No News of Captured Transport - Agence Havas, Sunday, September 30, 1945
Paris. Despite urgent inquiries by the French government and condemnations by other regional powers, Beijing has still failed to make an official response about the Normandie transport forced down by Chinese fighters. Prime Minister Monnerville, in an early-morning statement to the press, said that "the French government expects a prompt response".
Beijing: Transport Invaded Chinese Airspace - Gia Dinh Bao Morning Edition, Monday, October 1, 1945
After several days of silence, Beijing responded to demands from the French and Indochinese governments regarding the interception of the GDAI Normandie transport flying from Da Nang to Vladivostok. Beijing claims the aircraft overflew the garrison island of Lan Yu, violating Chinese airspace, whereupon it was intercepted by air defense fighters from the mainland. According to Beijing, "interviews with the aircraft's crew indicate the aircraft was engaged in notorious and flagrantly suspicious activities, and further investigations must be carried out before any discussion of releasing the aircraft and crew can occur."
Governor-General Truong Van Bao, speaking in Hanoi early this morning, rejected the Chinese assertion that the aircraft was engaged in espionage. "The aircraft was engaged in a routine long-distance flight training mission."
Paris Demands Release of Plane, Crew - Paris-Soir, Late Monday, October 1, 1945
In a statement transmitted live on Radio Francaise, President Theisman demanded the immediate release of the captured Normandie transport and its crew, telling Beijing "further delays may irreparably damage relations between the two countries."
Russian Aircraft Passenger Released by China - Izvestia, Tuesday, October 2nd, 1945
The Chinese military released naval lieutenant Vladimir Petrov to the Russian embassy in Beijing today. Petrov was a passenger on the Normandie transport forced down in Formosa by Chinese fighters last week, after he had arranged a flight to Vladivostok for two weeks of paternity leave. Lieutenant Petrov was interviewed by the Russian and French ambassadors in Beijing prior to being flown to Vladivostok to join his wife.
Beijing made no official comment on the release of Lieutenant Petrov.
Released Passenger: Chinese Fighters Attacked Without Warning - Agence Havas, Wednesday, October 3, 1945
VLADIVOSTOK - Russian naval lieutenant Vladimir Petrov, released by China yesterday, declined to make any press appearances, but the Russian Foreign Ministry released a summary of his debriefing interview. According to Lieutenant Petrov's account, the French Normandie transport was well off the Formosa coast when Chinese fighters opened fire on it with cannon and machine guns. Colonel Canrobert, the senior French officer aboard, and Captain Nguyen Loc, the Indochinese aircraft commander, were both injured by shell splinters, although Captain Loc remained at the controls of the aircraft. One of the aircraft's four engines also caught fire, but the extinguishers successfully put out the flames. The damaged aircraft was then instructed by radio to follow the Chinese fighters to their airfield, and Captain Loc was forced to comply.
Lieutenant Petrov testified that he was separated from the other passengers and crew after landing, and had not seen them; however he had been secured in a cell block and heard two of the other passengers conversing in French, which Lieutenant Petrov cannot speak fluently. According to Petrov's testimony, he was later flown to the mainland, where a Chinese intelligence officer informed him "We are very sorry you took the wrong airplane; do not ever return to China," and allowed to walk into the Russian embassy in Beijing.
Mob in Hanoi Threatens Embassy - Gia Dinh Bao, Thursday, October 4, 1945
Police were called to the Chinese embassy in Hanoi to repress civil disturbance after a disorderly mob started to form outside the walls. Although the presence of police prevented any incidents here, ethnic Chinese living in Hanoi have reported a surge of harassment and intimidation in the last few days, with stones being thrown through shop windows, and boycotts of Chinese-owned businesses ongoing. Senior officials in the autonomous government and the gendarmerie stated that "disorderly conduct shall neither be permitted nor excused and shall be prosecuted with strongly vigorous righteousness."
Beijing: Crew of Transport Shall be Released - Agence Havas, Friday, October 5, 1945
A week after Chinese fighters forced down a French-owned Normandie military transport, Beijing declared that it would release the crew and passengers "sometime soon".
Government Source: Indochinese Pilot was "Murdered" - Gia Dinh Bao, Saturday, October 6, 1945
Information leaked by confidential sources in Hanoi indicates that Capitaine Nguyen Loc, commander of the Normandie transport aircraft forced down in Formosa last week, may have been murdered while in Chinese custody. Senior government officials became suspicious about Capitaine Loc's status after receiving the transcripts of released Russian passenger Petrov's debriefing several days ago.
