Breguet 19

In Poland.

The Polish Air Force ordered Breguet XIXB2 airliners in 1924. In the years 1925-1927, 256 (according to [2] - 253) were delivered from France. The first two were delivered in a flight together with Potez XVs in a Paris-Warsaw flight, in a group commanded by General Włodzimierz Zagórski (19-31.07.1925). The third aircraft delivered to Poland was flown by the crew of Colonel Pilot Ludomił Rayski and Sergeant Leonard Kubiak, who flew a Mediterranean raid from France along the coast of North Africa, via Athens, Constantinople to Warsaw (16-22.10.1925). The remaining aircraft were delivered by sea from Cherbourg to Gdańsk. All ordered Breguet XIXs were in the B2 bomber version, 20 of them were in the long-range B2GR version. The A2 version was not delivered. The features of this version were acquired by copies without some equipment and armament, intended for cooperation with infantry and artillery. The possibility of purchasing a license for the production of the Breguet XIXB2 in the country was also considered. However, due to the complicated construction of the airframe, the purchase of a license was abandoned. The saturation of squadrons with Potez XVs and Potez XXVIIs resulted in Breguets being assigned to squadrons with a delay of sometimes 10 years. In the spring of 1926, the first were sent to the 1st Polish Air Force, in 1929 they were received by the 2nd Polish Air Force, and in 1931 by the 4th Polish Air Force. The last Breguets were received by the 6th Polish Air Force at the beginning of 1935. The Breguet XIXB2s were eventually used in 11 combat squadrons: 11th EL, 12th EL, 13th ENN (and then 13th EL), 14th EN (and then 211th EB), 113th EMN, 21st EL, 22nd EL, 24th EL, 42nd EL, 64th and 65th EL. As training and training Breguets, they were used in the Staff Training Squadron at the 1st Polish Air Force, in the ET at individual regiments and in CWOL /OSL, LSSiB, CWPPL and CWTL in Bydgoszcz. Several were assigned to the IBTL as experimental aircraft. From July 1930 to June 1932, 5 Breguets were equipped with the 113th Night Fighter Squadron. The squadron belonged to the 11 /1 Bomber Squadron and was to cover night bomber sorties, while the Breguets were to act as escort fighters. The Breguet XIX became famous for its participation in many raids. The first, not very fortunate one, which ended with the crash of 2 aircraft, was the Pyrenees flight on 10.07.1925, then the Paris-Warsaw flight in a group of Potez XVs on 16-31.07.1925 and the Mediterranean raid on 16-21.10.1925. However, the most famous flight was that to Tokyo, flown by Lt. Pilot Bolesław Orliński with Sgt. Leonard Kubiak 27.08-26.09.1926, length 20,250 km. The plane returned with the tip of the lower left wing torn off and the right wing cover torn off for balance. In addition, the engine was seriously strained by intensive work. The crew, apart from their fortitude, was very lucky to reach Warsaw unharmed. The Breguet XIX also took part in the Baltic Rally to Helsinki on 15-21.10.1926, a visit to Prague on the occasion of the air exhibition on 4-8.06.1927, the MEiP flight on 24-29.08.1927 and the star rally to Vincennes in France at the end of July 1928.
The Breguet factory offered Poland the following versions: a fighter with a newer LD engine, a bomber with a GR Jupiter 9 engine and a development version of the Breguet XIX ter with a Farman 12 WC engine with a power of 368 kW (500 hp). Some of them were demonstrated in Warsaw, but they did not find recognition in the eyes of our pilots.
In July 1936, the Breguets were considered disabled equipment, and those requiring repairs and overhauls were designated for scrapping along with spare parts. In 1936, it was planned to scrap about 170 Breguet XIXs. Only a few that were still airworthy were to remain in the regiments. Due to its specific flight characteristics, it was not suitable for pilot training as a transitional aircraft for heavy aircraft. In 1936, 20 examples were sold to Spain for General Franco's air force, in very good condition. After these operations, very few Breguet XIXs remained in Poland. One or two Breguets from 2nd Polish Air Force were used for transport in September and October 1938 in SGO "ÅšlÄ…sk" during the Zaolzie operation. Several were used for mock air raids together with Fokker F-VIIs during anti-aircraft defense exercises of the capital on 22-25 March 1939. This was the last recorded case of use of these aircraft. The Breguet XIX was a special design, it enjoyed great interest in its time. In the mid-1920s, it became synonymous with progress in the field of airframe construction. It was considered a leading design at the time, although overly complicated and expensive. However, the Breguet XIX design did not have the influence on further airframe development that was expected at the time. The future belonged to semi-monocoque designs.

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The Armee de l'Air stil had some Bre 19's in front line service in 1939 and one of the sister ship's of the Turkish model shown above was still in service with the Turkish Airforce after the end of WWII.

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This was Breguet's highly-successful successor to their equally-successful Breguet 14.

The one depicted above, in the color side-view, is in Turkish markings.

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Conocí este aeroplano siendo niño en el aerodromo de León (España) donde estaba destinada la escuadrilla 21 de bombardeo.
Allí tomé la decisión de hacerme piloto algún dia. Y así lo hice tiempo despues.
Saludos.

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