Dewoitine D.520 1/72 Scale Model

Vichy French D.520 - This is a model of a French-built fighter that flew against the British invasion of Syria in 1941. The D.520 first saw action when the Germans and Italians invaded France in 1940. It was the best fighter of the Armée de l'Air, the French air force, although it was only available in limited numbers. After the French surrender in June, the Germans allowed the Vichy government to continue production of D.520s to supply the Armée de l'Air de l'Armistice, the Vichy French air force. When the Germans and Italians occupied Vichy France in November, 1942, in response to Operation TORCH, they captured large quantities of military aircraft, and the 20 mm cannon in the nose of the D.520 made it a useful warplane. The Italians used the D.520s they seized in southerneastern France against the Allied bombing campaign over Italy, until the Italian government surrendered in September, 1943. Some of the D.520s the Germans seized were sent to Bulgaria, where the Bulgarians put them to use against Allied bombing attacks in 1943 and 1944. The Germans also required the production of D.520s in France to continue. They used most of these planes for training, although some reinforcements were sent to Italy and Bulgaria. When D.520 production finally ceased in the summer of 1944, about 900 had been built.

More Photos: Left, Right, Above, Rear, Front Angle Left, Front Angle Right, Rear Angle Left, Rear Angle Right, Above Left, Above Right

Air War Over Italy, Andrew Brookes

Dust Clouds in the Middle East: The Air War for East Africa, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Madagascar, 1940-42, Christopher Shores

Fighters Over France and the Low Countries, Bartlomiej Belcarz

French Aces of WWII, Barry Ketley

French Aircraft from 1939 to 1942 - Vol 2: From Dewoitine to Potez, Dominique Breffort

French Fighters of WWII in Action, Alain Pelletier

In the Skies of Europe: Air Forces Allied to the Luftwaffe 1939-1945, John Cochrane

Slovakian and Bulgarian Aces of WWII, Jiri Rajlich

Twelve Days in May; The Air Battle for Northern France and the Low Countries, May 1940, Brian Cull