FRENCH CIGOGNES FIGHTER SQN UNVEILS A SPECIAL MIRAGE 2000

The special livery was painted to commemorate the centenary of the disappearance of the French hero Georges Guynemer.

French CG 1/2 Cigognes special livery Mirage 2000

On May 19 the French Groupe de Chasse 1/2 Cigognes, based at Dijon-Longvic AFB (BA102), unveiled a special painted Mirage 2000 to celebrate the centenary of the disappearance of Georges Guynemer, one of the most glorious aces of French hunting.

Georges Guynemer was a top fighter ace for France with 54 victories during World War I, and a French national hero at the time of his death. Guynemer failed to return from a combat mission on 11 September 1917. He took off aboard of his Spad XIII with rookie pilot Jean Bozon-Verduraz to patrol the Langemark area. During the mission, near Poelkapelle, Guynemer sighted a lone Rumpler, a German observation plane, and dove toward it. Bozon-Verduraz saw several Fokkers above him, and by the time he had shaken them off, his leader was nowhere in sight, so he returned alone. Guynemer never came back.

Captain Georges Guynemer was confirmed missing in action by his squadron commander Major Brocard; it was officially announced in Paris by the French War Department on 25 September 1917.

Written by Matteo Sanzani