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The Storks
Story of France's Elite Fighter Groupe de Combat 12 (Les Cigognes) in WW1
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 | by Norman Franks & Frank Bailey, Grub Street, hardback, 160pp ISBN 1 898697 81 7
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| Reviewed by Paul Monteagle in Vol 29 No 4, Winter 1998
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Long overdue, this is the first detailed history
of GC12 in English and has been eagerly awaited by many. Born out of the horrendous battle
of Verdun in 1916, the Storks became France's premier fighting group in WW1. Comprising
Escadrilles N3, N26, N73 and N103, GC12 counted amongst its fighter pilots most of the big
names France would field, such as Guynemer, Fonck, Heurtaux, Deullin, not forgetting the
American Lafayette volunteers, notably Baylies, Parsons, Hall and Biddle. By the cessation
of hostilities the group had amassed 291 confirmed victories for the loss of 67 pilots.
It is always difficult to be certain of the accuracy of the facts as presented in a volume
such as this unless one has developed a specific interest or need. The well known facts
equate but even one of my favourite books, Warriors with Wings by E. Jablonski, the story
of the Lafayette Escadrille is thin on facts to cross reference.
That this book is complete, readable, well engineered and well produced goes without
saying, (and Grub Street are producing some fine works), but this is a wide and far
reaching subject and until I hear otherwise, for me this is the best reference to date of
the men and their actions of Les Cigognes, the Storks. |
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