Escadron de Chasse 1/7 'Provence'

Callsign :

Nato Tiger Association status : former member

The history of the Escadron de Chasse 1/7 (EC 1/7 – Fighter Squadron) starts in Dijon in 1932 with the creation of the 7th Escadre de Chasse (EC – Fighter Wing).  It was then made up of two Groupes de Chasse (Fighter Squadrons), GC I/7 (with Escadrille (Flight) SPA 15 “Casque de Bayard” and Escadrille SPA 77 “Croix de Jérusalem”) and GC II/7 (SPA 73 "Cigogne Japonaise" and SPA 78 "La Panthère noire de profil").  In May 1939 a third group, GC III/7 (SPA 152 and "Tête de Furie"), joined 7 EC.  This brought the total to 6 Flights, with all the SPAs dating back to World War I. (SPA because of the SPAD aircraft they used)

26 January 1939, the GC 1/7 settles in Tunisia and subsequently moves to Egypt after the 1940 armistice.  1/7 was disbanded in October 1942 after having fought within the Vichy army in Syria during Operation Torch, the allied invasion of North Africa.  The unit was recreated in September 1943 as No. 328 Squadron RAF, untill November 1945, flying several Supermarine Spitfire types.  With these they participated in the North Africa campaign, the campaign to liberate Corsica and Operation Dragoon, the landings in Provence, thus prompting the name “Provence”.  After the armistice, it was based in Friedrichshafen, Germany.  At the end of the Second World War, the unit was awarded the ‘Croix de Guerre 1939-1945’ with palm.  They were renamed Groupe de Chasse I/7 “Provence” on 1 November 1943, as part of part of 1 Escadre de Chasse (EC1 – Fighter Wing).

From 17 November 1945 to 1 July 1947, they were stationed at BA Po Chen Tong (Air Base) in Cambodia (now called Phnom Penh International Airport) where they received a dozen or so captured Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa “Oscar” fighters.  These were replaced by Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX from January 1946.  From Cambodia they move to BA 141 Oran-La Sénia in 1947, located in the territory of the city of Oran, in French Algeria.   They were renamed into Groupe de Chasse I/1 “Provence” when they left Indochine.

In 1950-1951 they operate the Republic P-47D “Thunderbolt”.   The 7th Escadre de Chasse was re-established on 17 November 1951, on BA 156 Bizerte Sidi Ahmed, Tunesia, with EC 1/7 "Provence" (SPA 15 and 77) and EC 2/7 "Nice" (SPA 73 and 78), equipped with the de Havilland DH.100 “Vampire”.  They would stay in Tunesia untill December 1961, having replaced their “Vampires” with the SNCASE SE.535 “Mistral” in 1953.  The "Mistral" was a "Vampire" manufactured under licence in France.  Their main task was participating in maintaining order in French North-Africa and especially Algeria, between 1956 and 1961.

The merger of 1/7 and 2/7 squadrons, on 1 December 1961, to form EC 2/7 "Nice", would involve a second dissolution of the squadron, although more administrative this time, since the 7e Brigade Aérienne (Air Brigade) was created on the same day, in Nancy-Ochey.  This Brigade includes EC 1/7 "Saintonge" and its 3C2 and 4C1 squadrons, EC 2/7 "Nice" and its SPA 73 and 78 and EC 3/7 "Languedoc" with its 3C1 and SPA 38.  They were equipped with Dassault MD454 IVA “Mystère”.  In March 1962, they return to the more conventional name of Escadre de Chasse 7, while EC 1/7 "Saintonge" becomes EC 1/7 "Provence" again.  The unit was finally to stay in France for some time and was assigned to BA 133 Nancy-Ochey, still equipped with the “Mystère”.

In 1973 the squadron was the first one to be outfitted with the SEPECAT Jaguar A & E and was again relocated, this time to BA 113 Saint-Dizier, where they would stay for over 40 years.  1/7 took part in the last of the three French nuclear tests carried out by dropping the weapon from an aircraft during the Maquis test on 25 July 1974, when a Jaguar A delivered an AN-52 bomb carrying an experimental core intended for the warheads of the Pluton ground-to-ground missile. The power was 8 kilotons.  The squadron's first nuclear alert took place on 1 September 1974.

The Jaguars of the 1/7 Provence were engaged in combat missions, notably in Mauritania (1978), Chad (1980s), during the Gulf War (1990-1991) and then in Bosnia.  After the Escadron de Chasse 2/11 “Vosges” was disbanded, 1/7 “Provence” received SPA 91 "Aigle portant une tête de mort" in December 1996 and thus was expanded to 3 flights.

