The Brabant village Oisterwijk and Operation Market Garden

History of No.341 Squadron

 

Fighter wing 1

Fighter Group 1

GC III / 2 "Alsace"

Squadron No.341

 

39/45 :

51 kills - 16 probable kills

21 killed or missing

8 prisoner

5469 missions - 10.576 hours during the war.

600 vehicles and locomotives destroyed.

 

39/45:

Decorations :

Croix de la Libération/ Liberation cross.

 

No.341 Squadron was formed in Scotland on 15 January 1943 (date of former establishment 27August 1942) with aircrews of the Free French, who previously served in the Western desert under Escadrille de Chasse/Fighter wing # 1 (EG 1) and now called Fighter group No 1 "Alsace" (GC-1), equipped with Spitfires. In March it was relocated to Biggin Hill, England to participate in operations over France. In October the squadron moved to Cornwall, England for similar missions over Great Britain. They returned back to Biggin Hill in April 1944 to integrate with No.145 Wing. From August 1944 the 341st would eventually serve in France after the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944. After this in September to forward posts in Belgium. Here they were mainly tasked with armed reconnaissance missions and attacks on German lines of communications and other targets of opportunity. The group then briefly stayed at Turnhouse, Scotland in February 1945. On 7 November 1945 the squadron integrated back into the French Air Force.

 

                                                                        The aircraft:

 

 

 

Fighter wing n° 1

Hurricane 03/41 08/41

 

Fighter group n° 1 "Alsace"

 

Morane 406            09/41     01/42

Dewoitine 520        09/41     01/42

Curtiss H-75A         09/41     01/42

Hurricane               01/42     10/42

 

 

 

Fighter group III/2 "Alsace" - Squadron 341

 

Spitfire Mk V          29/01/43    12/06/43

Spitfire Mk IX         12/06/43    10/43

Spitfire Mk V          10/43         02/44

Spitfire Mk IX         02/44         02/45

Spitfire LF XIV        26/06/44        -

Spitfire Mk XVI       03/45             -

 

                                                        Stations:

 

Fighter wing no 1 / attached to Flight C Sqn 73 under Squadron 274 from 28 may until 2 june.

 

 

Amriya (Egypt)                      06/03/41 - 07/04/41

Tobrouk-el-Gubbi (Libia)         07/04/41 - 25/04/41

Sidi-Haneish (Libia)               25/04/41 - 01/09/41

Amriya (Egypt)                      01/09/41 - Disband

 

Between 9 april and 23 june EG 1 has 13,5 victory’s in 26 battles, 165 missions and 298  hours of flying. con

 

Groupe de Chasse/Fighter group n° 1 "Alsace"

 

 

Rayack (Lebanon)                     15/09/41 - 19/01/42

LG X Ismailia (Egypt)                19/01/42 - 13/04/42

LG 16 - Fukka (Libia)                 13/04/42 - 05/06/42

Edcu (Libia)                             05/06/42 - 21/06/42

LG 09 - El Dada (Libia)               21/06/42 - 27/06/42

LG 20 (Libia)                            27/06/42 - 29/06/42

LG 105                                     29/06/42 - 01/07/42

Amriya (Egypt)                          01/07/42 - 08/09/42

Le Caire (Egypt)                        08/09/42 - 15/09/42

Rayack (Lebanon)                      15/09/42 - 21/01/43

 

 

Groupe de Chasse/Fighter group III/2 "Alsace" - Squadron 341

 

 

Turnhouse                                 21/01/43 - 19/03/43

Biggin Hill                                 19/03/43 - 11/10/43

Perranporth                               11/10/43 - 08/03/44

Ayr                                           08/03/44 - 15/03/44

Perranporth                               15/03/44 - 15/04/44

Merston                                    15/04/44 - 10/05/44

Llanbdr                                     10/05/44 - 15/05/44

Merston                                    15/05/44 - 23/06/44

Funtington                                23/06/44 - 01/07/44

Selsey Hill                                 01/07/44 - 07/08/44

Tangmere                                  07/08/44 - 19/08/44

B.8 Sommervieu                         19/08/44 - 02/09/44

B.29 Bernay                               02/09/44 - 10/09/44

B.37 Corroy                               10/09/44 - 13/09/44

B.51 Lille-Vendeville                   13/09/44 - 19/09/44

B.55 Wevelghem (B)                   19/09/44 - 25/11/44

Anvers-Deurne (B)                      25/11/44 - 29/01/45

Turnhouse                                 29/01/45 - 15/03/45

B.85 Schijndel (NL)                     15/03/45 - 16/04/45

B.105 Lingen-Drope (D)               16/04/45 - 08/05/45

 

                                                Group Commanders:

 

 

Escadrille de Chasse/Fighter wing n° 1

 

Slt Denis                              06/03/41 - 01/09/41

 

Groupe de Chasse/Fighter group n° 1 "Alsace"

 

Cdt Tulasne                               15/09/41 - 29/05/42

Cdt Pouliquen                            30/05/42 - 09/08/42

Cpt Denis                                  10/08/42 - 20/10/42

 

Groupe de Chasse/Fighter group III/2 "Alsace" - Squadron 341

Cdt Mouchotte                           01/01/43 - 24/08/43 †

Cdt Dupérier                              28/08/43 - 24/09/43

Cdt Montet (Martell)                   25/09/43 - 24/08/44

Cdt Schloesing                           25/08/44 - 26/08/44 †

Cpt Andrieux                              27/08/44 - 08/05/45

 

Commanders of the 1st wing,   "Mulhouse"                                                                                                                                                                     

 

Cpt Denis                                  15/09/41 - 09/08/42                                     

Cpt Martell                                21/01/43 - 25/09/43                                   

Lt Bouguen                                26/09/43 - 10/03/44 †                               

Cpr Boudier                               11/03/44 - 06/07/44                                 

Lt Girardon                                07/07/44 - 10/11/44                                  

Cpt Béguin                                11/11/44 - 26/11/44 †                                

Lt Borne                                    27/11/44 - 13/12/44                                       

Cpt Tanguy                                14/12/44 - 08/05/45

        

Commanders of the 2nd wing,  " Strasbourg"                                                                                                                                                                                                     

  

Lt Littolf                                   15/09/41 - 30/05/42

Lt Boudier                                 21/01/43 - 25/09/43

Lt Roos                                     26/09/43 - 14/05/44

Cpt Andrieux                              15/05/44 - 05/07/44

Lt Laurent                                  06/07/44 - 07/03/45

Lt Borne                                    03/03/45 - 20/04/45 †

Lt de Laminat                            21/04/45 - 08/05/45

Geschiedenis van No.341 Squadron