The
SV-4B V2 that Major Geerts took to Kamina belonged to the series
of aircraft delivered from 1948 onward and which sported a
cockpit canopy. However, at the beginning of World War Two an
initial order of 24 open-cockpit SV-4B biplanes had already been
delivered. These were carried over to the French forces at the
outbreak of hostilities. A fair share of them was returned to
Belgium and saw operational use in Africa.
The African
Stampe SV-4B biplanes
Out the outbreak of hostilities early in WWII Belgium transferred
some of its Stampe SV-4Bs to Belgian Congo. They belonged to the
first delivery of SV-4Bs to the Belgian Aeronautical Services.
These early SV-4Bs did not sport a cockpit canopy contrary to
later versions.
The newly-built SV-4Bs were assigned the serials numbers 1
through 24, most probably preceded by a letter "V" (Les
Avions Stampe, pg. 115), a code already used before for the RSV-26/180
and SV-22/215. The military RSV-26/180 planes were taken out of
service around 1935 and all ten but one were mentioned in the
register. Part of the RSV-22/180 were rebuilt as SV-22/215 but
most probably this type had been removed from active service late
in 1939 or early in 1940, leaving the letter V at disposal of the
new SV-4B biplanes.
In the course of the evacuation of the flying schools on May 11,
1940, SV-4B V19 was damaged at Zwevezele when it was hit by a
landing Firefly flown by Charles Roman. Although wounded in the
collision, Roman fled to Great Britain where he flew Beaufighters
with No. 272 Squadron RAF in the Mediterranean. The damaged
Stampe and the colliding Firefly most probably were abandoned,
since the training aircraft is no longer mentioned in the lists
of Stampe biplanes on inventory in North Africa. On page 115 of
"Les Avions Stampe" mention is made that 24 SV-4B
trainers made the crossing from Caen to Oran, but fails to
mention the Zwevezele incident, which indicates the author may
have been under assumed all 24 Stampes to still be on inventory.
Out of 23 Stampe trainers stocked in North Africa 16 were handed
over to the French Air Force, 10 of which were still in flying
condition, 5 had been taken apart for cannibalisation reasons and
one trainer, the V7, was destroyed on January 13, 1943 at Taza
Tadla near Casablanca. in the course of a test or delivery flight.
All transferred Stampes were already in use with the French early
in 1943, the deed of transfer having been signed on December 12,
1942.
Following SV-4B aircraft
were handed over to the French: V1-V2-V3-V4-V5*-V7*-V11-V13*-V15*-V17-V18*-V20*-V21-V22-V23
and V24* (cfr. Les Avions Renard, pg. 74). All numbers marked *
are Stampes of which is known that they have been turned into
airworthy condition by the French. Normally there were eleven
such aircraft, including the crashed V7, but not all numbers have
been identified.
V6-V8-V9-V10-V14 and V16 were returned to Belgium (cfr. Les
Avions Renard, pg. 74). The delivery flight from Oran to
Casablanca (900 km) turned out to be a good test since most
planes had been stored in dismantled condition since May 1940.
Proof of their having withstood deactivation was the fact that 7
Stampes arrived at Casablanca on August 21, 1943 without
encountering any difficulty whatsoever (cfr. Les Avions Renard,
pg. 118). From Casablanca they were to be hauled to Belgian Congo
by vessel. Between November 1943 and at least March 1944 the
crated dismantled Stampes have been sitting in Dakar, obviously
blocked. Presumably 7 training aircraft were not considered of
strategic importance and therefore finding available loading
space aboard a vessel sailing for Belgian Congo may have been an
extremely difficult matter.
In Belgian Congo the Stampes served with the air section of the
Force Publique/Openbare Macht and were assigned serial numbers in the
V40 series. In this numbering sequence they were preceded by type
of aircraft that would be put in service afterwards still,
including D-10 etc. for the DH. 104 Dove, which was delivered
from the end of 1949 onward. The Airspeed Consuls (delivered 1948-49)
were attributed the numbering sequence starting at C-31 and the
Oxfords, starting from A-21 which had been delivered still during
the war to Belgian Congo, but presumably after delivery of the
Stampes. On the other hand, DH.85 Leopard Moth OO-CAF had been in
service in October 1940 already and had been assigned the serial
number L-51.
