Editing Dewoitine D.520 (section)

==Operational history==
===France===

====Battle of France====
{{main|Battle of France}}

The [[Groupe de Chasse I/3|''Groupe de Chasse'' I/3]] was the first unit to get the D.520, receiving its first aircraft in January 1940. These initial examples were unarmed and used for pilot training.<ref name="Danel 6"/> In April and May 1940, operational units received 34 'war-capable' production D.520s; the type quickly proved to be highly popular with pilots and ground crew. During comparative trials on 21 April 1940 at CEMA at Orleans-Bricy against a captured Bf 109E-3, the German aircraft had a {{cvt|32|km/h}} speed advantage owing to its more powerful engine.<ref name="Danel 3"/> However, the D.520 had superior maneuverability, matching its turning circle, although displaying nasty characteristics when departing and spinning out of the turn repeatedly during the tests. The Bf 109, owing to its [[Leading edge slats|slats]], could easily sustain the turn on the edge of a stall.<ref name="Danel 3"/>

[[File:Dewoitine D.520, Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace, Le Bourget, Paris. (8211176327).jpg|thumb|left|Dewoitine D.520 on display at Le Bourget]]
By 10 May 1940, when the [[Phoney War]] came to an end as [[Battle of the Netherlands|Germany launched the invasion of France and the Low Countries]], a total of 246 D.520s had been manufactured, but the French Air Force had accepted only 79 of these, as most others had been sent back to the factory to be retrofitted to the new standard.<ref name="Danel 6"/> As a result, only GC I/3 was fully equipped, possessing a force of 36 aircraft. These met the ''Luftwaffe'' on 13 May, shooting down three [[Henschel Hs 126]]s and one [[Heinkel He 111]] without suffering any losses.<ref name="Danel 6"/> The next day, two D.520s were lost while a total of ten Luftwaffe aircraft (4 [[Messerschmitt Bf 110]]s, 2 Bf 109Es, 2 [[Dornier Do 17]]s, and 2 He 111s) were confirmed to be destroyed.<ref name="Danel 6"/>

Four more ''Groupes de Chasse'' and three naval ''Escadrilles'' rearmed with the type before France's surrender.<ref name="Jackson pp. 16-17.">Jackson 2003, pp. 16–17.</ref> GC II/3, GC III/3, GC III/6 and GC II/7 later completed conversion on the D.520. A naval unit, the ''1<sup>er</sup> Flotille de Chasse'', was also equipped with the Dewoitine. However, only GC I/3, II/7, II/6 and the naval AC 1 saw any action in the Battle of France.<ref name="Jackson p. 17.">Jackson 2003, p. 17.</ref> GC III/7 converted to the D.520 too late to be involved in any action. In addition, several aircraft were flown by non-operational units, such as the special patrol of the [[École de l'air]] military school, as well as a handful flown by Polish and civilian pilots in defence of airstrips and production facilities in the vicinity of [[Toulouse]].<ref name="Danel 7"/>

In air combat, mostly against the Italians, the Dewoitine 520s claimed 114 air victories, plus 39 probables.<ref name="Hachette p. 98.">Hachette 1979, p. 98.</ref> Eighty five D.520s were lost.<ref name="Jackson p. 17.">Jackson 2003, p. 17.</ref> By the armistice at the end of June 1940, 437 D.520s had been constructed, 351 of these having been delivered.<ref name="Danel 7"/> After the armistice, 165 D.520s were evacuated to North Africa.<ref name="Jackson p. 17.">Jackson 2003, p. 17.</ref> GC I/3, II/3, III/3, III/6 and II/7 flew their aircraft to Algeria to avoid capture.<ref name="Danel 7"/> Three more, from GC III/7, escaped to Britain and were delivered to the [[Free French]]. A total of 153 D.520s remained in unoccupied mainland France.<ref name="Danel 7">Danel 1971, p. 7.</ref>

One of the most successful D.520 pilots was [[Pierre Le Gloan]], who shot 18 aircraft down (four Germans, seven Italian and seven British), scoring all but two of his kills with the D.520, and ranked as the fourth-highest French ace of the war.<ref name="Danel 7"/>

