Bloch MB.150
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1934 |
| Headquarters | Courbevoie , France |
| Products | Aircraft (including Bloch MB.150 series fighter aircraft) |
The Bloch MB.150 series (which later evolved into the MB.151 through MB.157) was a French fighter aircraft developed by Société des Avions Marcel Bloch. This fighter featured a fully metal airframe, retractable landing gear, low-set cantilever wings, and a cockpit with an enclosed canopy.
Initially created for the 1934 competition held by the French Air Ministry—an event ultimately won by the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406—the MB.150 project proceeded despite not securing the contract. After an unsuccessful first attempt at takeoff, modifications were made, and the prototype successfully flew in October 1937. Service evaluations showed encouraging performance, prompting enhancements such as an enlarged wing area and the installation of a more powerful Gnome-Rhone 14N-7 engine. By spring 1938, following additional testing, a preliminary production order for 25 aircraft was placed.
Further refinements led to the creation of the improved MB.151 and MB.152 variants, which were introduced into service with the Armée de l'Air. At the outbreak of World War II, approximately 120 units had been delivered; however, many were not yet fully operational. Production of the longer-range MB.155 began in 1940, but only ten examples were completed before France’s defeat. The MB.157, equipped with a larger engine and enhanced capabilities, was finalized during the Vichy period but did not enter mass production.
Origins
On 13 July 1934, the Service Technique Aéronautique issued specifications for a "C1 design"—a modern single-seat interceptor intended to replace outdated fighters such as the Dewoitine D.371 and Loire 46. Among those competing was Société des Avions Marcel Bloch, under Maurice Roussel’s leadership at their Courbevoie facility.
The design team produced an all-metal monoplane powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14Kfs radial engine and armed with wing-mounted Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons. Construction of the first prototype, designated Bloch 150-01, commenced in September 1935.
Although the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 won the C1 competition, Bloch persisted with development efforts. The original prototype failed to achieve takeoff in 1936; after redesigning with reinforced wings and fitting a Gnome-Rhone 14N-0 engine coupled to a three-blade propeller, it successfully flew on 29 September 1937.
During official service trials conducted in December 1937 at the Centre d'Essais du Materiel Aerien (CEMA), the MB.150 attained speeds of . Positive feedback from these tests led to further improvements in early 1938, including an extended wingspan, repositioned radiators, and upgrading to the 14N-7 engine variant, resulting in the MB.150.01M model.
With European tensions rising and France accelerating its rearmament initiatives—such as Plan V, adopted on 15 March 1938 to expedite delivery of modern fighters—the MB.150 assumed increased strategic relevance despite its ongoing development status.
Following successful trials on 7 April 1938, the manufacturing consortium SNCASO received an initial contract for 25 pre-production aircraft, followed by a larger order potentially reaching 450 units; however, only one had been delivered by April 1939 due to production bottlenecks and scheduling challenges across suppliers.
Further development
The MB-150.01 was judged unsuitable for large-scale manufacturing, prompting a redesign of the airframe. In April 1938, a contract was placed for three prototype aircraft to evaluate more powerful French and American engines, such as the Hispano-Suiza 14AA, Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp, and different versions of the Gnome-Rhône 14N. This initiative resulted in the simultaneous creation of the MB.151.01 and MB.152.01 prototypes.
Constructed at Courbevoie using streamlined building techniques, the MB.151.01 took to the skies first on 18 August 1938 at Villacoublay Airfield. Its initial performance was underwhelming, hindered by engine overheating and poor pitch stability; neither this prototype nor production MB.151 models achieved their predicted top speed.
Regarded as "the first genuine aircraft" in the series, the MB.152.01 was equipped with a Gnome-Rhône 14N-21 engine and upgraded weaponry. Its maiden flight occurred on 15 December 1938, followed by an engine upgrade to a production-standard Gnome-Rhône 14N-25 in January 1939. To mitigate overheating problems, a larger engine cowling was implemented, although this increased drag and consequently diminished flight performance.
