Escadrille
Normandie-Niemen
In December, 1941, with
the Germans before Moscow, DeGaulle decided to help Stalin by sending him
some fighter pilots. From the original 12 volunteers, the Escadrille
Normandie was established. DeGaulle's motives are a bit unclear, but
it was probably seen as a blow to his true enemies: the British and
Americans and all the French who didn't like him. Never the less,
the Escadrille ended the war with 273 confirmed victories. They were
allowed by Comrade Stalin to return to France in 1945, along with their
Yak-3's. The first and last material aid the West ever received from
their Russian Allies.
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