Amiot 143M
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Amiot 143M

Despite being of an ungainly two-tiered structure, slow and unmaneuverable, and of obsolescent architecture, the Amiot 143M was a sturdy plane which was popular with its pilots. Notable were the very thick wings whose engines were accessible in flight.

At the start of World War II the design was already ten years old and was quite out of date. Nevertheless, 87 Amiot 143M were in the front line. 50 equipped four metropolitan groupes: GBs I/34 and II/34 in the north, GBs I/38 and II/38 in the East, and 17 equipped one African groupe as of May 10, 1940.

During the Phoney War, Amiot 143M groupes carried out reconnaissance and leaflet raids over Germany. Upon the start of the Battle of France, the Amiot 143M was used in night attacks on German lines of communications. The most significant action involving the Amiot 143M was a daring daylight raid on German bridgeheads near Sedan took place on May 14, 1940. A force of thirteen planes from GBs I/34, II/34, and II/38 led by Commandant de Laubier encountered German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters en route. Twelve bombers were destroyed.

By the time of the Armistice, the Amiot 143M had dropped a total of 523 tons of bombs. 53 Amiot 143Ms were in the Unoccupied Zone and 25 were in French North Africa. They were reorganized into GBs I/38 and II/38 and were used until July 1941 when they were replaced by LeO 451 bombers.

Source:
Info: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiot_143
Profile: Wings Palette
http://wp.scn.ru/en/
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