LeO-45. A lucky plane, which was not lucky
If a beauty contest among bombers were held at the aviation salon in Paris in 1938, one would have to choose between two very elegant and aerodynamically clean cars. These were the latest French and Polish-built aircraft Liore et Olivier LeO-45 and PZL-37 Los. And if the appearance of the "Elk" was quite understandable - the plane was definitely the highest achievement of the Poles, made with an eye on the new world aviation trends, the appearance of the French elegant and modern aerodynamics LeO-45 was surprising.
In the middle of the 30, the prestige of the French aircraft was under threat. France - the world trendsetter in aviation since the beginning of the century has gradually lost its leadership in this matter, and, above all, it was noticeable when creating multi-engined bombers. While in Europe (Germany, Italy, England and the USSR) the newest bomber carriers with retractable landing gear and “clean” aerodynamics began to appear, clumsy vehicles that looked completely anachronistic continued to descend from the aircraft factories of the First Republic. French Air Force bombers were easily recognizable by non-retractable landing gear with numerous struts and braces, protruding bulky turrets and crew cabins, more like glazed verandas. Therefore, one can imagine the surprise of aviation specialists when, in November, France demonstrated the latest LeO 1938 bomber, created in the latest aviation fashion, at the International Air Show in Paris in November.
The swift lines, the retractable landing gear, powerful engines and impressive defensive armaments - all indicated that the French designers had finally succeeded in creating a truly modern combat aircraft.
An elegant bomber was built according to the requirements approved by Aviation Technical Service back in 1934 year. With five crew members (four people in the future), the plane was supposed to have a bomb load of 1200 kg, a maximum speed of 400 km / h and a range of 700 km. Four projects from different companies participated in the announced competition: Amiot 340, Latecoere 570, Romano 120 and Leo 45 from Lur-et-Olivier. In September, the 1936, the military tightened the requirements, wishing to have a maximum speed of 470 km / h and powerful defensive armament with the gun “Hispano-Suiza” caliber 20 mm.
LeO’s chief designer, Pierre-Ernest Monsieur, presented his aircraft with an all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear and twin tail fin. In the glazed nose housed the navigator-scorer. Behind him was the pilot's seat, which could shoot from the bow of the fixed machine gun MAC 1934 7,5 mm. Behind the pilot, there was the workplace of the gunner-radio operator, who, if necessary, defended the retractable turret from the bottom with one MAC 1934 machine gun. From the first three crew members, the rear arrow was separated by a bomb bay, where you could hang a couple of 500 kg bombs (or five 200 kg). In the root parts of the planes, it was possible to place another pair of bombs on 500 kg - thus, the maximum load reached two tons. The rear gunner had the most powerful defensive armament on the plane - the 20-mm Hispano-Suiza HS 404 cannon with ammunition in 120 shells. In flight, the gun was sunk into the fuselage together with the glazed visor, without spoiling the aerodynamics, and was brought into a combat position only before the battle.
The first prototype of LeO 45-01 was built at the plant in Argentuele and rolled to the airfield in Villacoubla, where they were going to fly around. The bomber received a pair of 14-cylinder two-row Hispan-Suiz 14A engines (hp 1078 take-off power) with a NACA hood and three-blade propellers of variable pitch Hispano-Hamilton. In the engine nacelle, the main landing gears were retracted in flight, and the tail wheel was hidden in a small compartment with shutters. All fuel (with a capacity of 3180 L) was placed in the wing tanks.
For the first time, LeO 45-01 took to the air in January 1937, under the control of a crew, consisting of test pilot Jean Doumer and mechanic Ramell. However, after five minutes the pilot had to land the plane due to overheating of the engines. This short time was also enough for him to indicate to the designers that the aircraft’s insufficient travel stability was due to the small area of the vertical tail assembly washers. With a modified tail unit (of a different shape and increased area), the LeO 45-01 took off in July, although problems with engine cooling remained unresolved.
