If a beauty pageant among bombers was held at the Paris Air Show in 1938, the choice would be between two very elegant and aerodynamically clean machines. These were the newest French and Polish-built aircraft Liore et Olivier LeO-45 and PZL-37 Los. And if the appearance of "Elk" was quite understandable - the plane was definitely the highest achievement of the Poles, made with an eye to the new world aviation trends, then the appearance of the French LeO-45, which meets modern requirements for aerodynamics, caused surprise.
In the mid-1930s, the prestige of French aircraft was threatened. France - the world trendsetter in aviation since the beginning of the century has gradually lost its leadership in this matter, and, above all, it was noticeable in the creation of multi-engine bombers. While in Europe (Germany, Italy, England and the USSR) the newest bomb carriers with retractable landing gear and "clean" aerodynamics began to appear, clumsy cars that looked like a complete anachronism continued to leave the stocks of aircraft factories of the First Republic. The French Air Force bombers were easily recognizable by the fixed landing gear with numerous struts and braces, bulky turrets protruding and crew cabins that looked more like glazed verandas. Therefore, one can imagine the surprise of aviation specialists when, in November 1938, at the international air show in Paris, France demonstrated the latest LeO 451 bomber, created according to the latest aviation fashion.
Rapid contours, retractable landing gear, powerful motors and impressive defensive armament - all indicated that the French designers had finally managed to create a truly modern combat aircraft.
The elegant bomber was built according to the requirements approved by the Aviation Technical Service back in 1934. With five crew members (hereinafter four people), the aircraft was supposed to have a bomb load of 1200 kg, a maximum speed of 400 km / h and a range of 700 km. Four projects from different companies took part in the announced competition - "Amiot 340", "Latecoere 570", "Romano 120" and Leo 45 from "Lur-et-Olivier". In September 1936, the military tightened the requirements, wishing to have a maximum speed of 470 km / h and powerful defensive armament with a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannon.
The chief designer of LeO Pierre-Ernest Monsieur presented his aircraft as an all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear and two-keel tail. The navigator-bombardier was located in the glazed bow. Behind him was the pilot's seat, who could fire from the bow stationary machine gun MAC 1934 caliber 7, 5 mm. For the pilot there was a radio operator's workplace, who, if necessary, took up defense in a retractable tower from below with one MAC 1934 machine gun. In the root parts of the planes, it was possible to accommodate another pair of bombs of 500 kg each - thus, the maximum load reached two tons. The rear gunner had the most powerful defensive armament on the aircraft - the 20-mm Hispano-Suiza HS 404 cannon with 120 rounds of ammunition. In flight, the cannon was recessed into the fuselage along with a glazed visor, without spoiling the aerodynamics, and was brought into a firing position only before the battle.
The first prototype of the LeO 45-01 was built at a plant in Argentuela and rolled to the airfield in Villacuble, where they were going to fly. The bomber received a pair of 14-cylinder, two-row Hispano-Suiza 14A engines (takeoff power 1078 hp) with a NACA-type hood and three-bladed Hispano-Hamilton variable-pitch propellers. The main landing gear was retracted into the engine nacelles back in flight, and the tail wheel was hidden in a small compartment with flaps. All fuel (with a capacity of 3180 liters) was placed in the wing tanks.
The LeO 45-01 first flew in January 1937 under the control of the crew of test pilot Jean Doumerc and mechanic Ramell. However, after five minutes, the pilot had to land the plane due to overheating of the engines. This short time was enough for him to point out to the designers the insufficient track stability of the aircraft due to the small area of the vertical tail washers. With a modified tail unit (of a different shape and increased area), the LeO 45-01 took off in July, although problems with engine cooling remained unresolved.
Nevertheless, the tests of the new bomber were encouraging - the aircraft demonstrated excellent speed characteristics. So, on September 10, LeO 45-01 accelerated in a gentle dive to 624 km / h, and in level flight at an altitude of 4000 m showed a speed of 480 km / h. For better cooling of the motors, the air intakes of the wing oil coolers were increased, although this measure did not help to fully cope with the problem. In December, both motors were jammed in flight from overheating, and Doumerk had to urgently sit down on the nearest meadow. Fortunately, the field turned out to be fairly flat and, having run about 150 m, the plane came to a halt, practically not receiving any damage. The arriving team of technicians changed the ill-fated engines, and Doumerc returned to Villacuble.
By that time, LeO had been nationalized, becoming an industrial association SNCASE. Despite the overheating of the engines, the LeO 45 tests were deemed successful, and in November 1937 SNCASE received the first order for the construction of 20 bombers. In March 1938, the contract was increased by another 20 vehicles, and in June the military ordered an additional batch of 100 LeO 45s.
