Escadron de Chasse 3/30 'Lorraine'

Callsign :

Nato Tiger Association status : full member

The Escadron de Chasse 3/30 “Lorraine” (EC - Fighter Squadron) belongs organically to the 30th Escadre de Chasse (Fighter Wing) and is the heir to the traditions of the Groupe “Lorraine” of the Second World War, a unit of the Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres (FAFL - Free French Air Forces).

Groupe Réservé de Bombardement n° 1 (GRB1 - Reserve Bombing Group No. 1) was created in September 1940 as one of the units of the Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres (FAFL - Free French Air Forces).  It was the first unit in the FAFL.  Composed of two squadrons (Metz and Nancy) based at Fort-Lamy in Chad and Maiduguri in Nigeria, GRB1 notably provided air cover for the “Leclerc column” during the capture of Kufra in early 1941, flying army co-operation and bombing sorties with Westland Lysanders.  Renamed Groupe de Bombardement n° 1 (GB1 - Bombing Group No. 1) on 2 September 1941, the unit took part in the East African campaign in Abyssinia and Eritrea.

September 1943 saw the merger of GB1 and GB2 into Groupe de Bombardement n° 1 “Lorraine” and was equipped with 6 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV bombers.  The group was then tasked with convoy and surveillance missions on the Mediterranean coast.

The Groupe “Lorraine” embarked at Suez in October 1942 for England for service on the Western Front.  On 7 April 1943 the group was reconstituted and integrated into the Royal Air Force (RAF) under the name No. 342 (French) Squadron RAF but retaining its name “Lorraine” for the FAFL.  Subordinate to the 137th Wing RAF and equipped with Douglas Boston Mk.IIIA light bombers, it carried out bombing operations over France and the Netherlands, targeting in particular power stations, marshalling yards and V1 launch sites.  From October 1943 the “Lorraine” operated mainly over France.  In the spring of 1944, the group specialized in night bombing.

On June 6, 1944, in the early morning, the unit wrote one of its most heroic pages of history, by participating in Operation Smoke Screen alongside the No. 88 Squadron of the RAF: at a few feet altitude, the Douglas A-20 “Bostons” of the “Lorraine” successfully dropped a thick smoke screen in front of the Normandy beaches, thus protecting the Allied fleet that was preparing to land.  During the Battle of Normandy, it attacked German armored divisions and participated in the reduction of the Falaise pocket in August 1944.

October 1944 the group was transferred to France.  Following the advance of the Allied troops in Europe, the “Lorraine” participated in the Battle of the Bulge, the liberation of Arnhem and the bombing of the bridges on the Rhine.  On 15 December 1944 there was another name change, this time to GB I/20 ““Lorraine””.  Newly equipped with B-25 Mitchells, the group settled in the Netherlands on 22 April 1945 and carried out its last war mission on 2 May 1945.

During the war the group had flown 3000 sorties and had dropped 2500 tons of bombs.  127 of its pilots, navigators and machine gunners had fallen during these terrible years.

On 2 December 1945, “Lorraine” left the command of the RAF for that of the Armée de l’Air (French Air Force).

The second part of the 40’s saw many name changes: GB I/20 “Lorraine” (15 December 1944-11 March 1946); Groupe de Reconnaissance I/20 “Lorraine” (11 March 1946–1 July 1947) (GR – Reconnaissance Group); GR I/31 “Lorraine” (1 July 1947– November 1949) .

They moved to Cambrai in March 1946 and being renamed GR 1/20 ‘Lorraine’ also brought new aircraft with it: de Havilland Mosquito PR.16.

Initially, it had a dual role as Groupe Mixte de Reconnaissance et Chasse de Nuit 1/31 (GRCN – Mixed Reconnaissance and Fighter Group), but in 1951 it went over completely to night-fighting as Escadron de Chasse de Nuit 1/31 (ECN – Night Fighter Squadron), part of  part of 30 Escadre de Chasse de Nuit.

In 1952, it was moved to the Tours air base and was disbanded a year later to give birth to the 30 Escadre de Chasse (Fighter Wing) which inherited the traditions of the “Lorraine” group.

The Mosquito NF.30 was replaced by the Gloster NF.11 “Meteor” in 1953.  It was the first jet night-fighter unit in l’Armée de l’Air and, after working out new procedures, was declared operational on 1 January 1954.

In May 1957, it received the French-designed Sud Aviation Vautour IIN all-weather fighter.  To reflect the all-weather role the unit designation changed to Escadron de Chasse Tous Temps 3/30 ‘“Lorraine” (ECTT – All-Weather fighter Squadron), part of 30 Escadre de Chasse Tous Temps.