Nevertheless, the tests of the new bomber were encouraging - the aircraft demonstrated excellent speed characteristics. So, September 10 LeO 45-01 accelerated in a gentle dive to 624 km / h, and in horizontal flight at an altitude of 4000 m showed speed in 480 km / h. For better cooling of the engines, the air intakes of the wing oil radiators were increased, although this measure did not completely cope with the problem. In December, both engines jammed in flight from overheating, and Dumerka had to urgently land on the nearest meadow. Fortunately, the field turned out to be fairly smooth and, having run about 150 m, the plane stopped without receiving any damage. The arrived team of technicians changed the ill-fated motors, and Dumerk returned to Villacable.
By that time, LeO was nationalized, becoming the industrial association SNCASE. Despite the overheating of the engines, the tests of LeO 45 were recognized successful, and in November 1937 of the year SNCASE received the first order to build 20 bombers. In March, the contract was increased by 1938 for another 20 machines, and in June, the military ordered an additional batch in 100 LeO 45.
Simultaneously with the preparation of serial production, the designers continued to struggle with the overheating of the engines of the "Hispano-Suiza". The first LeO 45-01 was equipped with new hoods and continued flight tests. However, they could not cope with the cooling completely, after which the serial bombers equipped the G-R14N G-R1140N two-row "Gnome-Ron" stars (XNUMX hp take-off power) with the same modified hoods.
The first prototype took to the air in October 1938 of the year, changing the designation to LeO 451-01. With more powerful engines, the bomber became even faster, breaking 19 January 1939 of the year at 5100 height m five hundred mark - 502 km / h. The series, of course, went to the LeO 451 version, so because of the delay in the delivery of the engines, the first serial bomber was rolled out of the workshop only in the fall of the year 1938. It was he who visited the air show in Paris 1938 of the year in November, having started flights only in March of the following year. This machine has passed tests for controllability and weapon tests with firing. At the same time, the aircraft tested new Ratier propellers with a diameter of 3,2 m (instead of the standard diameter of 3,32 m), but their work was recognized as ineffective and they did not go into the series.
Before the start of World War II, the French Air Force ordered the 602 bomber LeO 451 and, additionally, the 5 high-altitude versions of the LeO 457 aircraft (albeit, the high-altitude vehicles were never built). In March 1939, the 12 bombers wanted to buy Greece, but the French government subsequently vetoed the contract.
The arrival of the new bomber into the Armi del Eyre (French Air Force) armament was rather slow. Although as early as July 1939, several LeO 451 serials participated in the air parade over Brussels and in the celebration of Bastille Day over Paris, only in August the “four hundred and fifty-first” became the official combat aircraft. The first to retrain were LeO 451 crews of the 1 / 31 bomber group in Tours, who had flown to the outdated MV 200. Part pilots who mastered the new aircraft were introduced to the special experimental squadron, which received five LeO 451 with a base in Reims.
With the invasion of the Wehrmacht in Poland and the beginning of World War II, the experimental squadron became part of the 31-th bomber squadron. The first combat unit in the Air Force, completely retrained to the new bomber from the low-speed MVVNUMX, was the 210-I squadron. It was very difficult for the pilots who moved from the obsolete MV12 to high-speed cars. Two bomber crashed during training, and the third crashed during take-off in November. LeO 210 hooked off the tail of a standing veteran, MV 451, and crashed to the ground, burying three of the four crew members under the rubble.
France declared war on Germany 3 on September 1939 of the year, but did not wage active hostilities, fearing to provoke a formidable opponent to retaliate, the so-called "strange war" was on. The list of LeO 451 sorties was opened by the crews of the 31 squadron, taking off for day reconnaissance of German territory along with the veterans M.V. 200. October 6 with the mission did not return the first LeO 451 bomber damaged the German anti-aircraft guns, and then the plane finished off the fighter Bf 109D.
