Slawomir Bialkowski, e-mail, 09.04.2025 14:07 Morane-Saulnier MS-406C1 fighters were part of the equipment of Polish Territorial Defense Units DAT, referred to in Poland as "Klucze kominowe": - GC I/55 Krasnodebski Klucz (Châteaudun, Etampes), pilots began combat operations on 17.05.1940. The group was subordinated to GC I/55 and received MS-406C1, Bloch MB-152 and Koolhoven FK-58 aircraft. In addition, they also flew Curtiss "Hawk 75A" and Arsenal VG-33 aircraft, - Skiba GC I/55 Flight, received three MS-406C1 aircraft, which remained in the Flight until 18.06.1940, - Kuzian Flight (Nantes), on 12.05.1940 the group was sent to Nantes to defend SNCAO plants, they received MS-406C1 aircraft only on 25.05.1940, they flew them until the end of the campaign, - Opulski Flight (Romorantin), was sent to Romorantin on 16.05.1940. The first MS-406C1 were made available to the Poles on 20.05.1940. Polish pilots flew Morany until the end of the campaign, - Sałkiewicz Flight (Toulouse-Francazal), did not use the aircraft in combat MS-406C1. This was due to the fact that Toulouse was the assembly plant for the Dewoitine D-520 aircraft. Thanks to this, the Poles received the Dewoitine straight from the factory. In June 1940, three MS-406C1s were used for training flights. Capt. Rolski's unit performed training flights using MS-406C1s and Caudron C-714s belonging to CWL. After the training was over, they were sent to Clermont-Ferrand, where they received MS-406C1s. It was too late to send the unit into combat. In addition, MS-406C1s were part of the equipment of Polish Fighter Squadrons 3 (commander Lt. Col. Pilot Leopold Pamuła) and 4 (commander Maj. Pilot Eugeniusz Wyrwicki), but both squadrons did not complete their training until the end of the campaign. From 13.05.1940 until the end of the French campaign, a group of pilots commanded by Lieutenant Mieczysław Wolański from Distribution Base No. 301 (EAA 301- Entrepot de l'Armeé de l'Air) Châteaudun operated, whose task was to distribute aircraft from equipment depots to line units. Pilots of this group also distributed Morane-Saulnier MS-406C1 aircraft.

Slawomir Bialkowski, e-mail, 09.04.2025 14:05 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 The basic equipment at that time consisted of the already outdated PZL P-11 and PZL P-7 high-wing aircraft.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 Polish government submitted an immediate request for 150 MS-406 with a 20 mm cannon in the engine. On 27.07.1939, the French agreed to send 10 MS-406s at once, but without the guns (armed only with 3 machine guns), and 40 more by October, and then, from November, to deliver 15-20 Dewoitine D-520s per month. The urgent exchange of messages between the two governments included first the Poles' resignation from the MS-406 altogether in favor of the D-520, and later a specific order for 160 MS-406s, including 120 armed with a gun. However, due to difficulties in financing, it was decided to order 120 aircraft of this type. The first 50 were to arrive by the end of September, the rest at monthly intervals until early 1940. On 10.08.1939, during flight tests at the Villacoublay airport near Paris, Capt. pilot died in a crash on the MS-406C1. Andrzej Włodarkiewicz. On August 29-30, the first 20 MS-406 were sent by sea, the next 100 copies were to be sent in batches by December 1, 1939. Due to the attack of Nazi Germany on Poland, the ship was directed to Constanța, from where they were to be delivered to Poland in transit through Romania. The Romanian authorities, due to the rapid course of operations on the front, did not agree to unload the planes. The ship sailed back. The planes that were intended for Poland eventually ended up in Turkey. In total, the Turkish Air Force had 40 planes, of which at least 30 were intended for Poland. Polish pilots encountered the MS-406C1 only in 1940 in France. From January 1940, they were used by Polish pilots for training flights in training centers: - Fighter Aviation Instructor Center (Centre d'Instruction d'Aviation de Chasse) in Montpellier, - Fighter Flying School No. 1 (Ecole de Pilotage No. 1 [Chasse]) in Etampes, - Fighter Flying School in Avord, - Training Center (Centre d' Instruction) in Tours, - Fighter Squadron of the Lyon-Bron Aviation Training Center. The first unit of Polish fighter pilots to be trained was the Montpellier Squadron. After training in Montpellier, where flights were also performed using the MS-406C1, the team returned to Lyon-Bron. On 16.03.1940, 18 new MS-406C1s were delivered to CWL. The squadron was divided into six patrols, which were sent (at the end of March 1940) for training to French units: - Flight No. 1 Łaszkiewicz GC III/2, MS-406C1 was used until 31.05.1940, when GC III/2 was re-equipped with Curtiss "Hawk 75A", - Flight No. 2 Pentz GC II/6, Morans were used until 16.05.1940, when most of the planes were destroyed in an air raid. After this fact, the GC II/6 squadron was re-equipped with Bloch MB-152 aircraft, - Flight No. 3 Sulerzycki GC III/6, due to large losses, GC III/6 was moved to the Italian front on 26.05.1940 and began re-equipping with Dewoitine D-520 aircraft, - Flight No. 4 Bursztyn GC III/1, pilots of this flight flew MS-406C1 and MS-410C1 aircraft until the end of the campaign, - Flight No. 5 Brzeziński GC I/2, flew MS-406C1 aircraft until the end of the campaign, - Flight No. 6 Goettel GC II/7, MS-406C1 were used until 26.05.1940, at the turn of May and June 1940, GC II/7 began to be re-equipped with modern Dewoitines D-520, Morane-Saulnier MS-406C1 aircraft were used by groups of pilots sent to French units, they were called "Front Keys": - Januszewicz Key GC II/7, was sent (19.05.1940) as a supplement to GC II/7, where Key No. 6 Goettel from the Montpellier Squadron had been stationed since the end of March 1940. At the same time, the unit began to be re-equipped with the Dewoitine D-520. However, there were a few MS-406C1s left in the squadron, one of which was to be flown by Cpl. Henryk Szopa, - Jasionowski Key - Koolhoven Squadron, was formed on 22.05.1940, and on 28.05.1940 it received the first Koolhoven FK-58 aircraft. Since the supplies of these aircraft were too small, Cpl. Jasionowski received at least 2 MS-406 aircraft. One of them was an MS-405 aircraft rebuilt to MS-406 standard. Morane-Saulnier MS-406C1 fighters were part of the equipment of Polish Territorial Defense Units DAT, referred to in Poland as "Klucze kominowe": - GC I/55 Krasnodebski Klucz (Châteaudun, Etampes), pilots began combat operations on 17.05.1940. The group was subor ...

