Les C-47 sur nous cocardes - Lela Presse
Jun 2, 2020 16:45:58 GMT
Post by andym on Jun 2, 2020 16:45:58 GMT
This new book is number 35 in the Collection Profiles Avions.
It comes out at 448 pages and is full of photos and info regarding squadron usage.
There is a section dealing with aircraft ceded to the French colonies, plus one about the civil companies involved in the Indochina War (Aigle Azur, Autrex, Air Viet Nam etc). The French Navy also gets its own section.
The annexes include a full list of aircraft that served with the Air Force, with relevant dates.
Some comments from me.
Mauritania
5T-MAE - the book says this went to Niger before Mauritania. I'm not sure either way. Any more comments?
5T-MAH - the book is completely wrong. They say it is c/n 15692/27137, which went to Colombia!
There is a photo of a C-47 marked AJ; the caption says it is 43-48383. In the text, it says 43-48383 was 5T-MAD
Niger
5U-MAB - see 5T-MAE above. It was ceded to Niger on 16Jan65 according to the book. Looking at the order of ceding, and the callsigns, "5U-MAB" would have been between 15Dec61 (MAA) and 25Apr69 (MAC)
Senegal
6W-SAA - the book says this became F-GEFY back in France, and the cockpit is now in the UK. Surely this was 6W-SAE?
6W-SAE/42-93510 - ceded 5May72, dd 1Oct72 according the French list at the back. Senegal text says it was ceded 16Mar70. Says coded 293510
There would seem to have been two 6W-SAEs, because on the next page there is a photo of 6W-SAE/13836, which was ex 6V-AAE, F-OAFS, PH-TDT, KG737, 43-48020
6W-SAF - there is a typo in the Senegal list. This should read 6W-SAG. It is correct in the French list at the back.
BTW, see here for loads of Senegal C-47 photos:
www.sunudiv.com/lesdc3c47.html
Non-French colony comments:
Cambodia
42-24055 is missing from this section
Laos
43-49816 is missing (see French list)
South Vietnam
43-49035 - date to South Vietnam given as 10Mar56 in South Vietnam section, 16Mar56 in French list
Comments on the French Air Force production list:
41-38592 and 43-48592
Major error. Both entries relate to the same aircraft. 43-48592 was shot down in USAAF service 30Oct44
42-23639
was not ex FD883, which was 42-23673
42-23941
was ex G-AGZG, not G-AOZO. Acquisition date was 1Nov52
42-100580
P87 says loss on 31/01/54
P88 says loss on 31/04/54 - April doesn't have 31 days...
P414 says loss on 31/01/54
42-100895
This has no link to TS432, which was 42-100898
43-48151
South Vietnam text says returned to USAF 8May57
French list says returned to USAF 11Nov55
43-48665
was not acquired in 1944. It was ex RAF KJ895, acquired in May47
43-49927
was ex KN259
44-76259
had no relation to RAF KN308, which was 44-76255
44-76421
P131 says loss on 25/03/54 - confirmed in French accident database
P393 says loss on 23/03/53
44-76500
was ex KN408
44-77071
was ex KN690
13497 42-93571
Is wrong. Assuming it was ex G-AKIK, it was 13487 42-93562
6 (Navy)
c/n was 14222
10 (Navy)
was ex EI-ACI
71 (Navy)
was ex 42-92647
Phew. I should say this is a really good book. But as with so many books, no-one has properly proof-read the "numbers" bit.
Andy
5T-MAE - the book says this went to Niger before Mauritania. I'm not sure either way. Any more comments?
5T-MAH - the book is completely wrong. They say it is c/n 15692/27137, which went to Colombia!
There is a photo of a C-47 marked AJ; the caption says it is 43-48383. In the text, it says 43-48383 was 5T-MAD
Niger
5U-MAB - see 5T-MAE above. It was ceded to Niger on 16Jan65 according to the book. Looking at the order of ceding, and the callsigns, "5U-MAB" would have been between 15Dec61 (MAA) and 25Apr69 (MAC)
Senegal
6W-SAA - the book says this became F-GEFY back in France, and the cockpit is now in the UK. Surely this was 6W-SAE?
6W-SAE/42-93510 - ceded 5May72, dd 1Oct72 according the French list at the back. Senegal text says it was ceded 16Mar70. Says coded 293510
There would seem to have been two 6W-SAEs, because on the next page there is a photo of 6W-SAE/13836, which was ex 6V-AAE, F-OAFS, PH-TDT, KG737, 43-48020
6W-SAF - there is a typo in the Senegal list. This should read 6W-SAG. It is correct in the French list at the back.
BTW, see here for loads of Senegal C-47 photos:
www.sunudiv.com/lesdc3c47.html
Non-French colony comments:
Cambodia
42-24055 is missing from this section
Laos
43-49816 is missing (see French list)
South Vietnam
43-49035 - date to South Vietnam given as 10Mar56 in South Vietnam section, 16Mar56 in French list
Comments on the French Air Force production list:
41-38592 and 43-48592
Major error. Both entries relate to the same aircraft. 43-48592 was shot down in USAAF service 30Oct44
42-23639
was not ex FD883, which was 42-23673
42-23941
was ex G-AGZG, not G-AOZO. Acquisition date was 1Nov52
42-100580
P87 says loss on 31/01/54
P88 says loss on 31/04/54 - April doesn't have 31 days...
P414 says loss on 31/01/54
42-100895
This has no link to TS432, which was 42-100898
43-48151
South Vietnam text says returned to USAF 8May57
French list says returned to USAF 11Nov55
43-48665
was not acquired in 1944. It was ex RAF KJ895, acquired in May47
43-49927
was ex KN259
44-76259
had no relation to RAF KN308, which was 44-76255
44-76421
P131 says loss on 25/03/54 - confirmed in French accident database
P393 says loss on 23/03/53
44-76500
was ex KN408
44-77071
was ex KN690
13497 42-93571
Is wrong. Assuming it was ex G-AKIK, it was 13487 42-93562
6 (Navy)
c/n was 14222
10 (Navy)
was ex EI-ACI
71 (Navy)
was ex 42-92647
Phew. I should say this is a really good book. But as with so many books, no-one has properly proof-read the "numbers" bit.
Andy