1% - 4GB Morane Saulnier MS 405 and MS 406 post-Armistice for MAW
At the outbreak of WW2, the MS 406 was France's most numerous fighter, in service with 7 of the 13 Groupes de Chasse in the front line area. By May 1940, it was still in service, despite plans to replace it with D.520 and H-75 fighters, with 10 out of 22 of the active Groupes de Chasse. This represented some 250 fighters, not including those issued to training schools and local defence flights. By the armistice, 387 MS 406s had been lost, out of a total of 1,098 produced. 150 of these can be attributed to enemy fighters or FlaK. Pilots flying MS 406s scored a total of 190 confirmed kills plus 90 probables.
Following the Armistice, Vichy French units continued to use the MS 406 in limited roles, training and in the colonies. Some were captured by the Italians, while others were transferred to the Croatian Air Force. Some of these aircraft were subsequently captured and re-used by the Yugoslav partisans. Still other aircraft were used to escape from Vichy French possessions and ended up in the hands of the Free French, where they were used until they were replaced by British aircraft.
Free French:
MS-406 C.1 No.805 L-871, Free French Flight No.2, Forces Aeriennes Francaises Libres, Haifa, October 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.819 L-848, Cne Jean Tulasne, GC I/7, Rayak, Syria, 5th December 1940.
MS-406 C.1 No.826 AX674, Free French Flight No.2, Forces Aeriennes Francaises Libres, Haifa, Late 1940.
MS-406 C.1 No.827 AX675, Free French Flight No.2, Forces Aeriennes Francaises Libres, Haifa, October 1941.
Vichy French:
MS-406 C.1 No.237 N-599, unit unknown (ex-GC III/1), Algeria, 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.375 N-793, Centre d'Instruction a la Chasse, Oran-la-Senia, Algeria, Autumn 1940.
MS-406 C.1 No.380 L-798 7, ex-2eme Escadrille GC I/2, possibly at the Ecole de Chasse, Salon de Provence, 1942.
MS-406 C.1 No.644 L-673, Escadron d'Entrainement, Toulouse, late 1942.
MS-406 C.1 No.762 L-791, Cne Georges Escudier, 2ic GC I/7, Aleppo-Nerab, Syria, May 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.787 L-816 7, 2eme Escadrille GC I/7, Rayak, Syria, Spring 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.842 L-871, Lt Michel Laurant, Escadrille de Chasse 565, Ivato-Tananarive, Madagascar, April 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.1059 SR-41, Aeronavale Francaise, Frejus, 1941.
Croatian Air Force:
MS-406 C.1 No.2305, 21. Lovacko Jato, 11. Skupina, 1. Zrakoplovna Luka, Boronaj Airfield, Zagreb, 1944
Jugoslav Partisan Air Force:
MS-406 C.1 No.2308, ex-14th Fighter Squadron, Croatian Air Force, now Yugoslav Partisan Air Force, 1944.
Regia Aeronautica:
MS-406 C.1, Regia Aeronautica.
Turkish Air Corps:
MS-406 C.1 11th Battalion, 4th Regiment, Turkish Air Corps, Kutahya, 1940.
Credits: Original Model and cockpit by Craig Murray, tweaks by Clive Morley and Rene Leppä.
Internal and external textures by Nigel Dickinson.
AvHistory 4.00 Flight Model by gregoryp of AvHistory updated by Rene Leppä.
Gunfire sounds by Nigel Dickinson
Engine sounds by Lawdog2360.
At the outbreak of WW2, the MS 406 was France's most numerous fighter, in service with 7 of the 13 Groupes de Chasse in the front line area. By May 1940, it was still in service, despite plans to replace it with D.520 and H-75 fighters, with 10 out of 22 of the active Groupes de Chasse. This represented some 250 fighters, not including those issued to training schools and local defence flights. By the armistice, 387 MS 406s had been lost, out of a total of 1,098 produced. 150 of these can be attributed to enemy fighters or FlaK. Pilots flying MS 406s scored a total of 190 confirmed kills plus 90 probables.
Following the Armistice, Vichy French units continued to use the MS 406 in limited roles, training and in the colonies. Some were captured by the Italians, while others were transferred to the Croatian Air Force. Some of these aircraft were subsequently captured and re-used by the Yugoslav partisans. Still other aircraft were used to escape from Vichy French possessions and ended up in the hands of the Free French, where they were used until they were replaced by British aircraft.
Free French:
MS-406 C.1 No.805 L-871, Free French Flight No.2, Forces Aeriennes Francaises Libres, Haifa, October 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.819 L-848, Cne Jean Tulasne, GC I/7, Rayak, Syria, 5th December 1940.
MS-406 C.1 No.826 AX674, Free French Flight No.2, Forces Aeriennes Francaises Libres, Haifa, Late 1940.
MS-406 C.1 No.827 AX675, Free French Flight No.2, Forces Aeriennes Francaises Libres, Haifa, October 1941.
Vichy French:
MS-406 C.1 No.237 N-599, unit unknown (ex-GC III/1), Algeria, 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.375 N-793, Centre d'Instruction a la Chasse, Oran-la-Senia, Algeria, Autumn 1940.
MS-406 C.1 No.380 L-798 7, ex-2eme Escadrille GC I/2, possibly at the Ecole de Chasse, Salon de Provence, 1942.
MS-406 C.1 No.644 L-673, Escadron d'Entrainement, Toulouse, late 1942.
MS-406 C.1 No.762 L-791, Cne Georges Escudier, 2ic GC I/7, Aleppo-Nerab, Syria, May 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.787 L-816 7, 2eme Escadrille GC I/7, Rayak, Syria, Spring 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.842 L-871, Lt Michel Laurant, Escadrille de Chasse 565, Ivato-Tananarive, Madagascar, April 1941.
MS-406 C.1 No.1059 SR-41, Aeronavale Francaise, Frejus, 1941.
Croatian Air Force:
MS-406 C.1 No.2305, 21. Lovacko Jato, 11. Skupina, 1. Zrakoplovna Luka, Boronaj Airfield, Zagreb, 1944
Jugoslav Partisan Air Force:
MS-406 C.1 No.2308, ex-14th Fighter Squadron, Croatian Air Force, now Yugoslav Partisan Air Force, 1944.
Regia Aeronautica:
MS-406 C.1, Regia Aeronautica.
Turkish Air Corps:
MS-406 C.1 11th Battalion, 4th Regiment, Turkish Air Corps, Kutahya, 1940.
Credits: Original Model and cockpit by Craig Murray, tweaks by Clive Morley and Rene Leppä.
Internal and external textures by Nigel Dickinson.
AvHistory 4.00 Flight Model by gregoryp of AvHistory updated by Rene Leppä.
Gunfire sounds by Nigel Dickinson
Engine sounds by Lawdog2360.
