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Tail of Mirage III E C/n 514
belonging to Fighter Squadron EC 1/2 'Cigognes' (storks). Note
the old system with French flag applied on rudder. EC 1/2
Squadron is showing here insigna of SPA 3 insigna. This unit
began life in July 1912 as Bl 3 with Blériot planes and was
fitted with Bébé Nieuports to become N 3 during 1916 and Spad
VIIs to become SPA 3 in October 1917 and ended WWI with 171
credited kills, its most famous pilot having been Georges
Guynemer.
Companion escadrille of SPA3 at EC 1/2 having its insigna on
opposite side is SPA 103 holds its origins from November 1914 as
VB 3 and flying Voisin planes. After becoming VB 103 in March
1915 it transformed in N 103 with dotation of Bébé Nieuports in
February 1916 and next SPA 103 in 1917 with the famous biplane
fighter Spad VII. The unit totalled 108 victories and René Fonck
got here a part of its 75 kills.
After WWI, in January 1920 SPA 3 and 103 became respectively 1st
and 3rd escadrilles of the Strasbourg based 2nd RAC (Fighter
Aviation Regiment) and, after Spads, they successively flew types
such as Nieuport-Delage Ni-D 29 and probably Blériot-Spad 81
before passing to Nieuport-Delage Ni-D 62 and 622. When 2nd RAC
was disbanded in September 1933 our two escadrilles moved to
Tours to constitute Groupe de Chasse (Fighter Group) GC I/2, SPA
3 being the first escadrille and SPA 103 the second. A change of
designation occured in December 1936, 2nd Wing becoming the 2nd
Light Fighter Wing with move from Tours to Chartres where Ni-D 62s
let place to Dewoitine 500s, the first low wing fighters built by
France.
During Spring 1939, GC I/2 was transformed on MS-406s and became
autonomous to install at Beauvais-Tillé airfield at the end of
August 1939. After their 28 victories gained before the fall of
France, GC 1/2 was disbanded on 20 August 1940 on the Nîmes-Courbesac
airfield.
Reformed under Vichy Regime, GC 1/2 with the same escadrilles
flaew again from 1st July,1941 with Dewoitine 520s and
Chateauroux-Déols as airfield. The day of the Allied landings in
Morocco, on 10 November 1942 the Squadron is sent in North Africa.
He stationned at Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed and next Fès and Meknes
before to be sent in Scotland as Royal Air Force unit in January
1944 and operated under Squadron 329 with Spitfires from March
1944 inside 145th Wing with the Alsace Squadron which had been
the first Free French Air Force Group created on 1st September
1943
After War, first at Friedrichshafen in Germany, the regrouped
French elements of 145th Wing constitute the 2nd Fighter Wing
with five squadrons of which SPA 3 and 103 formed GC I/2.
After the Wing was reduced to two GCs in 1946, the GC 1/2 'Cigognes'
and 2/2 'Alsace' did a tour of operations in Indochina from July
1946 to September 1947 with Spitfire IXs. Again at
Friedrichshafen at the débuts of 1948 the squadron received P-47s
and next moved to Koblentz. before to transform in France during
1948-1949 on DH Vampire 5s with which it installed (for ever???)
at Dijon-Longvic N° 102 Air Base. And from 1953 the 'Cigognes'
flew Dassault Ouragans, next Mystère IV As from 1956 with which
it operated in the Suez Canal War. First squadron to use Dassault
Mirage III Cs from February 1961, it converted to III E type from
late 1968.