Production responsibilities were divided among SNCASO's facilities: initial assemblies took place at Courbevoie, with roughly half of manufacturing handled at Châteauroux and the other half at Bordeaux–Merignac Airport. Starting January 1940, production was consolidated at Châteauroux. The first pre-production units were completed by December 1938, and the earliest production fighter was delivered on 7 March 1939. By mid-May that year, only 22 aircraft (combining MB.151s and MB.152s) had been delivered, with merely ten accepted into service by the French Air Force.
The MB.153 and MB.154 variants were developed to test American powerplants; however, only the MB.153 flew and was subsequently lost in a crash, ending this development path. Attention then shifted toward increasing the MB.152’s operational range by relocating the cockpit to accommodate an additional fuel tank and refining wing and cowling aerodynamics. The resulting MB.155 demonstrated improved flight characteristics and entered production in 1940; nevertheless, only ten units were completed before the Fall of France. Under armistice conditions, the remaining 25 aircraft on the assembly line were finished for service with Vichy France, with some later operated by the Luftwaffe after 1942.
The ultimate variant, the MB.157, introduced a significantly redesigned airframe powered by a more potent Gnome-Rhône 14R-04 engine. Although incomplete at the time of armistice, it was finalized under German oversight and showcased exceptional performance during tests at Orly, reaching speeds up to . The Germans acknowledged its advanced design prior to its destruction in a 1942 Allied bombing raid.
Operational history
Early deliveries were found unfit for combat due to tailplane defects; as a result, the initial batch of 157 production fighters was stored awaiting modifications, while subsequent aircraft incorporated necessary corrections. Initially restricted to training roles, only one squadron within the 1st Escadre de Chasse operated these fighters before Second World War. By war's outbreak, approximately 249 units had been manufactured, with around 123 accepted by the Armée de l'Air, although many lacked essential equipment such as gunsights and propellers.
On 26 September 1939, modified MB.152s began reaching operational squadrons; by mid-November two Groupes de Chasse each fielded 26 MB.152s. Despite some unfavorable handling characteristics during steep dives, MB.151s increasingly served as trainers before pilots transitioned to MB.152s. Engagements with Luftwaffe aircraft during the early Phoney War were infrequent, with only one confirmed downing of a Junkers Ju 88 recorded.
During the Battle of France, MB.151s and MB.152s equipped nine Groupes de Chasse, representing the most numerous fighter type remaining prior to the Armistice of 22 June 1940. They demonstrated robustness, capable of high-speed dives and stable gun platforms but were outclassed by the Messerschmitt Bf 109E and slower than twin-engine Messerschmitt Bf 110. Losses were substantial; squadrons frequently returned from missions with only a fraction of their original strength intact. Pilots flying MB.152s claimed at least 188 enemy aircraft destroyed against approximately 86 losses of Bloch fighters themselves. Heavy casualties forced units to retreat to bases near Paris by late May.
Aviation historian Michel Cristesco described the MB.152 as "the least effective combat aircraft" among its French contemporaries due to limited maneuverability, unreliable armament, restricted range (~600 km compared to 660 km for Bf 109E), and insufficient power.
Following the Armistice, six groups continued flying with the Vichy French Air Force until their disbandment in December 1942; afterward, these aircraft were transferred to the Royal Romanian Air Force under German control. By April 1941, Vichy forces standardized on the Dewoitine D.520, retiring other fighter types. The Germans captured roughly 173 fighters (83 airworthy) and incorporated them into Luftwaffe service; about 95 MB.152s reportedly received rear-fuselage fuel tanks to extend range for Mediterranean operations.
The Greek government ordered 25 MB.151s but only nine were delivered before the Armistice; these served with the Hellenic Royal Air Force's 24th Moira Dioxis during both the Greco-Italian War and wider Balkan Campaign, achieving several aerial victories until all remaining aircraft were lost by April 1941. Bulgaria sought to acquire MB.152s in early 1943 but German opposition prevented delivery; Bulgaria subsequently procured Dewoitine D.520 fighters instead.
Variants
- MB.150
- The sole MB.150.01 prototype was equipped with a Gnome-Rhône 14N-07 engine.
