[twocee]

Stig,

I asked J-P DuBois about 3B and 3FB and this is what he said:

"Pre-war, and up to Nov. 1942 actually (remember there were Vichy France units still operational in North Africa up to Operation Torch), naval aviation units were usually divided into smaller units called “escadrilles”
After the French defeat in June 1940, Free French/Fighting French aviation units were in contact (if not within) British or American units which were not split into smaller units (let’s forget about “flights”, just an easy way to have smaller parts of the squadron, but without a real CO…).

The U.S. agreed to create

One French naval flying boat squadron, flottille 8 F.E., flying the PBY-5A.
Two French naval “light bombers” units with shipboard SBDs. They became flottilles 3 F.B. and 4 F.B. respectively.

Some people, members of the old guard no doubt, may have suggested that each flottille should then be divided into two escadrilles, as it was customary pre-war.

Since former Vichy personnel of the former Martin 167F-equipped 2B and 3B, disbanded units, became available to fly or maintain the SBDs, they found it nice to state that 3 F.B. “went back” (in tradition only) to the disbanded escadrilles, but thinking it over, the 3rd flottille de bombardment (3FB) flying the SBDs was strictly a brand-new squadron, equipped with brand-new American types, and trained by American instructors.

As French rearmament developed, French naval aviation squadrons now strictly under anglo-saxon military tradition (PBYs and SBDs from the U.S., Wellingtons, Sunderlands and Walruses from the U.K.) gradually dropped the idea of splitting “Flottilles” into small escadrilles."

He also quotes an order dated 30 May 1944 that "Les 3ème et 4ème flottilles ne seront pas articulées en escadrilles".