Crosnier, Alain – French Naval Aviation in North Africa (print)
Crosnier, Alain - Naval Aviation in AFN
Aircraft of the French Naval Aviation in North Africa 1945-1963
Air assets used by the French Naval Aviation in peacekeeping operations in North Africa
This book is the last part of the trilogy dedicated to the air assets engaged by France in North Africa during so-called law enforcement operations. It is devoted to Naval Aeronautics and follows two other works listing the units and aircraft of the Air Force and then those of the Army deployed in North Africa from 1945 to 1967.
Contrary to the air and land armies installed on many bases, the operational deployment of the Naval Aviation was much more limited: three bases in Morocco (Port-Lyautey, Khourigba and Agadir), two in Algeria (Lartigue-Tafaraoui and Algiers - White House), and only one in Tunisia (Karouba).
At the end of the Second World War, the French Navy was equipped with PV-1 Ventura and Catalina. A transport squadron carried out its missions on Junkers 52 from Algiers White House.
At the beginning of 1946, a flotilla of Dornier Do. 24 seaplanes was transferred to Tunisia; a squadron was formed on Catalina in Morocco, and flying and specialization schools were set up.
After the arrival of the Bloch 175Ts and the Wellingtons, it was not until the early 1950s that maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, TBM Avenger, Lancaster and then P2V-6 Neptune were introduced, an evolution of the air fleet facilitated by France's participation in NATO.
In Morocco, schools for the training of flying personnel are concentrated on the bases of Agadir and Khourigba as well as the main base of Port-Lyautey. Heavy maritime surveillance resources will be concentrated in Algeria at the main base in Lartigue-Tafaraoui; those dedicated to bombing and surveillance of the dams at Karouba in Tunisia. Fighter flotillas will also be set up on the same base. From 1957 onwards, helicopter formations were sent to the Algerian base.
97 pages - in French