- MB.151
- The MB.151.01 prototype and the initial MB.151.C1 production models featured 920hp Gnome-Rhône 14N-35 powerplants, with a total of 144 units manufactured.
- MB.152
- The MB.152.01 prototype along with the MB.152.C1 production variants, developed concurrently with the 151.C1, were powered by 1,050hp Gnome-Rhône 14N-25 engines; 482 aircraft were produced.
- MB.153
- A single MB.153.01 prototype was fitted with a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine.
- MB.154
- A planned model intended to use the Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine was never constructed.
- MB.155
- The MB.155.01 prototype, converted from an MB.152, and the MB.155.C1 production versions utilized Gnome-Rhône 14N-49 engines; 35 units were built.
- MB.156
- An unbuilt design proposed to incorporate the Gnome-Rhône 14R engine.
- MB.157
- A single advanced prototype, transformed from an MB.152, was powered by a 1,590hp Gnome-Rhône 14R-4 engine.
Operators
- Groupe de Chasse I/1, II/1, II/6, I/8, II/8, II/9, III/9, II/10, III/10
- Escadrille de Chasse I/55
- Escadrille AC2 (Flottille 12F), Escadrille AC3
- EJG 26 (Cognac), JG 103 (Bad Aibling), Jagdlehrer Staffel (Guyancourt-Orange)
- 24th Pursuit Squadron
- I/145 Polish Fighter Squadron Varsovie
- Groupe de Chasse I/1 (Lyon-Bron), II/1 (Luc), I/8 (Montpellier-Fréjorgues), II/8 (Marignane), II/9 (Aulnat), III/9 (Salon-de-Provence), I/13 and III/13 (Nîmes-Garons)
- Following the Battle of France, Polish ace Zdzislaw Henneberg and his squadron flew MB.152C.1 fighters to Britain; these aircraft saw limited use for homeland defense and testing before being grounded due to spare parts shortages.
Bibliography
- Belcarz, Bartłomiej. Morane MS 406C1, Caudron Cyclone CR 714C1, Bloch MB 151/152 (Polskie Skrzydła 2) (in Polish), Sandomierz, Poland: Stratus, 2004. . Documents the deployment of MB.151/152 by Polish pilots within the Armée de l'Air.
- Botquin, Gaston. The Morane Saulnier 406. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications, 1967.
- Breffort, Dominique and André Jouineau. French Aircraft from 1939 to 1942, Volume 1: from Amiot to Curtiss. Paris, France: Histoire & Collections, 2004. .
- Brindley, John F. French Fighters of World War Two, Volume One. Windsor, UK; Hylton Lacy Publishers Ltd., 1971. .
- Cristesco, Michel. The M.Bloch 151 & 152 (Aircraft in Profile number 201). Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967.
- Ehrengardt, Christian-Jacques with Michel Cristesco and Raymond Danel. Bloch 152 Spécial. Paris, France: IPMS France, 1968.
- Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume One: Fighters. London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 1960 (10th impression 1972). .
- Jackson, Robert. Fighter! The Story of Air Combat 1936-1945. London, Artur Barker Limited. 1979. .
- Joanne, Serge. Le Bloch MB-152 (Histoire de l'aviation 13) (in French). Outreau, France: LELA Presse, 2003. .
- Joanne, Serge. Marcel Bloch 151/152. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2007. .
- Leyvastre, Pierre and Pierre Courteville. "Bloch's Fighters: the Contentious Combatants". Air International, April 1978, pp. 179–189, 204–205.
- Marchand, Patrick. Bloch 150, 151, 152, 155, 157, 700 C1. Le Muy, France: Les éditions d'Along, 2000. .
- Pelletier, Alain. French Fighters of World War II in Action (Aircraft Number 180). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 2002. .
Further reading
- Demonge, Lucien. "Le Bloch 151/152," Aviation Française Magazine (AFM), 2005, Issue 5 (Aug–Sep), pp. 38–55.
External links
- Bloch MB.151 fighter (1940–1941), greek-war-equipment.blogspot.com, A History of Military Equipment of Modern Greece (1821–present), 2009