Simultaneously with the preparation of serial production, the designers continued to struggle with overheating of the Hispano-Suiza engines. The first LeO 45-01 was equipped with new hoods and flight tests continued. However, they could not completely cope with the cooling, after which the serial bombers were equipped with new double-row "Gnome-Ron" stars G-R14N (takeoff power 1140 hp) with the same modified hoods.
The first prototype took off in October 1938, changing the designation to LeO 451-01. With more powerful engines, the bomber became even faster, breaking on January 19, 1939, at an altitude of 5100 m, the line of five hundred - 502 km / h. Naturally, the LeO 451 version went into production, so due to a delay in the delivery of motors, the first production bomber was rolled out of the workshop only in the fall of 1938. It was he who visited the Paris air show in November 1938, starting flights only in March of the following year. This vehicle has been tested for handling and armament testing with firing. At the same time, new Ratie propellers with a diameter of 3.2 m (instead of the standard 3.2 m in diameter) were tested on the plane, but their work was recognized as ineffective and they did not go into series.
Before the start of World War II, the French Air Force ordered 602 LeO 451 bomber and an additional 5 high-altitude versions of the LeO 457 aircraft (although the high-altitude planes were never built). In March 1939, Greece wanted to buy 12 bombers, but the French government subsequently vetoed the contract.
The arrival of new bombers into service with the Armie del Air (French Air Force) proceeded rather slowly. Although as early as July 1939, several production LeO 451s participated in the air parade over Brussels and in the celebration of Bastille Day over Paris, it was not until August that the "four hundred and fifty-first" became an official combat aircraft. The first to retrain on LeO 451 were the crews of the 1/31 bomber group in Tours, who had previously flown on the outdated MW 200. The pilots of the unit, who mastered the new aircraft, were included in the special experimental squadron, which received five LeO 451s from the base in Reims.
With the Wehrmacht's invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II, the experimental squadron became part of the 31st Bomber Squadron. The first combat unit in the Air Force to completely retrain for a new bomber from the low-speed M. V. 210 was the 12th Squadron. The pilots who switched from the outdated M. V. 210 to high-speed aircraft had a very difficult time. Two bombers crashed during training, and the third crashed during takeoff in November. LeO 451 caught on the tail of a standing veteran M. V. 210 and fell to the ground, burying three of the four crew members under the rubble.
France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, but did not conduct active hostilities, fearing to provoke a formidable opponent into retaliatory actions, the so-called "strange war" was going on. The list of LeO 451 sorties was opened by the crews of the 31st squadron, flying out for daytime reconnaissance of German territory together with the veterans of M. V. 200. On October 6, the first LeO 451 bomber did not return from the mission, damaged by German anti-aircraft guns, and then the plane was finished off by the Bf 109D fighter.
Deliveries of "four hundred and fifty-first" to combat units went slowly, even despite the entry of France into the world war. By March 1940, the five bomber squadrons received a total of 59 aircraft, mainly due to delays in the supply of components from other firms. The difficult development of the aircraft by the flight crew did not add optimism to the leadership of the Air Force. The LeO 451 has earned a reputation for being tough in handling aircraft, especially at takeoff and low speeds. True, stability improved significantly after acceleration, and among the main advantages of the bomber, the pilots called powerful motors and decent speed.
In order for the crews to finally believe in their machines, the chief pilot of SNCASE, Jacques Lecarme, was invited in the part with the demonstration flights. An experienced test pilot with effect demonstrated a full range of aerobatics on an empty LeO 451, and gradually the skepticism of the combat pilots changed to enthusiasm.
The naval aviation also wished to have the new bomber in service, having ordered 48 aircraft of the LeO 451M variant. This modification was distinguished by increased buoyancy during an emergency landing on water. For this, sections of cellular rubber were placed in the wing, and there was a special inflatable compartment behind the navigator's cabin. But before the surrender of France, only one LeO 451M managed to enter the 1B naval squadron in May 1940. In addition to the marine, work was underway on other options. The Air Force ordered the construction of one LeO 454 and 199 LeO 458. At the same time, they signed a contract for the supply of 400 LeO 451 and LeO 455, the production of which was planned to be deployed at SNCAO. The LeO 454 was equipped with Bristol Hercules engines, but it never took off - the surrender of France found the only unfinished prototype on the slipway.
The LeO 455 differed from the serial LeO 451 only in the G-R 14R engines - the same power as the GR14N, but equipped with a two-speed supercharger. The first LeO 455 (a converted production LeO 451) took off at Villacuble in December 1939, and the series was handed over to SNCAO. But here, too, all the unfinished aircraft went to Wehrmacht units in June 1940. The LeO 458 received a pair of Wright "Cyclone" GR-2600-A5B engines, but until June they managed to fly around only a single production car.