====Under Vichy====
[[File:Dewoitine D.520 (MAE).JPG|thumb|Dewoitine D.520 exhibited at the Air & Space Museum at Le Bourget]]

In April 1941, the German armistice commission authorized [[Vichy France|Vichy]] authorities to resume production of a batch of 1,000 military aircraft for their own use, under the condition that 2,000 German-designed aircraft would later be manufactured in France and delivered to Germany. As part of this agreement, 550 examples of the D.520 were ordered to replace all other single-seat fighters in service.<ref name="Danel and Cuny 1966, p. 106">Danel and Cuny 1966, p. 106.</ref><ref name="Danel 7 10">Danel 1971, pp. 7, 10.</ref> However, no D.520 units were to be stationed on the French mainland, thus individual aircraft were instead stored or dispatched to units overseas, such as in North Africa.<ref name="Danel 10">Danel 1971, p. 10.</ref>

The plan was to have the Dewoitine eventually equip a total of 17 ''Groupes'' with 442 aircraft, three ''escadrilles'' of the ''Aéronautique navale'' with 37 aircraft each, plus three training units with 13 aircraft. The agreement stated that aircraft of this new batch were to be similar to the ones already in service.<ref name="Danel and Cuny 1966, p. 106"/> From serial number 543 on, however, D.520s used the 12Y-49 engine that had a slightly higher rated performance than the 12Y-45, although the [[German Armistice Commission]] explicitly prohibited replacing the original power plants with the more powerful 12Y51 or 12Z engines.

In 1941, D.520s of GC III/6, II/3 and naval ''escadrille'' 1AC fought the Allies during the [[Syria–Lebanon campaign]]. The [[Vichy French Air Force]] was already relatively strong, but several units were sent to reinforce it. D.520s were the only French single-seat fighters capable of making the trip to Syria. The GC III/6 was sent first. The ferry trip was very difficult for a 1940 interceptor and the pilots pushed their planes as far as their fuel tanks would allow them to. They flew from France to Syria with intermediate stops at Rome, Brindisi or Catania. Another route was available through Germany and Greece (Athens), but it was seldom used. The trip always included a stopover in Rhodes (which had an Italian base at the time), before the final flight to Syria. This meant several thousand kilometers were flown over mountains and sea. The most demanding part was Catania-Rhodes, which entailed no less than {{cvt|1200|km}} flown over water.<ref>Vascotto, V. "La campagna di Siria." ''Storia Militare'' magazine, Albertelli editions, Parma, n.9/06 pp. 38–39.</ref> Even the trip from Rhodes to Syria was {{cvt|800|km}}. LeO 451s and [[Martin Maryland|Martin 167F]] bombers had few problems, but D.520s were forced to fly a strenuous and dangerous mission, without any help or external assistance. Of the 168 French aircraft (of all types) sent to Syria, 155 accomplished their mission and arrived successfully. The Vichy Air force was numerically strong, but with very few ground crew and spare parts, which meant that the operational flying time for the D.520s was very limited. D.520s of GC III/6 first saw action against British aircraft on 8 June 1941, when they shot down three [[Fairey Fulmar]]s, losing one D.520 (its pilot was taken prisoner).<ref>Sgarlato, Nico. "La campagna aerea di Siria." ''Eserciti nella Storia magazine,'' Delta editions, Parma, n.10/08, p. 44.</ref> Over the following days several escort missions were flown to protect Martin, LeO and Bloch 200 (3/39 Esc) bombers from British [[Royal Navy]] fighters. Two Hurricanes were shot down (with another D.520 lost) on 9 June.

