to numbered from 1 to 99
the bomber from 100 to 199
and the SAL and army unit from 200.
in fact that numerotation was never to be fully used some unit changed there number to match the patern but not all of them for exemple the 1 unit have never been a fighter squadron and the spa 103 and 124 were fighter unit
in the air division the groupememt of GC and GB were named brigade with the name of the commanding officer Groupement Menard for exemple have an official appelation of 1st brigade of the divison aerienne but Menard was only a major at the time.

now post war the french air force have disbanded some unit and only keep the one with the best or most glorious tradition. then some new unit were added, some having the tradition of ww2 french unit like Normandie Niemen or even from the algerian war (for exemple the 3rd flight of the ER1/33 hve the tradition of algerian war unit having the St exupery petit prince as insigna.

sine the creation of the armee de l'air in the 30's the wing and squadron are made of a couple (3 nowdays) flight and it is those flight that have the tradition of ww1 even if they have not real existance. for exemple the EC1/2 us made of spa 3, spa 12 (with a modifed insigna that it never had before a version of the spa 103) and spa 103 and strangely its name is cigogne

22 February 2002, 02:51 AM	#6 (permalink)
gregoire Forum Ace Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Paris France	Here is how france was doing in 14 the unit were numbered from 1 to n with following nuber the letter before the number desinging the main plane that the unit was using (in fact the builder) in 1915 the system was the same with a small exception some bomber unit were created and numbered with number above 100 and grouped in a GB (groupe de bombardement , bomber group) the GB being numbered from 1 a small exception was the GBM 5 it was the official appelation of GB 5 that was using Breguet Michelin bomber plane. in 1916 see the apparition of figher group they were first named after the location of the airfield like the future GC 12 or groupe de cachy. the figher groupe were to be numbered from the number 10, he ground based support unit (rear echelon mechanic parc ...) were numeroted like there group with the addition of 100 so the parc aeronautique 112 was the support unit and parc of reserve of GC12 still in 1916 it was decided that the fighter unit were to numbered from 1 to 99 the bomber from 100 to 199 and the SAL and army unit from 200. in fact that numerotation was never to be fully used some unit changed there number to match the patern but not all of them for exemple the 1 unit have never been a fighter squadron and the spa 103 and 124 were fighter unit in the air division the groupememt of GC and GB were named brigade with the name of the commanding officer Groupement Menard for exemple have an official appelation of 1st brigade of the divison aerienne but Menard was only a major at the time. now post war the french air force have disbanded some unit and only keep the one with the best or most glorious tradition. then some new unit were added, some having the tradition of ww2 french unit like Normandie Niemen or even from the algerian war (for exemple the 3rd flight of the ER1/33 hve the tradition of algerian war unit having the St exupery petit prince as insigna. sine the creation of the armee de l'air in the 30's the wing and squadron are made of a couple (3 nowdays) flight and it is those flight that have the tradition of ww1 even if they have not real existance. for exemple the EC1/2 us made of spa 3, spa 12 (with a modifed insigna that it never had before a version of the spa 103) and spa 103 and strangely its name is cigogne __________________ Grégoire