The third assembly line for the new bomber was organized at the SNCASE plant in Marignane, from where the first production LeO 451 took off in April 1940. The changes in production aircraft, in comparison with the first machines, were small - they installed a new bombsight and replaced the MAC 1934 machine guns with "Darn" of the same caliber. They thought to open another conveyor, but these plans remained unfulfilled. Orders for the bomber were constantly increasing, because France was at war with Germany and needed to strengthen its armed forces. But the fate of LeO 451 and France itself was already decided - on May 10, 1940, Wehrmacht units crossed the border, launching a rapid attack on Paris, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg.
By this tragic date, 222 LeO 451s had already entered service with the Army del Air. Of these, 7 were decommissioned due to accidents, 87 were under repair, 12 were in training centers and another 22 were in reserve. And of the remaining 94 LeO 451s, only 54 were in flight status in bombing groups. Already on May 11, a dozen LeO 451s (six bombers from the GB 1/1 2 group and four from GB 11/12), under the cover of MS406 fighters, attacked German troops on the highway Maastricht - Tongre. The crews dropped bombs from low altitudes (500-600 m), representing a good target for all types of small arms. As a result, one LeO 451 was shot down, and the other nine with multiple holes still returned home. Moreover, the damage received turned out to be quite serious - by the next blow, only one car was able to be repaired to flight condition.
The French command turned out to be completely unprepared for the Wehrmacht blitzkrieg and was forced to throw literally everything that was at hand against the advancing Nazis. Increasingly, LeO 451 bombers were given the role of attack aircraft, although the vehicles were not at all adapted for such a purpose. Attacking tank columns from low altitudes, "four hundred and fifty first" suffered huge losses from anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighters. But sometimes there were exceptions. So, on May 16, 26 LeO 451 from three bombing groups inflicted significant damage at Montcornet to the Wehrmacht division refueling on the march, losing only four aircraft. The HS 404 gun, which was ineffective in battle, also affected the losses - the shooter had to constantly be distracted in the heat of battle by manually reloading bulky magazines. And although the firing range of the gun remained significant, the Luftwaffe pilots quickly found an antidote to the French shells. German fighters entered the dead zone from the bottom of the tail unit and, having equalized speed, calmly shot the bomber.
The "four hundred and fifty-first" got out not only in the air, but also on the ground. On May 19, squadron He 111 successfully bombed the Persant-Beaumont airfield, on which LeO 451 from three groups were based. Some of the aircraft burned down in the parking lots and the next day only four bombers took off from the airfield in order to go on a sortie together with six LeO 451s from the GB I / 31 group. But over the Apron, four French aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire and fighters.
Sometimes the French were covered in the air by the allies - fighters of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain. So, on May 28, the flight of 21 LeO 451 to attack bridges in the province of Aubigny took place under the protection of the Hurricanes. But fighters were sorely lacking, and the Air Force leadership seriously thought about using the LeO 451 as a night bomber. The first such flight was scheduled for June 3, and the target was the factories of the BMW concern near Munich. Bad weather prevented an effective attack. Only two LeO 451s managed to drop bombs over the target, and the Germans managed to shoot down one plane.
The deterioration of the situation at the front forced the bombers to return to daytime sorties, and sometimes even without cover the "four hundred and fifty-first" managed to stand up for themselves in air battles. On June 6, in the skies over Cholet, fourteen LeO 451s met ten Bf 109s and five Bf 110s. In the ensuing battle, the Germans managed to shoot down three Frenchmen, and two more aircraft crashed from the received damage on the way back home. But the Luftwaffe also missed three fighters, and two of them were chalked up by the LeO 451 shooter from the GB 1/11 group, Sergeant Trancham.
On June 14, the "four hundred and fifty-first" regiments were ordered to prepare for redeployment to airfields in North Africa. But some of the bombers continued to fight in France until the surrender, having made their last combat sortie on June 24 to attack the German troops' crossing. France declared itself defeated on June 25, 1940 - by this date, 452 LeO 451 were produced.130 bombers were lost in battles, 183 remained at French airfields and 135 in North Africa.
The Germans allowed the Vichy government (this government signed the act of surrender) to continue the rearmament of aviation units on the LeO 451. By the end of September 1940, the planes received seven bombing groups of the new Air Force. On September 24, LeO 451 from groups GB 1/11, GB I / 23, GB I / 23 and GB I / 25 participated in a raid on Gibraltar, the naval base of its recent ally England. With this sortie, France responded to the attack on Dakar by the British squadron, together with the ships of General De Gaulle. Losses over Gibraltar were one LeO 451 shot down by anti-aircraft guns.