Deliveries of the "four hundred and fifty-first" troops were going slowly, even despite the entry of France into a world war. By March 1940, five bomber squadrons received all 59 aircraft, mainly due to delays in the supply of components from other firms. Did not add optimism to the leadership of the Air Force and the difficult development of cars flying personnel. LeO 451 has earned a reputation for strict management of the aircraft, especially at takeoff and low speeds. True, the stability improved significantly after acceleration, and among the main advantages of the bomber pilots called powerful engines and decent speed.
In order for the crews to finally believe in their cars, the SNCASE chief pilot Jacques Lecart was invited to the part with demonstration flights. An experienced test pilot demonstrated the full range of aerobatics on an empty LeO 451, and gradually the skepticism of combat pilots was replaced by enthusiasm.
The new bomber wished to be armed with naval aviation by ordering 48 aircraft of the LeO 451М variant. This modification was distinguished by increased buoyancy during an emergency landing on water. For this purpose, sections of cellular rubber were placed in the wing, and there was a special inflatable compartment behind the navigator’s cabin. But prior to the capitulation of France, only one LeO 451М managed to arrive in May 1940 of the year in the naval squadron 1В. In addition to the sea, there were work on other options. The Air Force ordered the construction of one LeO 454 and 199 LeO 458. At the same time, they signed a contract for the supply of 400 LeO 451 and LeO 455, the release of which was planned to be deployed at SNCAO. LeO 454 was equipped with Bristol “Hercules” engines, but he didn’t wait for departure - the capitulation of France caught the unfinished single prototype on the stocks.
The LeO 455 differed from the serial LeO 451 only in GR 14R engines - the same power as the GR14N, but equipped with a two-speed supercharger. The first LeO 455 (reworked serial LeO 451) took to the air in Villacable in December 1939, and the series was handed over to SNCAO. But here, all the unfinished aircraft got in June 1940 of the Wehrmacht units. LeO 458 received a pair of Wright "Cyclone" GR-2600-A5B motors, but until June they managed to fly around only a single production vehicle.
The third assembly line of the new bomber was organized at the SNCASE factory in Marignane, where the first serial LeO 451 took off in April 1940 of the year. Changes in serial aircraft, compared with the first machines, were small - they installed a new bomb-sight and replaced the MAC 1934 machine guns with the “Darn” of the same caliber. They thought about opening another pipeline, but these plans remained unfulfilled. Orders for a bomber constantly increased, because France was in a state of war with Germany and needed to strengthen its armed forces. But the fate of LeO 451 and of France itself was already decided - on May 10, the Wehrmacht 1940 crossed the border, launching a rapid attack on Paris, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg.
By this tragic date, the Armi del Eyre was armed with 222 LeO 451. Of these, 7 was written off due to accidents, 87 was undergoing modifications, 12 was in training centers and another 22 machine was in reserve. And of the remaining 94 LeO 451 in the bomber groups, only 54 was listed in the flying state. Already 11 in May, a dozen LeO 451 (six bombers from the group GB 1 / 1 2 and four from GB 11 / 12) under cover of MS406 fighters attacked German troops on the Maastricht-Tongre highway. Crews dropped bombs from low altitudes (500-600 m), representing a good target for all types of small arms. As a result, one LeO 451 was shot down, and the remaining nine with multiple holes still returned home. Moreover, the damage was serious enough - by the next strike only one car could be repaired to a flying state.
The French command was completely unprepared for the Wehrmacht’s blitzkrieg and was forced to throw literally everything that was at hand against the advancing Nazis. Increasingly, the LeO 451 bombers were assigned the role of attack aircraft, although for this purpose the machines were completely unsuitable. Attacking tank columns from low altitudes, "four hundred and fifty-first" suffered huge losses from anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighters. But sometimes there were exceptions. So, on May 16, 26 LeO 451 of the three bombing groups inflicted significant damage to the Wehrmacht’s division, which was marching on the march, under Moncorn, losing only four aircraft. The HS 404 gun, which was ineffective in battle, also influenced the losses - the shooter had to constantly be distracted in the heat of battle by manually reloading bulky magazines. And although the firing range of the gun remained significant, the Luftwaffe pilots quickly found an antidote to the French shells. German fighters entered the dead zone from the bottom of the tail and, balancing speed, calmly shot the bomber.