During the Syria campaign, a total of 266 missions were conducted by the Vichy French Air Force: 99 of them were carried out by D.520s, nine by MS.406s, 46 by Martin 167s and 31 by LeO 451s. On 10 July, five D.520s attacked [[Bristol Blenheim]] bombers from [[No. 45 Squadron RAF]] that were being escorted by seven [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk|Curtiss Tomahawks]] from [[No. 3 Squadron RAAF]] (3 Sqn).<ref name="Herington 1954, p. 94">Herington 1954, p. 94.</ref> The French pilots claimed three Blenheims, but at least four of the D.520s were destroyed by the Australian escorts, including two by [[flying officer]] [[Peter Turnbull (RAAF officer)|Peter Turnbull]].<ref name="Herington 1954, p. 94"/><ref>Brown 1983, p. 17.</ref> The following day, a Dewoitine pilot shot a P-40 down from 3 Sqn, the only Tomahawk lost during the campaign.<ref name="Herington 1954, p. 94"/> This Dewoitine was in turn shot down by F/O [[Bobby Gibbes]]. The initial advantage that the Vichy French Air Force enjoyed did not last long, and they lost most of their aircraft during the campaign. The majority of them were destroyed on the ground where the flat terrain, absence of infrastructure and absence of modern anti-aircraft (AA) artillery made them vulnerable to air attacks. On 26 June, a strafing run by Tomahawks of 3 Sqn, on Homs airfield, destroyed five D.520s of Fighter Squadron II/3 (Groupe de Chasse II/3) and damaged six more.

[[File:French aircraft wreckage North Africa 1943.jpg|thumb|Tail section of a burned Vichy D.520 at an airbase in North Africa, 1943]]
By the end of the campaign, Vichy forces had lost 179 aircraft from the approximately 289 committed to the Levant. The remaining aircraft with the range to do so, evacuated to Rhodes. The known French losses of fighter aircraft were 26 in air combat and 45 in strafing and bombing actions. The Allies lost 41 planes, 27 of those shot down by French fighters. During [[Operation Torch]] (the invasion of North Africa), GC III/3 (previously known as GC I/3), was engaged in combat with the Allies over [[Oran]]. ''Flotille'' 1F saw action against the [[United States Navy]] [[Grumman F4F Wildcat]] squadron [[VFA-11|VF-41]] (from the carrier {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|6}}), over [[Casablanca]]. One D.520 was among fourteen US victory claims; the only Allied losses were due to ground and friendly fire.<ref>Tillman 1995, p. 91.</ref> Other Dewoitine-equipped units in North Africa such as GC II/7 or GC II/3 did not take part in the fighting. Overall, the known D.520 air strength in North Africa was 173 D.520s (143 combat ready) of GC II/3, III/3, III/6, II/7 and II/5; another 30 were in Senegal with GC II/6. The Navy had Esc 1AC and 2AC. Many D.520s were destroyed on the ground by Allied bombing. The French Air Force lost 56 aircraft, among them 13 D.520s. The Navy lost 19 D.520s. Among the 44 kills that the French scored overall, there were five losses from fighters and flak out of a squadron of eight [[Fairey Albacore]]s from {{HMS|Furious|47|6}}, some of which were shot down by D.520s of GC III/3.<ref>Brown, J.D. p. 93</ref>

====Free French Dewoitines====
A very small number of D.520s were briefly operated by Free French Forces for training purposes. Along with the three examples that had flown to Britain in June 1940, two other Dewoitines were recovered from retreating Vichy forces in [[Rayak]], Lebanon. These D.520s were flown by pilots of the ''[[Normandie-Niemen]]'' unit before it was sent to the [[USSR]], where they flew the [[Yakovlev Yak-1]] that had many similarities with the French aircraft.

===With the Allies===
In December 1942, as French forces formerly under Vichy sided with the Allies, there were 153 D.520s left in French hands in North Africa.<ref name="Danel 7"/> They flew a few patrols during the [[Tunisia campaign]], but were considered obsolete, and their radio sets were incompatible with Allied equipment. From early 1943 on, they were relegated to training duties at the fighter school in [[Meknes]], and progressively replaced by [[Supermarine Spitfire]]s and [[Bell P-39 Airacobra]]s in combat units.

