[Alex Smart]

Thank you for the link it is most useful.

Yes, from what I have found on the www, 116 arrived before the armmistis and five more afterward. A total of 121 a/c. 99 were ferried to French homeland after assembly at Casablanca. So there were still some 22 being assembled at Casablanca.

Of the 99, 67 are said to have been forwarded to squadrons, so some 32 were still at ferry pool(s). 16 a/c were given to Belgium, but ended up in Great Britain ( I believe these to have bee the 16 delivered in July/Aug 1940 to the RAF as AE457 to AE472).

In France some 8 are said to have been lost in combat so 59 plus some or all the 32 (total a possible 91 a/c ) were ordered to go back to Africa, did all make it ? they then joined the 22 ( did more arrive ? ) that were still there to become a grand total of 113 a/c (or more ?) for possible Vichy use as maybe others had in the meantime arrived from the US in Casablanca ? Comments welcome on the forgoing.

The DB-7's bore the designation "DB-7B-3" on the rudder beneath which was the Number "No. 1" up to "No.100". It is said that after the 100 The Douglas line numbers were used preceded by the letter "U", I do not have any further info about that though. As there is evidence of higher Number use as your No.135 proves.

Those forwarded ex-France to Great Britain were and as far as I can tell were delivered to the RAF (Refs: AB RAF serial number series) on the following dates:
1940
16 a/c delivered July/Aug 40 ex-French -(AE457 - AE472) - [ French contract F-271] - [possibly via Belgium ?].
23 a/c delivered Aug/Sept 40 ex-French (AW392 - AW414) [ French contract F-271].
4 a/c delivered Sept 40 ex-French - ( AX848 - AX851)[ French contract F-271] .
10 a/c delivered Sept 40 ex-French (AX921 - AX930) [ French contract F-271 ] .
23 a/c delivered Sept 40 ex-French (BB890 - BB912) [ French contract F-271 ].
17 a/c delivered Oct/Nov 40 ex-French (BD110 - BD126) [ French contract F-271 ] .
20 a/c delivered Oct/Nov 40 ex-French - (BJ458 - BJ477) [ French contract F-271 ] .
17 a/c delivered Oct/Nov 40 - ex-French - (BJ485 - BJ501) [ French contract F-271 ] .
2 a/c delivered Nov 40 - ex-French - (BK882 - BK883) [ French contract F-271 ].
2 a/c delivered Nov 40 - ex-French - (BL227 - BL228) [ French contract F-271 ] .
6 a/c delivered Dec 40 - ex-French - (BT460 - BT465) [ French contract F-271 ] .
1941
7 a/c delivered Feb 41 - ex-French - (AX910 - AX916) - [ French contract F-271 ] .
1 a/c delivered Feb 41 - ex-French - (BV203) - [ French contract F-271].
2 a/c delivered Feb 41 - ex-French - ( DG554 - DG555) - [ French contract F-271] .
4 a/c delivered Feb/Mch 41 - ex-French - (DK274 - DK277)[ French contract F-271] - [ Damaged beyond repair in transit, SoC].
From what I understand all A/c under F-271 arrived in the UK by sea.

After those, aircraft came via the USA.

150 a/c delivered May/Sept 41 (W8252 - W8401) [ Douglas numbers 3300 TO 3449] - [ French contract A-87 ].

3rd French Order - 100 a/c delivered July/AUG 41 (AH430 - AH529) [ Douglas numbers 2950 to 3049] - [ French contract F-294 ].

150 a/c delivered Aug/Oct 41 - (Z2155 - Z304) [ Douglas numbers 3450 to 3599] - [ French contract A-87 ].

240 a/c delivered Oct41/Oct42 - ( AL668 - AL907) [Douglas numbers 3600 to 3839] [ French contract F-719 ].

55 a/c delivered Nov 41/May42 - (AL263 - AL500) -[ AL263 - AL278(16a/c); AL280 - AL297(18a/c); AL425( 1a/c); AL458 & AL459( 2 a/c); AL463(1a/c); AL466 - AL471( 6a/c); AL473 - AL477(5a/c); AL479 - AL481(3a/c); AL494(1a/c); AL497(1a/c); AL500(1a/c). ] - [Douglas numbers 2130 to 2203 and 2718 to 2883] [ French contract F-672 ].

Breakdown of this batch is:
[AL263(2130);264(2131);266(2133);268(2135);269(2136 );270(2137);271(2138);275(2142);276(2143);278(2145 );280(2147);284(2151);285(2152);286(2153);288(2155 );289(2156);290(2157);291(2158);293(2160);296(2163 );425(2803);458(2836);459(2837);463(2841);466(2844 );467(2845);468(2846);469(2847);470(2848);474(2852 );475(2853);479(2857);480(2858);481(2859);494(2875 );497(2878);500(2881) ].
While AL272(2139);273(2140);274(2141);277(2144) were lost at sea en route,21.12.41.
These four crashed in the USA, AL471(2849);473(2851);476(2854);477(2855).
Then these were diverted to Russia, AL265(2132);267(2134);281(2148);282(2149);283(2150 );287(2154);292(2159);294(2161);295(2162);297(2164 ).

Re: Douglas numbers, AB's "The British Air Commission and Lend-Lease" has the numbers running consecutively with the RAF serial numbers.
AL263-336 = 2130-2203.
AL337-502 = 2718-2883.
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For those delivered in the 1940 period it would be great if the French number could be matched if indeed any were allotted to the a/c prior to being forwarded to Great Britain.

Alex