A number of improvements were made to the bombers. During 1941, almost all machines received a new tail unit of a larger area for better track stability. First
LeO 451 with such a plumage flew around in March 1940, but then surrender prevented its introduction into the series. Since October 1941, the armament has been changed on some aircraft - instead of the AB 26 cannon turret, an AB 74 with a pair of MAC 1934 machine guns (750 rounds of ammunition) was installed. In the future, it was planned to place a couple of the same machine guns for downward firing at the rear of the wing, but only one LeO 451 was tested with such weapons near Marseilles.
In the same place, near Marseille, from July to September 1941, the LeO 451 was flight tested as a dive bomber. The flight program was considered successful, and the optimal dive angle was 45 °. Soon, combat pilots were already mastering a similar method of bombing, and external bomb racks were installed on the plane from below.
In June 1941, three groups of LeO 451 flew to Syria, where the aircraft again managed to fight against the British. The reason for the conflict was the pro-German rebellion of Iraqi Prime Minister Rashid Ali. German planes flew to his aid, making intermediate landings at French airfields in Syria. This gave the British a reason to cross the Syrian border, starting hostilities. Until July 12, "four hundred and fifty first" made 855 sorties, and their own losses amounted to 18 LeO 451.
In August 1941, the Germans allowed France to continue serial production of the LeO 451, after which the new Ministry of Aviation ordered 225 bombers from SNCASE. On these machines, already on the stocks, they provided for the installation of a new tail unit and modified weapons. The first serial LeO 451 after the surrender was rolled out of the workshop at the end of April 1942.
Experimental vehicles also rose into the air. The only one so far LeO 455-01 with GK14R engines continued test flights, on which several modifications of new propellers were tested. In the summer of 1942, they flew another experimental bomber based on the serial LeO 451. But the plane did not go into production.
Another change in the fate of LeO bombers took place in the fall of 1942. On November 8, the Allies launched Operation Torch to land in North Africa. In response, the Germans immediately sent troops into the unoccupied zone of France. In Africa, the French, after several days of fighting with Anglo-American troops, signed an armistice, joining the anti-Hitler coalition. After that, part of the LeO 451, based in Africa, was used by the Allies as transporters to transport military supplies from Morocco to Tunisia and Algeria. From February 1943, French bombers were used for their intended purpose, attacking the fortifications of German troops in Tunisia.
A different fate awaited the planes that remained in France. The Germans got 94 LeO 451s, of which only nine were unavailable. Some of the bombers were transferred to Italy, where the captured "French" entered service with the 51st separate group in Bologna. But here they were quickly replaced by German Ju 88 bombers. The Luftwaffe command proposed to convert the planes left out of business into the Le0 451T transport version at SNCASE.
Transport workers could carry up to 23 people in a converted bomb bay, or eight 200-liter barrels of fuel. Unnecessary equipment was removed, and two MG 81 machine guns were left from the armament - in the bow and on top. In the spring of 1943, at the Le Bourget airfield, the only part of the Luftwaffe, the KG z.b. V.700 group, was retrained on the LeO 451T. Two more transporters were in the I / KG 200 until early 1944.
With the end of the war in Europe, 22 LeO 451 remained in France, and another 45 vehicles were in North Africa. Many of them continued to fly in France until the late 1950s, ending their careers as experimental aircraft. Eleven demobilized bombers changed their designation to LeO 451E and were used as flying laboratories in various firms. After the war, three LeO 451s at SNECMA were equipped with G-R 14R engines, and the aircraft received the new number LeO 455. Five more such machines were ordered in 1945 by the National Geographic Institute for aerial photography. With the appropriate equipment, the machines received the LeO 455Ph index.
Demobilized bombers in North Africa did not remain idle either. The 39 LeO 451 was converted into a passenger version of the LeO 453 with Pratt-Whitney R-1830-67 engines (1200 hp). The plane could carry six passengers 3500 km at a speed of 400 km / h.
Part of the LeO 453 was transferred to the French naval aviation, where they flew briefly as multipurpose aircraft. Two LeO 453s entered service at the National Geographic Institute, increasing the fleet of aerial surveyors (the aircraft received the LeO 453 Ph index). The last "four hundred and fifty-third" flew until September 1957, putting an end to the aircraft's flying career, whose life began with the profession of a bomber.
The fate of the LeO "forty-fifth" series has changed several times over the twenty years that have passed since the first prototype flew. In some respects, these aircraft were advanced for their time. However, they practically did not have the opportunity to prove themselves in the role for which they were created. These LeO machines deserved a better fate than what they got.