During the liberation of France, a few D.520s abandoned by the Germans, were used by ''ad hoc'' units in [[Attack aircraft|ground attacks]] against the isolated German pockets of resistance on the Western coast.<ref name="Danel 12"/> Around 55 such aircraft were recovered from the Luftwaffe by the rapid advance of the Allies. Commanded by former test pilot Marcel Doret, one such unit attacked German forces at [[Royan]] and [[Pointe de Grave]], performing strafing runs upon enemy artillery positions, as well as providing air cover for Allied bombers.<ref name="Danel 12"/> After 1 December 1944, the date on which the French Air Force was officially reformed, Doret's unit became G.C.II/18; it continued to operate D.520s for several months before being reequipped with Spitfires on 1 March 1945.<ref name="Danel 12"/>

===''Regia Aeronautica'' Dewoitines===

About 60 D.520s were acquired by the ''[[Regia Aeronautica]]'' (the Italian Air Force or RA).<ref name="Danel and Cuny 1966, p. 150"/><ref name="Danel 12">Danel 1971, p. 12.</ref> Italian pilots appreciated the aircraft's capabilities and Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon, at least by 1940–1941 standards. The first three D.520s were assigned to 2° ''Stormo'' based at the [[Torino]]-Caselle airfield, where they were used for the defence of Torino's industrial area.<ref name="Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 65">Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 65.</ref> Other D.520s were captured in [[Montélimar]], [[Orange, Vaucluse|Orange]], [[Istres]] and [[Aix-en-Provence]].<ref name="Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 66">Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 66.</ref>
[[File:Guido fibbia 3jpg013 low.jpg|thumb|Italian ace [[Guido Fibbia]] (right) with a ''Regia Aeronautica'' D.520 {{circa|1943}}]]

At the beginning of 1943, the Italian ace [[Luigi Gorrini]] ferried D.520s taken as [[Prize of war|prizes of war]] to Italy to be used for defence. "I have collected several dozen Dewoitines from various French airfields and the [[Toulouse]] factory", he recalled later.<ref name="Neulen p. 67."/> "At the time, when we were still flying the [[Macchi C.200]], it was a good, if not very good, machine. Compared to the Macchi 200, it was superior only in one point: its armament of the Hispano-Suiza HS 404 {{cvt|20|mm|3}} cannon."<ref name="Neulen p. 67.">Neulen 2000, p. 67.</ref> <!---unnecessary----On the other hand, regardless of his opinion, D.520s were also faster, with longer range and a better service ceiling when compared to the Macchi. However, these two fighters never fought each other, as far as is known. Gorrini himself stated, on another occasion, that French fighters were better than the early ones in the RA: ''Credevamo inoltre di averci degli aerei validi, ma quando abbiamo cominciato a vedere cosa aveva il nemico, .. parlo dei Dewotine e dei Morane ... ho conosciuto quelle macchine in seguito, quando mi recai in Francia a prendere alcuni loro aeroplani .. Era come paragonare un triciclo ad una Ferrari...'', that could be translated as: ''We believed [we had] valid aircraft, but when we saw what [the] enemy had, .. I talk about Dewoitine and Morane ... I knew those machines when I ferried some of them to Italy, it was like comparing a tricycle with a Ferrari''.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120904125629/http://www.italia-rsi.org/farsianr/gorrini.htm Gorrini's interview on italia-rsi.org]}}</ref>---> Italian pilots liked the {{cvt|20|mm|3}} gun, the modern cockpit, the excellent radio set and the easy recovery from a spin but they also complained about the weak undercarriage and the small [cannon] ammunition drum capability; the ammunition was not available in quantities (the HS.404 was not compatible with Breda and Scotti {{cvt|20|mm|3}} guns, so everything depended on France's depots). At the end of February the 359a ''Squadriglia'' (22° ''Gruppo''), led by Major Vittorio Minguzzi, received eight Dewoitine D.520. At that time, American B-24s frequently bombed Naples, so an effective interceptor was badly needed, and D.520s were all that were available in early 1943. The 359a ''Squadriglia'' pilots used Dewoitines with some success. <!---unnecessary---Vittorio Minguzzi recalled the effectiveness he saw during the first fight with a B-24 (1 march 1943); despite [the fact that] he had only ten [rounds of] 20 mm ammunition, firing all them at close range had a very impressive effect on that bomber (the D.520 was found to be a very stable gun platform); Minguzzi was impressed as well by the results, but when he did another attack with only machine guns, it had little effect on the B-24s, and in return his D.520 was almost shot down, forcing him to dive and escape.<ref>Ciampaglia, Giuseppe: ''Quando la R.A. adottò il cannone da 20 mm'', RiD Magazine 11/2002 p.93</ref> Minguzzi wrote also that the D.520 had an armoured seat. There are not many more reports about the D.520 in the RA; pilots liked the 20 mm gun, but they also needed a fast fighter to catch up with the B-17s and B-24s. They simply had to choose between old fighters, D.520s and the fast but under-armed MC.202s, until they had MC.205s, Bf-109 and RE.2005s (Minguzzi was very interested by this fighter, after the experience with the D.520 and its 20 mm gun).<ref>Lembo, Daniele ''Il D.520 nella R.A.'', Aerei nella Storia magazine, West ward editions, Parma, 26/2002 p.25-26</ref>---->

