Bloch M.B.150-155

In Poland.

In the second half of the 1930s, there was a severe equipment crisis in the fighter units. The basic equipment at that time consisted of the already outdated PZL P-11 and PZL P-7 high-wing aircraft. The LWS-4 fighter aircraft project was rejected, while the PZL-50 and PZL-45 projects were too distant a prospect. This created a gap of several years in the equipment of the Polish air force with modern fighter aircraft. In order to fill it, at the beginning of 1939, it was decided to purchase foreign fighter aircraft.

The French side offered Morane-Saulnier MS-406, Dewoitine D-520 and Bloch MB-151 aircraft. In order to equip the fighter squadrons with new equipment as soon as possible, we decided to purchase MS-406 aircraft.
The Bloch MB-151 and MB-152 fighters, alongside the Morane-Saulnier MS-406C1 and Caudron C-714C1, were the basic type of aircraft used by Polish pilots in France in 1940. They were used by the following air units: - Montpellier Squadron, Flight No. 2 Pentz GC II /6, was initially equipped with MS-406C1 aircraft, which were in use until 16 May 1940. Later, the GC II /6 Squadron was re-equipped with Bloch MB-152 aircraft. At the same time, the Cebrzyński Key also reached GC II /6 and took over command of Key No. 2,
- Front Key Cebrzyński GC II /6, from 26.05.1940 the collection of MB-152C1 aircraft from the Bloch factory began,
- Front Key Jastrzębski GC II /1, sent to the front right after the German attack on France on 18.05.1940. They started flying MB-152C1 aircraft on 20.05.1940. The Poles remained in GC II /1 until 22.06.1940,
- Front Key Więckowski GC III /9, to this unit on 11.06.1940 the Polish pilots who flew MB-151C1 aircraft were delegated,
- Front Key Gabszewicz GC III /10, from On 5.06.1940, the pilots flew MB-152C1 aircraft,
- Frontal Division Paszkiewicz GC II /8, from 23.05.1940, Polish pilots began combat flights on MB-151C1 and MB-152C1 aircraft,
- Frontal Division Wyrwicki GC II /10, a group of select fighters with Major Eugeniusz Wyrwicki and 2nd Lt. Hieronim Dudwał were sent to this squadron. They flew MB-152C1. Unfortunately, for them (and for 2nd Lt. Jerzy Poniatowski), service in GC II /10 lasted only a few days. They were killed on 7.06.1940, during a fight with German fighters,
- DAT Cognac-Falkowski, left Lyon on 31.05.1940 and went to Cognac, where it was to provide air cover for Distribution Base No. 302. In June it received five MB-151C1 and MB-152C1 (only three aircraft were launched),
- DAT Angers-Janota, delegated from the GC 1 /145 fighter squadron to form a fighter patrol to defend the seat of the Polish Government transferred to Angers. At the beginning of June, the pilots were sent to Tours, where they received four Bloch MB-151C1 aircraft. The Angers section practically stayed in Tours for a long time,
- The Tours-Budrewicz DAT section, a group of pilots who were in Tours for training, were included in the group of French pilots defending the base. The Poles flew MB-152C1 and MB-151C1 aircraft,
- The La Rochelle-Kowalczyk DAT section, was sent to La Jarne, where it was to provide cover for nearby flight schools. The patrol received four MB-151C1 and MB-152C1 at its disposal,
- The Châteauroux-Henneberg DAT section, was sent to protect the aircraft factories producing Bloch fighters. The group received at least two MB-151C1 aircraft and one MB-152C1. Two MB-151C1 and one MB-152C1 were evacuated to Great Britain, the planes were taken over by the British,
- DAT Châteaudun Key - Tomicki, Kowalski (Wolański Group), the purpose of the pilots from Wolański's Group was to transport planes from distribution stations to combat airfields. Flights were performed, among others, on Bloch MB-152C1 planes, two pilots: Cpl. S. Tomicki and Cpl. H. Kowalski performed combat flights on MB-152C1 in the Châteaudun base defense key commanded by the French pilot Adj. Chef. Herve,
- DAT Châteaudun, Etampes- Krasnodębski, patrol left Lyon on 12.05.1940. Pilots generally used Morane-Saulnier MS-406C1 aircraft, but they also flew many other types: Curtiss H-75A, Koolhoven FK-58, Arsenal VG-33 and Bloch MB-152,
- Polish pilots flew combat missions on MB-151 aircraft in the French Tours base defense unit.
GC 1 /145 "Warszawski" Fighter Squadron, during the organization of the squadron the possibility of arming GC 1 /145 with MS-406C1 or Bloch MB-151C1 was considered, eventually equipped with Caudrons C-714C1. After the suspension of combat flights on the C-714, on 12.06.1940, a decision was made to separate two groups of pilots from GC 1 /145, who were to be trained on the MB-152 in the French squadrons GC I /1 and GC I /8. At the same time, three MB-152 aircraft arrived at GC 1 /145, which were to be used to train the remaining pilots of the squadron,
- GC I /8, the pilots of GC 1 /145 joined GC I /8 on 16.06.1940. They performed patrol and evacuation flights on M aircraft