Initially the Stampes most
probably flew without serial markings or simply kept using the
number assigned them in 1940 by their previous users. At the
introduction of the Dove, al types already in use were numbered
in a standard series of serial numbers from V40 through V46 (some
sources state V41-V47). Should it be mentioned that there is no
certainty whether all 7 Stampe aircraft were factually put in
service. It is not to be excluded that at least one had been put
aside as a source for spare parts (following the French example).
Chronology
- September 7, 1940, 24 brand-new SV-4B trainers were
handed over to the French authorities at the Oran arfield (near La Senia. V19
had already been destroyed at Zwevezele on March 11,1940. The aircrafts were
stored at the Noisy-Les-Bains airfield.
- On November 11, 1942 following an inspection it is
decided to re-assemble 2 aircraft. In the course of 1943 all aircraft are put in
airworthy condition. The Ministry of Colonies states on February 25, 1943 that
difficulties are expected in rendering the aircraft in airworthy condition. They
accept the refurbishing of ten aircraft.
- On March 22, 1943 the inventory in Marocco includes:
10 aircraft in use
One crashed at Taza
Five used for spare-parts
- On April 24,1943 Spaak, from London, gives permission
to fly 7 aircraft to Belgian Congo. This is to be executed by French personnel.
- On May 7, 1943 seven aircraft are to be transferred
to Casablanca to be crated. Seven propellers are manufactured by the Caudron
workshops at Blida. On June 14, 1943, the remaining aircraft are sold to
Aviation Française d'Afrique for an amount of 8 million French Francs.
- August 21, 1943 the aircraft arrive at Casablanca.
The crating is finished on August 30.
- On October 5, 1943 the Stampe aircraft nos. V6-V8-V9-V10-V12-V14 and V16 leave
for Belgian Congo via Dakar. The planes will be brought back in service in 1944
having been assigned the registration numbers V41 through V47. Which aircraft
was assigned which serial number cannot be found out.
SV4B V43 and V41 of the Force
Publique/Openbare Macht in Belgian Congo
Artwork of aviation painter Kurt Basslé, of V43 flying over Belgian Congo, click on the image for more information
Database, history and
gallery
of the 65
airplanes that were used by the Belgian Air Force, and the still
flying planes.
Acro Team "Les
Manchots" ,
the SV planes they used, and the aces. Article of
Dominique Hanson.
Crash report of the
accident with SV-4b V43 in Twente (Netherland) in 1986 - Crash report of the
accident with SV-4B V53 at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome New York (USA)
in 2001 - SV-4B crashes in Belgium database of all Belgian SV-4B
crashes
SV-4B with Blackburn
Cirrus engine article of L. Wittemans.
Other types of SV
airplanes and the LINK trainer , the other types of SV airplanes build bij
Stampe Vertongen and an article about the LINK trainer, the first
generation of flight simulators.
SV-4B OO-ATD and Divoy and Donnet, flight to freedom of Leon Divoy and Michel Donnet
and SV-4B OO-ATD - SV-4B OO-ACB van
Verbraeck en Reuter and their flight from France to Portugal in 1940
SV-4B V2 trip to Kamina
(Congo) , in 1950 military pilot
Manu Geerts had to deliver SV-4B V2 in Congo, Kamina. A trip of
10.578km, and 66 hrs flying time, article of R. Decobeck.
SV-4B in WWII in
Africa , at the beginning of WWII 24 planes of the
earlier SV-4B version airplanes, were transferred to Congo, at
that time a Belgian Colony. This version had no closed canopy. An
article of L. Wittemans.
Belgian Air Cadets , they used for several
years the last military SV-4B airplanes.
SV links and other
related links.
Reactions of SV-4B pilots, mistery photos and contact address
