In 1942, General de Gaulle agreed to send French pilots to fight alongside the Red Air Force against the Germans on the Eastern Front. On 1 September 1942, the Groupe de Chasse III or 3rd Fighter Group 'Normandie' was created, equipped with Yak-3 fighter aircraft. On 5 April 1943, pilots Preziosi and Durand shared the unit's first 'kill'. Over the next two years, the group became the most highly decorated fighter unit ever to fly for France, and the second highest scoring fighter air group of the Soviet Air Force. Such was their notoriety that in May 1943 an order was signed by the German General Keitel stating that all 'Normandie' pilots were to be shot if captured. The 'Normandie' Group took an active part in the air support of the epic Battle of Kursk and in 1944 Stalin added 'Niemen' to their title in recognition of the help they rendered to the Soviet Army in crossing this river. The first of the Western Allies to capture and occupy German territory, 'Normandie-Niemen' clashed with the crack German fighter group JG51 Molders in the air battle over Konigsberg in March 1945. By the war's end the Group had racked up an impressive 273 confirmed victories and another 36 probables.
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French Eagles, Soviet Heroes
The Normandie-Niemen Squadrons on the Eastern Front
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eBook - ePub
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Subtopic
World War IIIndex
HistoryTable of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword by Général Joseph M. Risso
- Introduction
- Part One
- 1. GĂ©nĂ©ral de Gaulle: Custodian of Franceâs Honour
- 2. Groupe de Chasse 3, Normandie, is Formed
- Part Two
- 3. First Campaign, MarchâNovember 1943: Towards the Front
- 4. The Kursk and Orel Offensive, 5 Julyâ23 August 1943
- Part Three
- 5. Second Campaign, 9 November 1943â6 December 1944
- 6. âNew Fightingâ Second Campaign
- 7. Honour Title: âNormandie-Niemenâ
- Part Four
- 8. Third Campaign, East Prussia, December 1944âApril 1945
- 9. Escapes and Captures
- 10. Koenigsberg: The Bitter Battle
- 11. Normandie-Niemen Returns Home
- Appendices
- II. French Decorations Awarded to Normandie-Niemen
- III. Soviet Decorations Awarded to Normandie-Niemen
- IV. Normandie Insignia and Uniforms
- V. Air Force Rank Equivalents and Command Structure
- VI. Details of Yak Fighter Aircraft
- VII. Reflections on the Yak Fighter, by Général Joseph M. Risso
- Bibliography
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Yes, you can access French Eagles, Soviet Heroes by John D. Clarke in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & World War II. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.