“Four hundred and fifty-first” was caught not only in the air, but also on the ground. 19 May squadron He 111 successfully bombed the airfield Persan-Beaumont, which was based on three groups of LeO 451. Part of the aircraft burned in the parking areas and the next day, only four bomber climbed from the airfield, so that together with the six LeO 451 from the group GB And / 31 go into a combat sortie. But over Perron four French aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire and fighters.
Sometimes the French in the air covered the allies - fighters of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain. So, 28 May 21 LeO 451 crash on the attack of bridges in the province of Aubigny took place under the protection of "Hurricane". But the fighters were sorely lacking, and the leadership of the Air Force was seriously thinking about using LeO 451 as a night bomber. The first such departure was planned for June 3, and the aim was BMW factories near Munich. Effective attack prevented bad weather. Only two LeO 451 managed to drop bombs over the target, and the Germans managed to shoot down one plane.
The deterioration of the situation at the front forced the bombers to return to daytime flights, and sometimes even without cover, the “four hundred and fifty-first” managed to stand up for themselves in air battles. 6 June in the sky over Cholet fourteen LeO 451 met with a dozen Bf 109 and five Bf 110. In the ensuing battle, the Germans managed to shoot down three French, and two more aircraft crashed from the damage received on the way back home. But the Luftwaffe also missed three fighters, and two of them recorded at their own expense shooter LeO 451 from the group GB 1 / 11 Sergeant Tranchem.
June 14 regiments "four hundred and fifty first" received an order to prepare for the relocation to the airfields of North Africa. But part of the bombers continued to fight in France until the surrender, having made the last 24 combat mission of June to the attack of the crossing of the German troops. France recognized itself defeated 25 on June 1940 of the year - by that date they had time to release 452 LeO 451. 130 bombers were lost in battles, 183 remained at French airfields and 135 in North Africa.
The Germans allowed the Vichy government (this government signed the act of surrender) to continue rearming the air units on LeO 451. By the end of September 1940, the aircraft received seven new Air Force bombers. September 24 LeO 451 from the GB 1 / 11, GB I / 23, GB AND / 23 and GB I / 25 groups participated in the raid on Gibraltar, the naval base of its recent ally England. With this sortie, France responded to the attack of the Dakar English squadron, along with the ships of General de Gaulle. Losses over Gibraltar amounted to one LeO 451, shot down by anti-aircraft guns.
On the bombers completed a number of improvements. During 1941, almost all cars received a new tail of a larger area for better road stability. First
LeO 451 flew around with such plumage back in March, 1940, but then it was the surrender that prevented its introduction into the series. Since October, the 1941 of the year changed weapons on some aircraft - instead of a gun turret, AB 26 installed AB 74 with a pair of MAC 1934 machine guns (750 rounds of ammunition). In the future, they planned to place at the rear of the wing a couple more of the same machine guns for firing down, but only a single LeO 451 passed tests with such weapons.
In the same place, near Marseilles, from July to September 1941goda passed flight tests of LeO 451 as a dive-bomber. The flight program was recognized successful, and the optimum dive angle was 45 °. Soon the combat pilots already mastered a similar method of bombing, and on the plane they began to install outdoor bomb racks on the bottom.
In June 1941, three groups of LeO 451 flew to Syria, where the planes again managed to make war against the British. The reason for the conflict was the pro-German insurgency of Iraqi Prime Minister Rashid Ali. German planes flew to the aid of him, making intermediate landing on French airfields in Syria. This gave the British a reason to cross the border of Syria, beginning military operations. Before 12 July, "four hundred and fifty-first" made 855 combat missions, and their own losses amounted to 18 LeO 451.