On 1 March 1943, Maggiore Minguzzi claimed a B-24 while flying a D.520. This claim was initially only claimed as a probable but was later upgraded to a confirmed. This was probably the first Italian claim using this aircraft.
On 21 May 1943, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' and the ''Luftwaffe'' agreed to exchange 39 [[Lioré et Olivier LeO 45]]1s, captured by the Italians at the [[SNCASE]] factory in [[Ambérieu-en-Bugey]] ([[Lyon]]), with a stock of 30 D.520s. Subsequently, in the spring and summer of 1943, the Dewoitines were used by 161° ''Gruppo Autonomo'', based in southern Italy with 163a ''Squadriglia'' in [[Grottaglie]], 162a ''Squadriglia'' in [[Crotone]] and 164a ''Squadriglia'' in [[Reggio Calabria]].<ref name="Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 66"/>
On 31 July 1943, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' still had 47 Dewoitines in service.<ref name="Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 63">Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 63.</ref> After the armistice of 8 September 1943, three D.520s, previously in service with 24° ''Gruppo'', were used by the [[Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana]] of the [[Italian Social Republic]] for training.<ref name="Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 66"/>

===Other foreign users===
German forces [[Case Anton|invading Vichy's so-called "free zone" in November 1942]], captured 246 D.520s; additionally, a batch of 62 was completed under German occupation.<ref>Danel and Cuny 1966, p. 115.</ref><ref name="Danel 11">Danel 1971, p. 11.</ref> The captured Dewoitines were to be delivered to the Axis Balkan Front, although some were used by the ''Luftwaffe'' for training purposes while 60 were transferred to Italy and 96,<ref name="Neulen p. 162.">Neulen 2000, p. 162.</ref> or 120, to the Bulgarian Air Force<ref>Belcarz 2005, pp. 34–36.</ref> for use in combat.<ref name="Danel and Cuny 1966, p. 150">Danel and Cuny 1966, p. 150.</ref><ref name="Danel 11 12">Danel 1971, pp. 11–12.</ref> However, D.520s reached Bulgaria only in August 1943, as the fighter pilots of that country were still training on the type at [[Nancy, France|Nancy]] with JG 107.<ref name="Neulen p. 162.">Neulen 2000, p. 162.</ref>