Normandie Crew Released by China - Paris-Soir, Late Saturday, October 6, 1945
After nearly eight days of political tensions, the Chinese military released ten of the eleven passengers and crew from the captured Normandie transport, turning them over to the French consulate at Taipei. The eleventh crewman, not released by China, was aircraft commander Capitaine Loc. Rumors circulating in Hanoi claim that Capitaine Loc was murdered while in Chinese custody, a revelation that has stirred massive outrage amongst the Viet population of Autonomous Indochina.
French Colonel Canrobert, the senior French officer and flying instructor aboard the aircraft, was wounded by splinters from cannon shells when the aircraft was forced down, but is expected to recover fully. The other passengers and crew were reported to be in good health following their release.
Aircraft Pilot Pronounced Dead - Agence Havas, Monday, October 8, 1945
As a team of twelve civilian technicians from Breguet-Nord arrived in Taipei today by civilian airliner to repair and retrieve the seized Normandie transport, the Chinese government declared that the aircraft's pilot, Capitaine Nguyen Loc, had 'committed suicide' while in their custody. According to Chinese sources, Capitaine Loc had secreted a cyanide capsule on himself and taken it to avoid interrogation about his spying flight.
The French government preempted the announcement, with Foreign Minister Ducharme declaring that Capitaine Loc had died 'due to medical complications from the over-administration of interrogation drugs.' The plane's crew and passengers have confirmed, in their initial statements given to the press, that they were interrogated, at times somewhat severely, by Chinese military investigators who wanted to prove that the aircraft was engaged in illegal overflights of Chinese territory.
Beijing's admission that Capitaine Nguyen Loc died while in their custody was met with widespread outrage in Loc's hometown of Hanoi.
China Admits Loc's Murder! - Gia Dinh Bao, Monday, October 8, 1945
China confirmed late last night that it had murdered the valiant commanding officer of the Normandie transport aircraft nefariously seized by their armed forces ten days ago. The Chinese villains, in a brazen attempt to cover their guilt, declared that Captain Nguyen Loc, a native son of Hanoi, committed suicide during interrogation. Governor-General Truong Van Bao decried China's murder of our heroic officer, and declared that he would receive a state funeral, and his wife would be provided with a widow's pension.
The Governor-General expressed his skepticism at the official statement originating from Paris, which attributed Captain Loc's death to bungling by Chinese interrogators.
Dairy Food Manufacturer Expands Operations - Le Matin, Tuesday, October 9, 1945
Groupe Danone announced today that it had received an investment loan from Bolloré to expand its foreign holdings. The Group plans to acquire and modernize a defunct dairy plant in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, as well as constructing a major new plant in Saratov.
What the Bird Has to Say - Le Canard enchaîné, Wednesday, October 10, 1945
Editorial: "One of the foremost questions in the minds of our staff is what the effect of the aircraft's seizure - and Capitaine Loc's unfortunate demise - will be on the upcoming Indochinese plebiscite. The sheer outrage expressed in Hanoi and elsewhere in northern Vietnam bodes ill for the hopes of the pro-independence party, which has clung to the Satsuma-era talking points of freedom for the oppressed people of Asia."
Body of Pilot Returned to Indochina - Gia Dinh Bao, Thursday, October 11, 1945
Chinese military officials surrendered the body of Indochinese officer Nguyen Loc, who was brutally murdered while in Chinese military custody. Despite assertions from Paris that Capitaine Loc's death was the result of an incompetent Chinese interrogation attempt, many critical questions remain to be answered before Hanoi so lightly dismisses this latest act of Chinese perfidy.
Destroyer L'Implacable Completed - La Provence, Monday, October 15, 1945
DCNS turned over the new fleet destroyer L'Implacable to the Marine Nationnale today in a ceremony held at the shipyards in La Rochelle. The destroyer, twelfth of the Forbin class, will undertake six months of trials and maneuvers in the Atlantic and Mediterranean before joining Force RI in Dakar next year.
Dassault Receives Contract for Jet Fighters - Paris-Soir, Tuesday, October 16, 1945
The Dassault firm received an official purchase order for an unspecified quantity of its proposed "Ouragan" jet fighters, scheduled to begin delivery sometime next year.
CNIT Construction Finishes in La Défense - Wednesday, October 17, 1945
The Centre des nouvelles industries et technologies, a new convention center in the La Défense district of Paris, formally completed today. The structure will serve as one of the centerpieces of the La Défense district, currently undergoing a major construction boom.
Funeral Draws 170,000 Mourners - L'Union, Friday, October 19, 1945
The funeral of Capitaine Nguyen Loc was held today in the pilot's hometown of Hanoi. Six hundred individuals, including Capitiane Loc's family, military comrades, and select government officials were present at the funeral itself, although a hundred and seventy thousand gathered in the main streets of Hanoi to render respects as the caisson passed. Spectators described the city's mood as "sullen and angry", but the city's gendarmes patrolled in great force to prevent any outbreaks of violence.