In August, 1941, the Germans allowed France to continue the serial production of LeO 451, after which a new aviation ministry ordered SNCASE 225 bombers. On these machines already on the stocks provided for the installation of new tail and modified weapons. The first after the surrender of the serial LeO 451 rolled out of the shop at the end of April 1942.
Airborne and experienced cars. Continued test flights only while LeO 455-01 with engines GK14R, which tested several modifications of the propellers. In the summer of 1942, another experimental bomber, based on the serial LeO 451, flew around. But the plane did not go to the series.
Another change in the fate of the LeO bomber company occurred in the autumn of 1942. 8 November, the Allies launched Operation Torch on a landing in North Africa. In response, the Germans immediately sent troops into the unoccupied zone of France. In Africa, after several days of fighting with the Anglo-American troops, the French signed a truce, joining the anti-Hitler coalition. After that, part of LeO 451, based in Africa, was used by the Allies as transport workers for the transport of military goods from Morocco to Tunisia and Algeria. From February 1943, the French bombers were used for their intended purpose, attacking the fortifications of the German troops in Tunisia.
Another fate awaited the aircraft remaining in France. The Germans got 94 LeO 451, of which only nine were sky finished. Part of the bombers was handed over to Italy, where the captured "French" entered into service with the 51 group in Bologna. But here they were quickly replaced with German Ju 88 bombers. The remaining aircraft of the Luftwaffe command offered to convert the company LeCNUMX 0T to SNCASE at the company SNCASE.
Transport workers could transport in a converted bomb bay to 23 people, or eight 200-liter barrels of fuel. Unnecessary equipment was removed, and two MG 81 machine guns left the armament - in the bow and on top. In the spring of 1943, the only part of the Luftwaffe - KG zbV451 - was retrained at Le Bourget airfield on LeO 700T. Two more transport workers before the start of the 1944 year were available in I / KG 200.
With the end of the war in Europe, 22 LeO 451 remained in France and 45 machines were still in North Africa. Many of them continued to fly in France until the end of the 50's, ending their career as experimental aircraft. Eleven demobilized bombers changed their designation to LeO 451 and were used as flying laboratories in various firms. After the war, three LeO 451s at SNECMA were equipped with GR 14R motors, and the planes received a new number LeO 455. Five more of these machines were ordered by the National Geographic Institute for Aerial Photography in 1945. With the appropriate equipment machines received an index LeO 455Ph.
Not left idle and demobilized bombers in North Africa. 39 LeO 451 converted into the passenger version of the LeO 453 with the Pratt-Whitney engines R-1830-67 (1200 hp). The plane could carry six passengers on 3500 km at a speed of 400 km / h.
Part of the LeO 453 was transferred to the French naval aviation, where they briefly flew as multi-purpose aircraft. Two LeO 453 entered the service at the National Geographic Institute, increasing the fleet of aerial photocamera (aircraft received an index of LeO 453 Ph). The last "four hundred and fifty-third" flew until September 1957, putting the final point in the flight career of the aircraft, whose life began with the bomber profession.
The fate of the LeO "forty-fifth" series of machines has repeatedly changed throughout the twentieth anniversary that has passed since the first prototype flew. In a certain respect, these aircraft were advanced for their time. However, they practically did not have the opportunity to express themselves precisely in the role for which they were created. These LeO cars deserved a better fate than the one they got.
Sources:
Pavlovsky M. Belated jerk "Poale" // History Aviation. No.23. C.14-22.
Bakursky V. Aviation in the Second World War. Aircraft of France. Part of 2. M .: ONTI TsAGI. 1996. C. 33-46.
Firsov A. Sketch of elegance // Wings of the Motherland. 1993. No.12. C. 29-33.
Kolov S. Many-sided "Frenchman" // Wings of the Motherland. 2001. # 5. C. 20-23.
Kotelnikov V. World War II Bombers 1939-1945. h.2, №4. M .: Aviam, 1994. C. 38-39.
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