Editing Dewoitine D.520 (section)

===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"/>