The following month, the first 48 Dewoitines were taken over in a ceremony on [[Karlovo]] airfield. Two months later, on 24 November, the D.520s were used in combat, when 17 out of the 60 [[B-24 Liberator]]s of the 15th USAAF arrived over the capital, [[Sofia]], to bomb it. Twenty four Dewoitines took off from Vrazhdebna base (along with 16 Bf 109G-2s from [[Bojourishte]]) and attacked the bombers and their 35 escorting [[P-38 Lightning]]s. The Bulgarian pilots claimed four American aircraft for the loss of one fighter, three more had to force land. American bombers attacked Sofia again, on 10 December 1943. That day, 31 B-24s escorted by P-38s, were intercepted by six Dewoitines of the II/6th Fighter Regiment from Vrazhdebna and 16 D.520s of the I/6th Fighter Regiment from Karlovo (along with 17 Bf 109G-2s).<ref name="Neulen p. 163.">Neulen 2000, p. 163.</ref> The Americans claimed 11 D.520s for the loss of only one P-38. The later examination of records showed that only one Dewoitine was lost during that air battle.<ref name="Neulen p. 164.">Neulen 2000, p. 164.</ref>

The Bulgarian Air Force D.520s were again up in force, to face the massive Allied air raid of 30 March 1944. To intercept the 450 bombers ([[B-17 Flying Fortress]]es, B-24s and [[Handley Page Halifax]]es) escorted by 150 P-38s, the Bulgarians scrambled 28 Dewoitines from I./6th at Karlovo, six D.520s from II/6th at Vrazhdebna (together with 39 Bf 109G-6s and even Avia 135s). At least ten Allied aircraft (eight bombers and two P-38s) were shot down, while the Bulgarian Air Force lost five fighters and three pilots. Two more Bulgarian aircraft had to force land.<ref name="Neulen p. 166.">Neulen 2000, p. 166.</ref>
During the last Allied raid on Sofia, on 17 April, the II./6th fighter scrambled seven Dewoitines (plus 16 Bf 109s), against 350 B-17s and B-24s escorted by 100 P-51 Mustangs. Bulgarian pilots, who up to that time had encountered only P-38s, mistook the P-51s for their own Bf 109s and before they realized their mistake, seven Bf 109G-6s had been shot down. That day the Bulgarian Air Force suffered the heaviest losses since the beginning of the war: nine fighters shot down and three that had to crash land. Six pilots lost their lives.<ref name="Neulen p. 166.">Neulen 2000, p. 166.</ref>
By 28 September 1944, twenty days after Bulgaria joined the Allies, Dewoitines still equipped an ''Orlyak'' (Group) of the 6th Fighter regiment: I Group had a total of 17 D.520s, five under repair and 12 operational, for its three ''Jato'' (Squadrons).<ref name="Neulen pp. 168-169.">Neulen 2000, pp. 168–169.</ref>

Numerous sources have mentioned use of the D.520 by the [[Romanian Air Force]], but no evidence has ever been provided. One source claims the so-called Romanian Dewoitines were, in fact, in transit to Bulgaria and only flew over Romania in order to get to their final destination.<ref>DTU Publication, p. 81.</ref> This seems the most reliable explanation, viewed against the numbers of Dewoitines actually available. Romania did however use the French [[Bloch MB.150]].

===Postwar service===
After the war, the D.520s that remained in France were used as trainers; on 1 June 1945, the school base No. 704 was formed at [[Tours]] for the purpose of training pilot instructors operating, amongst other types, 17 D.520s.<ref name="Danel 12"/> At the encouragement of No. 704's commanding office, one D.520 was field-modified into a two-seater configuration in late 1945, which was subsequently designated as the D.520 DC.<ref name="Danel 12 13">Danel 1971, pp. 12–13.</ref> In March 1946, after further experiments, the French Air Force ordered a further batch of 20 D.520s to be likewise converted; however, only 13 of these D.520 DC conversions were completed.<ref name="Danel 13">Danel 1971, p. 13.</ref>

The last unit to fly the D.520 was the EPAA (''Équipes de présentation de l'armée de l'air''), No. 58.<ref name="Danel 13"/> In their final years, the remaining examples were often unserviceable due to general wear and tear. The last flight of an operational D.520 was made on 3 September 1953 with EPAA (''Équipes de présentation de l'armée de l'air'').<ref name="Danel 13"/> Initially, this unit had flown Yak-3s, formerly of the [[Normandie-Niemen]] fighter squadron; these were later replaced with seven D.520s, three of them being two-seaters.<ref name="Danel 13"/>