[rof120]

Sorry again: I should have looked better at the fabulous book I mentioned, "l'aviation de chasse française 1918-1940", by Danel and Cuny.

On page 187 we can read that in France proper (excluding North Africa etc.) there were 12 groupes de chasse equipped with the obsolescent Morane 406 (a few of them certainly in the rear area, possibly 2-3 fighter training nuits) and that Air HQ made great efforts to reequip as many Morane units as possible with better fighter types. I think first-line engaged Morane units were 10 not 9 on May 10, 1940, but I have to check again.

Page 190: when the cease-fire came into force (June 25) only 4 groupes de chasse equipped with Morane 406s were left IN FRANCE. Two others had received Bloch 152s, one had received Curtiss H-75s and five had received Dewoitine 520s. I had forgotten that GC III/6 (based in SE France, facing Italy) and GC III/3 had received D.520s too.

Page 189: "As a whole, from May 10 through June 22, 210 Dewoitine 520s were delivered to (combat) first-line units as well as 26 to the Naval Aviatiion and 41 to units in the rear area." The total of these is 277 but deliveries continued to the last possible minute, mostly for ferry flights to North Africa (mainly Algeria, and also Morocco). Of course many brand-new D.520s were sent to first-line nuits as replacement aircraft for those lost or heavily damaged in combat.

About 170 D.520s were left in France and 165 in N. Africa (together 330) as well as 45 Curtiss H-75s in France and 145 in N. Africa (together 190) and 453 + 2oo Morane 406s plus various modern types (Potez 631 etc.).

403 D.520s had been delivered to the Armée de l'Air but many "half-educated" Frenchmen keep claiming everywhere that "only 30 D.520s took part in the fighting", which is simply ridiculous. The first unit equipped with D.520s (a perfect match to Me 109s as well as to Spitfires) was GC I/3 , which, as I already mentioned, was engaged on May 13, but 3 more GCs with D.520s were equipped and engaged between May 15 and the first days of June as well as GC III/6 (facing Italy) towards the 2nd half of June. On June 13 and 15 GC III/6 shot down 7 Italian bombers and fighters. Even if we don't take this unit into account 4 GCs were fully equipped with D.520s (official complement 34 fighters each, which is 136 superlative fighters taking part in the fighting). Possibly 36 AC each, this depends on sources. I don't think that RAF Fighter Command 11 Group (Sout-East England, the main battle area of the BoB) deployed more Spitfires, or many more, than those 136 D.520s one month earlier.