Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucien
- On May 1st 1940, H-751 s/n 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 left NYC on board of SS Île de France destination unknow but most probably Saint-Nazaire.
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Only the 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8. I'm not CJE's friend and I didn't have access to Takata's research in the French Navy's archives, but I did look at the document mentioned by CJE (and of which Takata is also aware). If you can wait a few months for Lionel Persyn's book, it will update your Docavia.
The 6 as well as the 9 to 25 left on May 10 on the
Pierre Louis-Dreyfus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucien
- On May 30th 1940, H-751 s/n 1, 26, 27, 28 to 52, 53 to 58 were awaiting shipment in NYC harbor.
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The 1 + the 26-58 left on 25 May on the Indochinois, which sailed with convoy HX46 and reached St-Nazaire on 11 June. None were loaded on Champlain. I'd be very interested in the source for this urban legend. The Champlain did sink as reported, and it may have carried various boxes labelled "Curtiss" that would have been evacuated (I still need to check on that). But no H-75, that's a definite.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucien
- On June 16th 1940, the French Navy aircraft carrier Béarn and cruiser Jeanne d’Arc left Halifax (Canada), bound for Brest. On board of those vessels were loaded :
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucien
Béarn :44 Curtiss CW.77 (SBC-4 Helldiver), 25 Stinson 105 all crated, 6 Brewster Buffalo destined to the Belgian AF and 17 Curtiss H-751 of which serial numbers were : 59 to 64, 83, 85, 86, 88 to 90, 92 to 94, 96 and 97. The last two, were unassembled and crated.
Jeanne d’Arc : 6 Curtiss H-751 s/n 79 to 82, 84 and 86, all unassembled and crated and 8 Stinson 105 also crated.
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Minor nitpick: the 86 is reported twice in your list. The one that sailed in
Jeanne d'Arc is the 87.
Fully agreed about the rest of the post, including the last paragraph