Combat reports

Mark66 · 13 July 2006, 10:43 PM

I was wondering if there was a standard report style for French combat reports or victory claims. I'm familiar with the British form ('Combats in the Air'), and I've seen published replicas of the German style 'memo' to ask for victory confirmation (in the "Under the Guns..." series), but I've never seen the style of the French equivalent.

Is someone out there in possession of a French victory claim (or copy) that they would be willing to post here? And was there just one standard report, or were there several?

Mark66

Tsuru · 14 July 2006, 05:13 PM

Hi Mark,

You can have access to the Carnets Comptables de Missions (1914-1918) at the Service Historique de la Défense (SHD-Air), Paris, France.
Signatures of pilots and mechanics, missions, and observations were logged in these notebooks sorted by Escadrille.

Regards,
Tsuru

Mark66 · 17 July 2006, 04:35 PM

Thanks for that information, Tsuru - do you know if any examples showing the style of these accounts are available on-line? I am a long way from Paris.

Mark66

Tsuru · 19 July 2006, 05:00 AM

Hi Mark,

I don’t know if anything is available on-line: I'll check with SHD-Air.
If not, next time I go, I can photocopy / scan / e-mail you extracts if you wish: Are you looking for some information on a specific mission?

Regards,
Tsuru

Mark66 · 19 July 2006, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Are you looking for some information on a specific mission?

Thanks, Tsuru, but nothing like that - just curious about the details provided, how the reports differed from, or resembled, the reporting styles used by other combatants. One thing that interests me is what seems to be a lack of detail regarding the type of enemy aircraft involved; many French ace victory lists seem to have mostly just 'enemy two-seater' or some similar vague statement. I find that odd, given that French 'homologation' should have enabled most of the fallen aircraft to be identified with some confidence.

Anyway, if you get time, and if it is easy for you to do, I would be interested to see any examples.

Mark66