Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

Hello,


Currently on ebay are two photos of the Dewoitine HD.780 at:


https://www.ebay.de/itm/Altes-Foto-F...EAAOSwS6Ff5Zfv


https://www.ebay.de/itm/Altes-Foto-F...AAAOSwyPhf5Zms


Merry Christmas,


Clint

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

Much more interesting photos than I thought.

Indifferent, yes, but at least it rather proves the German actually captured the aircraft, seemingly intact including its engine.

So far my French sources are totally silent about what happened to it.
Can we assume the photos are from 1940 or are they from 1942 when the Vichy Govt fell?

Cheers
Stig

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

Hi,


Given the state of construction of the machine I'm surprised that the Germans did not at least evaluate the machine.


With regard to periodisation I would have thought that the photos date from November 1942 given that there is also a photo of the Latecoere 631 at Biscarrosse (?) which appears pretty complete and first flew in 1942 from the same seller at :


ttps://www.ebay.de/itm/Altes-Foto-Flugzeug-Kennung-Luftwaffe-Flieger-WW2/154261465515?hash=item23eab329ab:g:HbUAAOSwnbZf5Zl g


Regards,


Clint

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

If the photo dates from late 1942 it means it had to have been stored for some 2½ years!

As far as is known it never flew in French hands, and if all of it had been sitting idle that long, I doubt it would have been wise to try it out and I don't believe the Germans were interested in float fighters at all really even if they used the Arado 196 now and then in that form....

Cheers
Stig

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

Hi Stig,


It looks very much as if it may have been stored for that long. While I can't make out the unit marking the sellers photo of a D.520 has the tail stripes typical of the period at:


https://www.ebay.de/itm/Altes-Foto-F...IAAOSwUydf5Zi2


Regards,


Clint

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

I was surprised at first. I had expected to see French pilots, not Luftwaffe pilots. :-)

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

Hello

Since I have currently no access to our local aviation library for well known reasons, I can only offer my "best guess"...

The photos were probably taken at end 1942, location being also probably Marignane (Marseille), after the seizing of the installations following occupation of southern France. Same for the Latécoère 631 (first trials were AFAIK made in Marignane).

Biscarosse is less probable : no reason to put a Toulouse Dewoitine built military plane on either the civilian seaplane base (Hourtiquets) or the Latécoère plant in 1940. And Biscarosse was in the occupied part of France after June 1940, despite a governemental agreement between Vichy and the Germans to further develop the Hourtiquets seaplane base, used by the Luftwaffe from 1941 onwards.

Regards

Jean Schreiber

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

This is a difficult one. I agree that according to the seller's other photos the date would be more likely to be after the Vichy take-over. But there is no mention of the aircraft in the 'Captured-Lists'! If these mention such little known recorded data of 2 recovered Lysanders then surely why not the single intact version of the unique Dew.HD 780.

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

Yes Tom

It is tricky.
In the French literature it simply vanish.

Charles Claveau just says 'not finished before the Armistice'
Danel/Cuny says 'built at Bagnères-de-Bigorre, the HD.780-01 had to wait a long time for its engine. It was ready to move to Marignane for its test flight from Etang de Berre but the armistice intervened and it remained where it was.'

One internet site claims this:
The assembly of aircraft began in the autumn of 1939, and by March 1940 the first prototype was ready for testing. However, the situation on the Western Front sharply worsened and the power plant failed to start flight tests. The fighter stood for several months without moving, having waited in June 1940 for the arrival of German troops. Since Germany's maritime aviation was not interested in continuing the work on the float fighter, the only prototype of the HD.780 was dismantled for metal.

If that is correct it certainly supports Tom's thinking.

Cheers
Stig

Re: Photos Dewoitine HD.780
 

Hi Stig,


Could you add a link for the internet site you mention in your previous post please.


Regards,


Clint