Naval Exercises to Begin in Bay of Biscay
Wednesday, October 30, 1946 - The Russian seaplane carrier
Zenit will join the "Force opérationnelle Atlantique Nord" in the Bay of Biscay for a series of naval training exercises, code-named Exercise Régulus III, beginning this Friday. Exercise Régulus has become a regular part of the Marine Nationale's training routine since the first time it was run in 1944.
Severe Winter Forecast
Friday, November 8, 1946 - Meteorologists in both France and Great Britain have predicted the likelihood of a severe winter.
Rembrance Day
Monday, November 11, 1946 - President Clemenceau and Prime Minister Delattre participated in Remembrance Day events in Paris, attending solemn ceremonies at the Arc d'Triomphe and elsewhere.
Syrian Army's Loyalty Questioned; Riot in Aleppo
Tuesday, November 12, 1946 - Bashir Qabbani, senior commander of Syria's al-Tali'a militia, stated yesterday that he felt many senior members of the Syrian Army were 'politically unreliable' due to their lack of affiliation with the League of Nationalist Action party or their 'incompatible' religious beliefs. Several hours later, troops of the 1st Defense Battalion, garrisoned in Aleppo, demonstrated in front of the local al-Tali'a headquarters following rumors that a popular officer, the battalion's commander, had been dismissed from service. Encouraged by the presence of the soldiers, other anti-government elements joined the demonstration, which soon got out of control, with the soldiers burning a pair of al-Tali'a trucks parked outside the headquarters. al-Tali'a regulars gathered nearby and appeared ready to disperse the crowd using force. However, the battalion's commander arrived and ordered his troops to return to the barracks. The rest of the crowd lost energy with the departure of the regular troops and slowly dispersed over the next few hours.
Voisin et Hennequin Return
Wednesday, November 13, 1946 -
Voisin et Hennequin returns to publication from
Société Parisienne d'Édition with its new second series. In the first issue, ace French Air Force pilots Wenceslas Voisin and Claude Nicolas Hennequin journey to the small Oriental kingdom of Ti'en, accompanying a diplomatic mission which hopes to sell French hydroplanes to the Sultan. They find Ti'en a hotbed of revolutionaries, and the initial aircraft demonstration nearly goes terribly wrong when Voisin and Hennequin are attacked by a rogue Ti'en air force pilot.
What the Bird Has to Say - Le Canard enchaîné
Wednesday, November 20, 1946 -
Editorial. The editors and staff of Le Canard enchaîné cannot help but express their disgust at the results of the corrupt elections held nine days ago in the civil war-torn region of Oubangi-Chari. Scheming by the Orange colonialist enforcers of King Alexander limited the Socialist Action Party to the marginal triumph of only thirteen of the twenty-five seats in the Second College, with nine seats still held tightly by colonialists. But this disappointing result is many leagues ahead of the blatant corruption observed in areas controlled by Mboya's rebel army, where elections were clearly staged despite the presence of South African observers. What, we ask, is the point of Mboya permitting these elections to be held at all? The world wonders.
Paris Air Show Opens at Le Bourget
Friday, November 22, 1946 - The Paris Air Show opened this weekend despite chilly and overcast weather. A number of industry announcements were made on the opening day, with Air France signing a contract with the Russian Antonov firm to acquire thirty-one An-2 light airliners for use in northern and central Africa, in addition to several minor routes in the French Metropole. Marcel Bloch also unveiled a flying prototype of a new turbojet powered airliner, called the MB.164T Boréas, which is expected to enter service with Air France on the route connecting Paris, Berlin, and Petrograd in April. A planned flyover of the prototype was cancelled due to weather conditions.
However, the show was stolen by an aircraft that is not even present, and indeed may not exist at all. The Air Show had barely opened when rumors began spreading about a secret ramjet-powered experimental aircraft of Leduc and Breguet design that had supposedly broken the sound barrier earlier this year. The Breguet-Nord spokesman acknowledged that the company "has been working on a number of high-speed prototypes" but declined to address whether or not a French aircraft had actually achieved this milestone.
With the recent return of the popular comic books
Voisin et Hennequin, one of the most crowded sections of the venue belongs to the French Air Force's display of two vintage Bloch MB.152 fighters, painted in the colors of the fictional "Escadron de Lions" depicted in the series. Also on display was a Nord Pingouin mocked up as the "Golden Chain", the fighter of honourable antagonist Abraham Dirksen.
