The M.S 406 was a French fighter built by Morane Saulnier. At the time of the German invasion of France in May 1940, it was, numerically, the most important fighter in the Armée de l'Air. The fighter was sturdy and highly manouvrable, but was also under-powered and lacked enough speed and service ceiling to effectively face the Messerschmitt Bf-109E. The M.S. 406 was also used by the Finnish, with more success, and by the Swiss Air Force, were it occasionally intercepted aircrafts who were violating Swiss airspace.
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Before the Winter War, France had been reluctant to sell weapons to Finland.
ReplyDelete28, December 1939 telegram from France to Finland, the Finland France donates 50 Morane-Saulnier MS 406 fighters.
Machines were in the end only 30 and they were shipped to Sweden to be assembled.
Hitler dominated all ports and prevented the supply of arms to Finland.
(1939 Finland also acquired (30 + 20) from Italian Fiat G 50 machines . This is the same problem with the Fiat machines.)
Morane machines were flown to Finland in February 1940 period.
Machinery was 28 Squadron, which was able to do during the Winter War Moraneilla 288 combat sorties, achieving 14 victories.