Breguet 695 AB2 (Assaut Bombardement - Biplace/ Two-Seat Attack Bomber)

The Breguet 695 was a version of the Br 691/693 two-seat attack bomber that was powered by two Pratt & Whitney engines in an attempt to make up for a shortage of French built aircraft engines during pre-war attempts to increase the strength of the Armée de l'Air. The original Breguet 690 prototype was used to test the 825hp Pratt & Whitney SB4G Twin Was Junior engines. These engines were more powerful than the 700hp engines of the Br 691 or Br 693, but had a larger frontal area which increased drag so much that the Br 695 actually had worse performance figures than the original versions. The larger engine cowling also reduced the pilot's view, but despite these problems an order for 15 pre-production aircraft was placed, and the first of these aircraft made its maiden flight on 3 March 1940.

The Breguet 695 was ordered into production, and fifty had been completed by the time of the Armistice in June 1940. Of these thirty three had been delivered to the Armée de l'Air, and two were lost in action, including one from GBA II/54 that was destroyed in a crash landing on Saturday 15 June after making an attack on a German column north of Troyes. After the French surrender the Breguet 695 remained in service, equipping GBA I/51 and I/54 in the Vichy air force. Some of these aircraft were seized by the Germans during their occupation of Vichy France in November 1942 and were handed over to the Italians, where they were used as training aircraft.

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (2 October 2009), Breguet 695 AB2 (Assaut Bombardement - Biplace/ Two-Seat Attack Bomber) , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_breguet_695.html

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