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"The Bloch 150.01 in its original form had failed to leave the ground in July and August 1935".

Why didn't the 150.01 get off the ground - too heavy, underpowered engine or poor aerodynamics?

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Hei Barry, the French were certainly outmatched and outwitted By the Germans, but there are a few unknown undeniable facts: 50french divisions spread on the frontier, 120 German divisions hitting together through the Belgian neutral frontier. about 1000 French planes facing 3500 German ones. A French government inclined for peace, facing... Hitler. However it is largely unknown that the French fought really bravely and downed over 1000 German planes. It is also largely unknown that at the start of the battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe had already lost 20% of it's fighters over France, while the British had (hurtfully but wisely) called their few planes out of France really early to save them from the onslaught. The battle of Britain is often considered the first turning point of the war. The brits fought with incredible valour, but so did the French, and their largely forgotten sacrifice has undeniably set a chain of events which eventually led to the fall of the Nazis.

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France had the biggest standing army and air force in the world at the beginning of the war. So why did the Germans walk through them? Simple, they had a battle plan and they had equipment that worked, neither of which the French had a clue about. The Bloch 150-155 is an example of this. The first deliveries to the Aviation Militaire were made without gun sights and some without propellors. So they were really useful weren't they? I often think that the R.A.F. and the USAAF did not always get it right but one has to admit the French were in a class of their own.

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The Bloch fighters were just too early in their development cycle to have much success. I find them intriguing because the Gnome-Rhone 14N was the same size as the Bristol Hercules, which I think of as a great might-have-been fighter engine. Typical of Continental monoplane fighters, the Blochs seem shy on wing area.

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The drawing represents the prototype mb150, which differed from the main production models mb151and mb152 in mainly details, notably size and shape of vertical fin, engine cowling, wing shape and size, landing gear etc.

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Please allow a correction to the book's title that's stated below. It's: "French Fighters of World War II" by Alain Pelletier, published by Squadron /Signal Publications of Carrollton, Texas.

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According to "Squadron /Signal Publications", by Alain Pelletier (Carrollton, Texas,2002), the cockpit was moved back on the Bloch155 about 1 1 /2 feet to accomodate an additional 16 gallon fuel tank. Along with other refinements, the 155 had an 1,150 hp Gnome&Rhone 14 cylinder engine with a maximum speed of 323 mph and range of 652 miles. None of the Bloch155's saw action during the Battle of France.
The three-view shown above differs with that of the Bloch 152 shown by Squadron /Signal Publications. As Old Adam says, Squadron Signal Publications shows near straight leading edges (slightly cranked),straight trailing edges, squarer horizontal stabilizer tips, a longer chord cowling, and a telescopic gunsight. The three-view shown above looks like an earlier version. Bloch 151 /152 pilots claimed 146 German aircraft shot down during the Battle of France with 34 probable victories. These included 44 Messerschmitt Bf109's, 25 Bf110's, 33 Dornier Do17's and 28 Heinkel 111's. Nearly 270 Bloch 151's and 152's were lost to combat or abandonment to the German invader. Casualties among Bloch pilots totaled 40 killed and 42 wounded. Just prior to the armistice a new Bloch 157 was in initial stages of design with one prototype built. Captured by the Germans it first flew in March 1942 under German supervision. Having a 1,590 hp Gnome&Rhone engine it had a a top speed of 441 mph at 25,754 ft altitude. Only one was built and it was eventually destroyed in a U.S. air raid on Paris-Orly during the war.

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Cockpit seems too far forward as well

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