In July 2001, the squadron recovered a few two-seater Jaguars and the Dassault Alpha Jets formerly used by EC 2/7 “Argonne”, which was dissolved.  Attached to SPA 91, the Alpha Jets were used for training or exercises.  In 2005 the Jaguars where retired, and the Rafale was introduced in service.  In 2006 it was the first unit to fly the Dassault Rafale.  In January 2007, twenty Rafale B and C were in service with 1/7 Provence.  In March 2007 three Rafales were deployed to Dushanbe in Tajikistan, and carried out their first patrol over Afghanistan two days later.  In September 2007, 1/7 Provence squadron's Alpha Jets were transferred to the newly recreated Escadron d'Entraînement 3/8 “Côte d'Or” (Training Squadron).  The unit was frequently deployed to Afghanistan from 2007 to 2011, and involved in Libya from the first beginning (first fighter unit of the coalition engaged) to the last days in 2011.

In April 2012 a new chapter opens for the Squadron.  With the disbandment of EC 1/12 “Cambrésis”, SPA 162 "Le Tigre" was transferred to EC 1/7 where it replaced SPA 91.  With this change, EC 1/7 inherits the tiger traditions from the Founding Member of The NATO Tiger Association.  From 26 August 2015 they were part of EC4, until their move to BA 104 Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates on 24 June 2016.  At the same time SPA 77 is disbanded and replaced by III/7(6) (Tête de Furie).

SPA 162 does however not make this international transition, but is again transitioned to another squadron.  This time the EC 3/30 "Lorraine" will carry the titel of Tiger Squadron in the French Air & Space Force.

(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 1/7 markings)

Aircraft

Morane-Saulnier MS.225 (1932)

Blériot-Spad S.510 (from May 1937)

Morane-Saulnier MS406 (from January 1938) French Air Force

Morane-Saulnier MS406 (from January 1938) Vichy Air Force

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VC (1943-1944)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX (1944-1945)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII (1944-1945)

Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (1945-1946)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX (1946-1950)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (1950-1951)

De Havilland DH.100 Vampire Mk.IV (1951-1953)

SNCASE SE.535 Mistral (1953-1961)

Dassault MD.454IVA Mystère (1961-1974)

SEPECAT Jaguar A (1974-2005)

SEPECAT Jaguar E (1974-2005)

Dassault Alpha Jet (2001-2007)

Dassault Rafale B (since 2006)

Dassault Rafale C (since 2006)

1 Escadre de Chasse (1943-1945)

1 Escadre de Chasse (1945-1947)

1 Escadre de Chasse (1945-1950)

4 Escadre de Chasse

7 Escadre de Chasse

Groupe de Chasse I/7 (1939-1941)

Groupe de Chasse II/7

Escadron de Chasse 1/7 "Provence" (1951-1961)

Escadron de Chasse 1/7 "Saintonge" (1961-1962)

Escadron de Chasse 1/7 "Provence" (1962-2015)

Escadron de Chasse 1/7 "Provence" (2015-2016)

Escadron de Chasse 1/7 "Provence" (2016-present)

Escadron de Chasse 1/12 "Cambresis"

Escadron de Chasse 2/7 "Argonne"

Escadron de Chasse 2/11 "Vosges"

Escadron d'Entraînement 3/8 "Côte d'Or"

Escadrille 3C1

Escadrille 3C2

Escadrille 4C1

Escadrille SPA 15 "Casque de Bayard" (Bayard’s Helmet)

Escadrille SPA 38 "Le Chardon de Lorraine" (The Thistle of Lorraine)

Escadrille SPA 73 "Cigogne Japonaise" (Japanese Stork)

Escadrille SPA 77 "Croix de Jérusalem" (Jerusalem Cross)

Escadrille SPA 78 "La Panthère noire de profil" (The Black Panther in Profile)

Escadrille SPA 91 "Aigle portant une tête de mort" (Eagle Carrying a Death’s Head)

Escadrille SPA 152

Escadrille SPA 162 "Le Tigre" (The Tiger)

Escadrille "Tête de furie" (Fury’s Head)

Base Aérienne 104 de Al-Dhafra

Base Aérienne 113 de Saint Dizier

Base Aérienne 133 de Nancy-Ochey

Base Aérienne 141 de Oran la Sénia

Base Aérienne 156 de Bizerte Sidi Ahmed

Unit awards

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with palm

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text & picture sources : own collection & library + the world wide web / No copyright infringement intended : drawings, photos, etc. belong to the rightful owners.