![]() ![]() ![]() Defensive armament was to include a rear-firing 20mm cannon to surprise would-be pursuers and this new aircraft would outright replace the aged, outgoing stock of French bombers then in frontline service - this against a back drop of mounting tensions with neighboring Germany.Īmong the responders to the French Air Force requirement was the storied concern of Liore-et-Olivier ("LeO") founded in 1912 by Fernand Liore and Henri Olivier. During November of 1937, the requirements were formally finalized with the internal bomb load increased to 3,300lbs and a service range out to 560 miles. The requirement was then revised in 1935 to include just a four-man crew to limit the manpower commitment and maximum speeds were now pushed to the 300 mile per hour range. As a bombing platform, the aircraft would hold an inherent bomb-carrying capability in the 2,650lb range - all internally. In 1934, the rearming French Air Force put forth a new preliminary requirement for an all-modern, medium-class fast-bomber with a crew of five and maximum speed of 250 miles per hour. It became one of the few French warplanes of the conflict to see service beyond the war years. The Liore-et-Olivier LeO 45 was one of her best bombers when fielded in the defense of France and proved a capable, heady performer who managed some level of success in the early, short-lived campaign prior to the French surrender. The French Air Force fielded a variety of capable aircraft prior to World War 2 and its ability to defend itself against the might of the German onslaught was hindered by labor strife, outdated doctrine, and unsuitable numbers of capable war-making goods. ![]()
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