Which Famous German Ace Was Shot Down in the First WW2 Combat For the French Air Force?

When WW2 began, the Western Front initially saw little ground combat. But there was plenty of action in the air. On 08 September 1939, six H 75 Hawks of the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) were on patrol along the border with Germany. These American built fighters were jumped by four Messerschmitt Bf-109Es from JG.53. They were led by a famous ace, the top German pilot of the Spanish Civil War. As it often happens, claims and actual results differ but the German ace had no choice but to force-land his damaged airplane and was injured in the process. Which German ace was it? And which French pilots participated in this battle? Find out in this video.

Main sources:
- P-36 Hawk Aces of World War 2
https://amzn.to/3BsTv44

- French Aces of World War 2
https://amzn.to/47XVwlj

- Curtis Hawk H-75: In French Service
https://amzn.to/3N3i5LD

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Special thanks to Dominique Roudier for help with French unit nomenclature.

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