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| Breguet 690 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Breguet 690 |
| Type | Light attack aircraft / twin‑engine bomber |
| Manufacturer | Breguet Aviation |
| First flight | 1939 |
| Introduced | 1939 |
| Retired | 1941 |
| Primary user | Armée de l'Air |
| Number built | ~100 |
Breguet 690 The Breguet 690 was a French twin‑engined light attack and ground‑support aircraft developed on the eve of World War II for the Armée de l'Air. Designed by Breguet Aviation to meet requirements influenced by experiences from the Spanish Civil War and doctrines debated at the Ministry of Air in Paris, it entered service as part of rearmament programs alongside contemporaries such as the Dewoitine D.520 and Bloch MB.152. The type saw frontline use in the Battle of France and was evaluated against German designs like the Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 111 before being withdrawn in the face of rapid operational losses.
Development began after specifications issued by the Service Technique de l'Aéronautique called for a light attack aircraft similar in role to aircraft employed during the Spanish Civil War by the Condor Legion. The design team at Breguet Aviation, led by chief engineers influenced by prewar projects and prior work on the Breguet 690 series, opted for a twin‑engine layout with a crew arrangement inspired by reconnaissance and bomber crews used by the Armée de l'Air and lessons from Royal Air Force doctrinal debates. Prototypes were flown at the manufacturer's airfield near Le Bourget and evaluated at CEMA ranges; the final configuration emphasized a glazed nose for a bombardier and a dorsal machine gun mounting comparable to armament on the Fairey Battle and Westland Lysander. Structural design used mixed construction techniques developed during contracts with the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile and followed weight targets influenced by procurement staff at the Ministry of Defence.
The aircraft featured twin Gnome-Rhône radial engines mounted on a low wing; powerplants selected reflected supply negotiations with engine manufacturers and comparisons with the Hispano-Suiza engines used in contemporary fighters like the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406. The airframe combined metal monocoque elements with fabric‑covered control surfaces, a practice also employed by Potez and Bloch designs of the era. Defensive armament included dorsal and ventral machine guns similar in concept to mounts fitted on the Heinkel He 111H and the Avro Anson, while offensive ordnance comprised internal and external bomb racks capable of carrying bomb loads analogous to those carried by the Junkers Ju 86. Performance figures were modest compared with later twin‑engine designs, impacting its survivability against fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Bf 110.
Entered service with several bomber groups of the Armée de l'Air during the mobilization of 1939–1940, operating from forward aerodromes managed by the Service de l'Aéronautique. The type conducted tactical bombing and close support missions during the Battle of France, often working in concert with reconnaissance aircraft like the Potez 637 and fighter escorts drawn from units flying the Dewoitine D.520. Loss rates rose sharply during engagements over the Meuse River and in actions around Dunkirk, where Luftwaffe formations including the Luftflotte 2 and units equipped with the Junkers Ju 87 imposed severe attrition. Following the Armistice of 22 June 1940 and the establishment of the Vichy regime, remaining airframes saw limited use and were largely displaced by newer types ordered by the Vichy French Air Force and by occupation requisitioning by Luftwaffe units.
Several subtypes were proposed and produced in small numbers, reflecting evolving tactical requirements and comparisons with contemporaneous variants of aircraft like the Breguet 693 and export models considered for operators such as the Royal Air Force and Soviet Air Forces. Prototype modifications included alternative powerplants and revised armament fits influenced by trials with machine guns supplied from manufacturers allied with Société des Moteurs Gnome et Rhône. Planned long‑range reconnaissance and escort modifications were curtailed by the rapid course of 1940 campaign operations and by production prioritization given to designs like the LeO 451.
- Armée de l'Air — primary operator during the 1939–1940 mobilization. - Vichy French Air Force — limited operated examples after the Armistice of 22 June 1940. - Captured airframes were assessed by units of the Luftwaffe and by technical teams from the Reichsluftfahrtministerium for evaluation.
No complete airframes are known to survive in museum collections such as the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace or in preservation groups associated with the Royal Air Force Museum; fragments and documentation remain in archives of Breguet Aviation and in French national technical libraries. The aircraft's short operational life influenced postwar French thinking on close air support and twin‑engine attack designs, contributing to doctrinal debates that later affected projects by firms like Dassault Aviation and Nord Aviation. The Breguet 690 remains a subject of study in collections focusing on the Battle of France, interwar procurement, and the industrial history of French aviation.
Category:French military aircraft 1930–1939