In 1961 ECTT 3/30 arrived at BA 112 Reims, where in 1974 for the first time in its history it receives a single seat aircraft, the Dassault Mirage F.1C.  They will operate this type until 2003.  1 July 1988 the squadron becomes the Mirage F.1 Operational Conversion Unit and replaces its single seat for two seat Mirage F.1B's. 

Since World War II the Squadron always consisted of 2 Escadrilles (Flights): “Metz” and “Nancy”.  For the new task they receive a third one : SPA 62 "Coq de Combat avec devise Unguibus et rostro".

With the F1-force reducing from June 1994, the unit was transferred to 33 Escadre de Chasse as EC 3/33 ‘Lorraine’, responsible for training pilots for the F1CT (ground attack version) and F1CR (reconnaissance version).  On 27 June 1994 EC 3/30 “Lorraine”, stationed on BA 112 Reims, was renamed EC 3/33 “Lorraine”.

The same date it received a third Flight: "Escadrille "Thionville".

EC 3/33 “Lorraine”, put into hibernation in August 2005, was reactivated under the name EC 3/30 “Lorraine” in October 2010 on BA 104 Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates to fly Rafale and Mirage 2000-5.  It had 2 Escadrilles, originating from World War I: SAL56 "Scarabée Egyptien" and SPA 38 "Le Chardon de Lorraine".

The last Mirage retired in March 2011.

EC 3/30 participated from this ideal location since September 2014 in the Chammal Operation against Daesh (ISIS).

On 24 June 2016 the EC 3/30 returned to BA 113 Saint-Dizier in France, after a 6 year stay in the UAE.  At the same time EC 1/7 'Provence' will take their place in Al-Dhafra.  Only the traditions were transferred, not the personnel or the aircraft.

After a short stay in Saint-Dizier, the unit moved at BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan.  The planes were then gradually repainted in the colours of the 3/30 and the squadron was transferred to BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan over the following weeks.

The SPA 162 'Tigre' (part of EC 1/7 since the dissolution of EC 1/12) will however not make the transition to the UAE, but has neem transitioned from EC 1/7 to EC 3/30, making the '“Lorraine”' a Tiger Squadron.   This also meant EC 3/30 was back to a strength of 3 Escadrilles.

BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan now houses both Tiger Squadrons in the Armée de l’Air: ECE 1/30 “Cote d'argent” and EC 3/30 '“Lorraine”.

While the equipment has changed beyond recognition, the ‘Lorraine’ squadron certainly maintains the traditions that began eight decades ago over the burning sands of the Sahara.

(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 3/30 markings)

Aircraft

Westland Lysander

Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV

Douglas Boston Mk.IIIA

North American B-25 Mitchel

 Mosquito NF.30 (1945-1952)

Mosquito PR.16 (1945-1952)

Meteor NF.11 (1952-1957)

Dassault MD.315R Flamant  (1952-1957)

SNCASO SO-4050 Vautour IIN (1957-1973)

Dassault Mirage F1C (1973-2003)

Dassault Mirage F1B (1988-2005)

Dassault Mirage F1CR (2003-2005)

Dassault Mirage F1CT (2003-2005)

Dassault Mirage 2000-5 (2010-2011)

Dassault Rafale B (2010- present)

Dassault Rafale C (2010- present)

30 Escadre de Chasse (de Chasse de Nuit / de Chasse Tous Temps)

Escadron de Chasse (de Chasse de Nuit / de Chasse Tous Temps) 3/30

Escadron de Chasse 1/7 "Provence"

ECE 1/30 “Côte d’argent”

Escadrille SAL 56 "Scarabée" (Scarab)

Escadrille SPA 38 "Chardon de Lorraine" (Thistle of Loraine)

Escadrille SPA 62 Spa 62 "Coq de Combat" (Fighting Cock)

Escadrille SPA 162 "Tigre" (Tiger)

Escadrille "Metz"

Escadrille "Nancy"

Escadrille "Thionville"

No. 88 Squadron, Royal Air Force

No. 342 (French) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Base Aérienne 104 de Al-Dhafra

Base Aérienne 112 de Reims-Champagne

Base Aérienne 113 de Saint-Dizier-Robinson

Base Aérienne 118 de Mont-de-Marsan

Base Aérienne 152 de Agadir

Unit awards

Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur

Ordre de la Libération

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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.