- Yes
- No
- Early Version with 4x 15 mm rear turret
- Second Version with 2x20 mm rear turret
- Late Version with one top turret removed
- All versions
- I am not interested in this plane
- Early Version with 4x 15 mm rear turret
- Rank II
- Rank III
- Rank IV
- I am not interested in this plane
Hello Everyone, today I present to you an obscure attempt on the part of the French to transform an airliner into a submarine hunter and at the same time a plane that could do good for the French bomber branch: the Breguet 764 ASM.
Edit: This is a copy of my previous suggestion on the old forum
Part I : "Le Breguet deux ponts "
Résumé
We cannot talk about the Breguet 764 ASM without mentioning the civil aircraft which served as its base, the Breguet 761.
This plane is more commonly named as Breguet Deux-Ponts (two decks in english).
It’s the first plane of passenger transport equipped with two floors in France
The Breguet 761 plane , first plane of Deux-pont series to fly, is derived of Breguet 760, a project of 1938 which was suppressed due to the defeat of 1940.
The Breguet 761 made its first flight on February 15, 1949.
The aircraft built in 20 copies, served both to transport passengers and equipment and was used by civilians as well as the military.
The plane was put into service in 1953, it made its last flight in 1972. In total, there are 4 versions derived from the Breguet 761. Among them, the least known and the one that interests us, the Breguet 764 ASM
Part II History
Résumé
The origin of the project was a call for tenders from the navy, which wanted to have an ASM ( ASM is for Anti Sous-Marin :Anti-Submarine in english) aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Sunderland and Wellington. The request made at the end of the 1940s imposed the following specifications: the aircraft had to be able to carry 5 tons of bombs, have a 24-hour autonomy and good defensive armament.
If successful, an order of 16 at 32 devices would have been ordered.
Ateliers Louis Breguet seized the opportunity and transformed the first prototype of the Breguet 761 (registered F WFAM) into what would become the Breguet 764 ASM. The prototype will be bristling with 3 models of towers with defensive weapons, radomes and antennas.The least we can say is that the specifications were respected.
The Breguet 761 before this transformation. Note that its tail has not yet received the central fixed fin.
The colors of the Breguet 761 F WFAM. And yes it is with these colors that it was presented to the military.
The plane had to fly at low altitude in order to detect and attack submarines more easily The large amount of space available and the ability to accommodate equipment on two decks proved useful for a potential anti-submarine aircraft: The upper deck was to accommodate the crew while most submarine detection equipment and strike weapons would be placed on the lower deck.
Breguet 764 after modification, if the colors remain the same note the presence of a turret on the plane ,radome under the plane and a fixed central fin on the tail
The aircraft can additionally carry self-propelled torpedoes and two remote-controlled devices.
I did not find any indication on the remote-controlled devices, however if we look at the list of devices designed at the same time, we have two potential candidates, the SE 1500 and especially the Breguet 910 which was produced by the same producer.
SNCASE SE.1500 Series, the early air-to-ground missile
Breguet 910, the flying bomb with concrete wings
Then, the plane had to be equipped under its belly with a radar comparable to that of the Lockheed Neptune: a Thomson “marine radioscope” or, failing that, American APS equipment.
In parallel, a project to add a MAD magnetic detector was dismissed.
Concerning the external armament, the armament was devoid of offensive gun but 90 and 127 mm rockets were to be able to be launched from points of attachment under the wings or from a retractable rocket basket in the bomb bay.
The Bomb bay of Breguet F WFAM
As for the defensive armament, it is the one for which we have the most information, the top of the plane was protected by two twin-tube turrets containing 20 mm HS404 or HS422 guns.
Finally for the tail turret it’s more complicate :
First a remotely controlled turret with 4 15 mm guns ( MG 151/15 or HS 421) was instaled.
Then she was finnaly replaced by a classic bitube turet with 2 guns of 20 mm HS.
More later, one of two top turret was removed.
The project initially received a favorable opinion and the Breguets workshops are even considering producing a seaplane version derived from their device.
Unfortunately all these projects were rejected due to their cost.
Indeed, at the same time it was much less expensive to “Frenchify” the cockpits of the Avros Martins bought in England rather than to create new planes. In addition, France received at the same time several Lockheed Neptunes offered free of charge as part of the American aid from the Marshall Plan. There was therefore no longer any question of ordering new planes.
Finally, the preprototype was disarmed and ended his career abandoned on the edge of a land in Villacoublay
Part III Characteristics
Résumé
Type: Breguet 764 ASM
Purpose: anti-submarine aircraft
Status: project
Crew: 15 people
Powerplant: Four Pratt & Whitney R 2800 CA-18 (or CB-17) engines with 2400 hp takeoff power. each
Dimensions:
wingspan 42.96 m
length 28.94 m
height 10.23 m
wing area 185.4 m²
Radar
Thomson “marine radioscope” : (the same on the Lokheed Neptune)
Or
American APS equipment (Probably APS 15).
Offensive armement
On the wings :
Several attachment points for 90 and 127 mm rockets
Internal load :
50 sound buoys + about twenty anti-submarine markers + 12 ASM grenades
Or 2 or 4 self-steering torpedoes (unknow model)
Or 2 remote-controlled devices (probably Breguet 910 or 2 SNCASE 1500)
Defensive armement
Early version :
Dorsal turrets : 4 x 20mm HS 404 or HS 422 cannons (2 x 2)
Tail turret : 4 x 15mm MG 151/15 or HS 421 machineguns
Second version :
Dorsal turrets : 4 x 20mm HS 404 or HS 422 cannons (2 x 2)
Tail turret :2 x 20mm HS 404 or HS 422 cannons
Last Version
Dorsal turrets :2 x 20mm HS 404 or HS 422 cannons
Tail turret :2 x 20mm HS 404 or HS 422 cannons
In this photo, note the presence of the rear turret
Finally, why add this plane to the game?
Résumé
-100% French plane
-Excellent defensive armament superior to anything that the French bombers currently in play (with the possible exception of the PB4-Y2) have offered.
—Possibility to scout and destroy future submarines.
—Varied armament with remote-controlled gliding bombs
—5 ton load
— For the pleasure of destroying enemies with an airliner
— Three planes for the price of one with the change or removal of a turret
—To drop amx EBR. No, I’m kidding, although… the Breguet 761 which served as the basis for the Breguet 764 ASM was theoretically capable of carrying one in the hold
—For fun of course
Bibliography
Résumé
For my main source, I used the book “Les avions Louis Breguet (1940/1970)” by Jean Cuny and Pierre Levaistre pages 71 to 75.
Then I used “Le Fana de l’Aviation” number 471 pages 74 & 75 Editions Lariviere
“Air Pictoral and air magazine” april 1956 page 137
Aviation magazine / président-directeur général P. Laureys | 1950-07-15 | Gallica
Aviation magazine / président-directeur général P. Laureys | 1950-07-01 | Gallica