Indochinese Marine Brigade Receives Colours - Le Courrier du Viet Nam
Tuesday, November 26, 1946 - The three battalions of Indochinese Marines and special riverine troops were officially unified today into the Indochinese Marine Brigade, headquartered in Vung Tau. The new unit assumes the responsibilities of its predecessors for garrisoning Indochina's South China Sea islands and policing the littoral and riverine regions. The creation of the Marine Brigade completes the Indochinese parliament's two-year plan to create an independent standing armed force for regional security. [1] This military force is backed by a smaller group of French Army troops in Indochina - composed of a mix of European, Foreign Legion, and locally-recruited units, the latter of which shall be be completely transferred to Indochinese control by the middle of 1947.
Macadam Opens in Cinemas -
Wednesday, November 27, 1946 - The movie
Macadam (soon to be relieased in English as
Back Streets of Paris) opens today in cinemas.
Russian Battleship Docks in Brest
Friday, November 29, 1946 - The Russian battleship
Rostislav arrived in the port of Brest today, beginning an extended port call. The four
Rostislav-class battleships were constructed in Baltic shipyards, but due to winter conditions,
Rostislav will conduct further sea trials based out of Brest before heading to join the Northern Fleet during the spring. The three remaining ships of the class, still under construction at Petrograd, are expected to arrive in January or February of next year.
Discovery of New Mountain Range Announced - La Provence
Friday, December 6, 1946 - The Antarctic Research Consortium officially announced the discovery of a new mountain range in the French Antarctic Territory. The range, located in the isolated and virtually unexplored region of West Antarctica, is composed of a number of peaks, some of significant height. Discovery of the range was attributed to aerial mapping efforts of the area by ARC aircraft, and a small ground survey team used the early Antarctic spring to gain ground observations. Further inspection of the region is underway.
Stalker Targets French Actress - Paris-Soir (Evening Edition)
Saturday, December 7, 1946 - French cinema starlet Madeleine Neil looked her finest at a gala held last night by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, despite a harrowing journey from her home in Nice. Upon her departure from home, Mle. Neil discovered that an unidentified person had replaced her normal driver. According to Nice police inspector Jean-Charles Blanc, "the intruder displayed a gun and asked awkward questions", but still drove Mle. Neil to the Prince's Palace in Monaco. After dropping her off outside the Palace, the intruder drove away in Mle. Neil's car, which was found abandoned later in the evening on the Avenue Pasteur, just outside the Cimetière de Monaco.
Speaking to the press, Inspector Blanc said that the French and Monagasque police viewed the event as "very serious" and called upon the public to provide any information they might have. No arrests had been made.
Rumors originating from sources close to both Mle. Neil and Prince Rainier indicated that the evening event was intended to announce their engagement. However, no announcement was made at the time.
Syrian Government Legitimizes al-Tali'a
Monday, December 16, 1946 - Syrian President Khalid al-Hafiz signed a law today making the organization al-Tali'a, the paramilitary wing of the League of Nationalist Action party, part of the Ministry of the Interior. As part of the changes, Bashir Qabbani, the commander of al-Tali'a, was named Deputy Minister of the Internal Security. The law sets the manpower of al-Tali'a at eleven thousand uniformed personnel, although only three thousand are full-time.
Dewoitine to Build New Bombers
Thursday, December 19, 1946 - The Dewoitine firm received an order to construct D.832 Mousquetaire four-engine jet bombers. The contract, worth 37 million francs, is Dewoitine's largest in the last five years. The Mousquetaire is intended to begin replacing the aging LeO-451 medium bomber fleet in the Armee de l'Aire's order of battle.
Cergy Railway Conference
Tuesday, December 31, 1946 - At a year-end conference held in Cergy, French railway officials discussed a proposed plan to test and adopt a new high-speed locomotive, the CC 7000, designed by Alsthom. Two 150km/h prototype locomotives shall be delivered to the PLM in the new year for evaluation. The CF de l'Est, meanwhile, urged the universal adoption of flat wagon service for CTCF-3 and CTCF-6 shipping boxes by all UIC carriers in France.
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Notes:
- Note [1]: In early 1945, the Indochinese plan envisioned the creation of an army composed of five regular divisions, one mechanised brigade, one marine brigade, one air-defense brigade, and one airborne brigade by December 1946. At the present time, the airborne brigade has yet to be created.