Victory
18
Biography
Perhaps the best known French fighter ace beyond -Manche, the enigmatic Pierre Le Gloan had humble origins. Son of peasants, born on January 6, 1913, Le Gloan obtained a state scholarship which allowed him to satisfy his passion for aviation and allowed him to join the Military Aeronautics in December 1931. On August 7, 1932, Corporal Pierre Le Gloan received his pilot's licence. Voluntary to continue to serve, he was assigned to the 6'Il, fighter squadron, in September 1933. Recognized among the best shooters in the group and endowed with the necessary skills to become a training leader, on October 20, 1936 Sgt Le Gloan was qualified patrol leader. He became a career non-commissioned officer in February 1938 and followed his unit to North Africa. When GC 111/6 was formed in Chartres, Sgc Le Gloan was assigned to the 5th squadron. Equipped with MS.406, the unit was transferred to Betz-Bouillancy on September 4, 1939, with the mission of protecting Paris and the lower Seine valley.
On June 10, Mussolini decided to attack France, and three days later WO Le Gloan shot down two Italian BR.20 bombers. Two days later came the episode that made him go down in history as the second World War II pilot to shoot down five planes in the same sortie. With 1 1 confirmed victories, Le Gloan was the first ace in his group.
When the Franco-German Armistice was in effect, Le Gloan and his unit withdrew to North Africa. In May 1941 GC 111/6 was ordered to take part in operations in Syria, under the Vichy administration. During this campaign, the Germans found that they had more important operations to carry out and they left the defense of Lebanon and Syria entirely in the hands of Vichy. In a campaign that lasted just over a month, 2Lt Le Gloan shot down six Hurricanes and one RAF Gladiator, bringing his kill count to 18 confirmed kills and three possible.
Following the landing in North Africa, Vichy forces who remained eventually joined the Allied camp. Le Gloan was one of them and on August 13, 1943, he was given command of the 3rd squadron of his group, called "Roussillon" and equipped with P-39s. On September 11, Le Gloan and Sgt Colcomb took off early in the morning for a coastal patrol mission. During Le Gloan's return to base, the engine abruptly stopped and the ace attempted a forced landing. Unbeknownst to him, the auxiliary tank of Le Gloan's plane did not detach during the drop and the plane disappeared in a tremendous explosion just as it touched down.