Aaron, e-mail, 13.12.2017 03:11 I do not have an answer to George's question about diving speed but I would guess the M.S.406 was not a great performer in this area. According to Gaston Botquin, the author of Profile Publications No.147, the M.S.406 was the least effective French fighter in 1940 when compared to the H75, D.520 or Bloch 152. Some pilot notes: "She was an easy to fly, maneuverable and reliable plane." "Their fighter was unable to intercept any high flying spy plane as the Dornier Do215B-1." "They (pilots) experienced many difficulties to catch any German bomber which flew at lower altitudes because they flew faster than the Morane can do, even the Do 17. The only bomber she can catch was the Junker Ju 87 Stuka." "They were completely outclassed by the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter." "A lot of French pilots had lost their precious life because this plane was all, except a true fighter plane." "The Morane 406, with her uncomfortable range and her slow cruising speed, was too much at risk in that country, directly under threat of the German aircrafts." Just a couple corrections I would like to make in the specifications up above: 1. The wing area of the M.S.406 is 172.223 sq. ft. 2. At 2,450 kg. (5,401 lb.), range was 466 mls. on 88 gallons of internal fuel.

George, e-mail, 28.03.2013 14:39 How fast could the 406 Dive? I had some tell me it would shake at around 300mph and would break apart in a dive before it reached 400mph. And others tell me it could dive over 450mph. I would love to know the truth but I can never find any information on it.

Klaatu83, e-mail, 03.03.2013 19:46 This was somewhat comparable to the Hawker Hurricane, in that both were transitional designs, with airframes that were partially metal-covered and partially fabric-covered. However, the Hurricane had markedly better performance and firepower. The Finns, who enjoyed rather limited access to modern aircraft, acquired a considerable number of these fighters through their German allies, and seem to have liked them well enough, though apparently not so well as they did the Brewster Buffalo. The Finns seem to have done pretty well with these aircraft, rather better than the French did. But then, the Finns seem to have done pretty well with all the aircraft they managed to get, no matter how mediocre.

Ben Beekman, e-mail, 07.03.2011 21:17 During the phony war between Sept. 3, 1939 and May 10, 1940, the French "Armee de l'Air" were unable to fly their Morane fighters during the winter due to lack of heating for the wing-mounted, low muzzle velocity, 7.5mm machine guns. They had also been in the process of converting from the MS406 to the Bloch 152 and the Dewoitine D520. As a result the MS406 was usually sent to attack German armored columns but its liquid-cooled engine was then vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. The French lost about 300 MS 406 fighters during the Battle of France including 150 to Luftwaffe aircraft and anti-aircraft fire. The remainder were lost in accidents or damage during airfield evacuations during the German advance. The aircraft was underpowered compared to the Bf109E, it lacked armor protection for the pilot, and had unreliable radio equipment. Nevertheless it was easy to fly with excellent maneuverability and could easily outturn a Bf109E due to its lower wing loading. Its greatest successes were against the Bf110 and Ju88 formations, although victories over the Bf109 could also be had depending on the pilot's skill. This information taken from "French Fighters of World War II" (Squadron/Signal Publications book by Alain Pelletier, dated 2002).