Potez 630/631
1936


FIGHTER, FIGHTER-BOMBER	Virtual Aircraft Museum / France / Potez

The Potez 63 was built originally to a French Air Ministry programme calling for a 'Multiplace legere de Defense', literally a light multi-seat defensive aircraft. In practice the specification called for an aircraft to perform the three roles of fighter control (three-seat C3); daylight interception (two-seat C2); and night-fighter (two-seat Cn2). The first prototype flew on 25 April 1936. It was a pleasant-looking all-metal stressed-skin cantilever monoplane with a retractable landing gear. Ten further prototypes were tested before production orders were placed in 1937 for 80 Potez 630s (two 432kW Hispano-Suiza 14 radials) and 80 Potez 631s (Gnome-Rhone 14 Mars radials). The Potez 633 B2 was a light bomber version with a partially glazed nose, 40 of which were ordered by Romania and others by Greece. In the event only 21 of the Romanian aircraft were delivered, the rest retained by France. The Potez 637 A3 was a three-seat reconnaissance version with a ventral gondola for the observer, 60 of which were built. The final production version was the Potez 63-11 with an extensively redesigned fully glazed nose and a new short crew canopy. A total of 702 production aircraft was built.

Potez 630/631s served with day- and night-fighter Groupes and with 'Sections de Commandement' attached to single-seat fighter units from the outbreak of World War II. Armament comprised two forward-firing and one rear-mounted 7.7mm machine-guns. Potez 637s equipped five reconnaissance Groupes and during the battle for France suffered heavy losses. Potez 63-11s were delivered from November 1939 and served with 40 GAO (observation Groupes) and 13 reconnaissance Groupes by May 1940.

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The French Potez 631 night-fighter corresponded in many respects to the RAF's Bristol Blenheim, being very similar in size and performance (though somewhat lighter) as well as being conceived as a variation of a light bomber. The French aircraft was one of a family of design variations of the Potez 63 which had originated in a requirement issued in 1934 for a two/ three-seat 'multi-purpose' aircraft. Although a night-fighter prototype had flown in March 1937 as the Potez 631-0, French re-equipment policies were blurred by lack of purpose (being confused by the likely form of warfare being studied by Germany), with the result that orders for development aircraft included four-general purpose two/three-seat day/night fighters, three two-seat night-fighters, one light bomber, one reconnaissance aircraft and one close-support aircraft. Relatively little importance was placed on the Potez 631 night-fighter, and it was not until June 1938 that production orders totalling 207 were confirmed.

By 1 April 1939 the Armee de l'Air had taken delivery of 88 aircraft, of which 20 were in service; in May two night-fighter units, Groupes de Chasse de Nuit GCN III/l and II/4, and one day fighter unit, GC II/8, were equipped with about 30 aircraft; four other Potez 631s were serving at Djibouti. At the outbreak of war a total of 206 aircraft had been delivered, and the type had also joined GCN 1/13 and GCN 11/13, as well as seven escadres de chasse. Some aircraft were later transferred to the Aeronavale. When the German attack opened in the West the various Potez 631 units were in constant action both by day and night, although lack of radar prevented much success during the hours of darkness. In the first 11 days of the campaign Aeronavale's Flotille F 1C shot down 12 German aircraft for the loss of eight, but the Armee de l'Air night-fighter units were ordered to assume day ground-attack duties, losing heavily to enemy flak. Moreover, losses were exceptionally heavy to Allied guns and fighters as a result of the Potez 631's superficial similarity to the German Messerschmitt Bf 110; it has been estimated that as many as 30 of the French aircraft were shot down in error. In all, Potez 631 night-fighters destroyed a total of 29 German aircraft in the Battle of France, but for a loss of 93 of their own number. Of the remainder about 110 were in the Free French Zone (Vichy France) at the time of the armistice, but their number dwindled quickly because of a chronic lack of spares, although ECN 3/13 moved to Tunisia with a small number of Potez 631s in June 1941.