Despite assertions by some pro-independence parties, leading Indochinese politician Doan Trung Khanh, a pro-independence member of the Autonomous Region Council (soon to reform into the Indochinese Parliament), publicly stated his belief that the incident with China as well as Capitaine Loc's death, has not particularly affected his party's chances in the Plebiscite, scheduled to begin on Sunday. Representative Khanh commented upon the fiercely nationalistic tone of the mourners in the street as indicative of the mood of the people.
Indochina Goes to Polls - Agence Havas, Sunday, October 21, 1945
Stations opened at 10:00 AM in Indochina as the autonomous region heads to the polls to voice the people's will on the issue of independence. According to election officials, approximately nineteen million voters are expected to take part in the elections, representing seventy percent of the Indochinese population.
Polls Open For Second Day, Hanoi Says - Le Figaro, Monday, October 22, 1945
Late Sunday night, with massive crowds still waiting to vote at the time the polls were scheduled to close, government officials in Hanoi decreed that the polls would stay open a second day in order to accomodate the lines. Election officials speculated that the votes may take up to one week to fully tally, and no results would be announced until the commission was satisfied that it could declare a definitive result.
Paris Comments on Ubangi-Shari Mutiny - La Croix, Monday, October 22, 1945
At a breakfast hosted for press members, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ducharme spoke at some length this morning regarding the developing situation in Ubangi-Shari, where a number of natively-recruited security battalions have apparently mutinied and declared an independent state. According to Ducharme "the situation is still unclear", but "represents a large-scale disturbance against the legitimate civil authority". Ducharme noted that the conflict appears to be inspired less on the principle of native self-determination and instead attributable to a "cult of personality" loyal to a senior Ubangi-Shari officer, the new self-declared "president". The French Republic expressed its support for local and Dutch authorities in suppressing the mutinies.
A number of press commentators have expressed concern regarding the security of French holdings in Africa, but Minister Ducharme stated that the government views this threat as 'low', particularly following the steps the French government took for increased security after the Rif-Atlas Revolt in Maroc eight years ago.
Minister Ducharme also spoke about the reported marginalization of Maronite Christians in Syria, attempts to improve relations with Brazil and the rest of South America, and the German economic infiltration of Central European states.
Armoured Museum at Saumer Expands - Le Figaro, Wednesday, October 24, 1945
The Armoured Cavalry Branch's museum at Saumer, noteworthy as one of the world's preminent collections of tanks and other armoured vehicles, announced today that they had secured an agreement to purchase and restore a number of historic South African and Argentine armoured vehicles. These vehicles will serve as a centerpiece of a display covering armoured warfare during the South American War ten years ago. Saumer's representatives indicated the new display area would likely open during the Carrousel next July.
Vote Counting Nearly Complete, Results Soon - Gia Dinh Bao, Friday October 26, 1945
The Indochina Plebiscite Commission announced that tallying of the votes would likely be finished this evening, with a certified result to be announced within the next few days. According to plebiscite officials, some delays occurred due to communication issues with remote and rural voting districts, particularly in the Laotian and Cambodian districts. According to rumors, pro-independence voters made a very strong showing in Cambodia.
Indochina Remains in French Union, Cambodia Declares Independence - Agence Havas, Saturday, October 27, 1945
According to results released early this morning by the Indochina Plebiscite Commission, the three Viet regions (Tonkin, Cochinchina, and Annam) as well as Laos have voted to form the Special Overseas Collectivity of Indochina, while Cambodia voted to break away from the French Union and declare their own independent state.
Pro-independence groups, particularly Viet communists in Tonkin, were discouraged by the weak showing their cause made in the polls, and many blamed tensions with neighboring China for increasing anxiety in the weeks immediately preceding the Plebiscite. A number blamed Governor-General Truong Van Bao, the chief of the pro-independence Viet Tan party, for not campaigning strongly enough on his party's behalf. Conversely, pro-independence parties in Laos noted that the vote in their region was extremely close (with barely two hundred thousand popular votes difference), and indicated that they would seek independence via special referendum in the next few years.
Meanwhile, Cambodia voted strongly in favor of independence. According to plans worked out prior to the Plebiscite, Cambodia will become a monarchy, achieving their final independence sometime within the next year. The intervening months shall be spent preparing for elections to seat a government, as well as setting up the necessary organs of an independent state. Until that time, Cambodia shall remain as a special protectorate of the French Union.
Cambodia to Form Parliament - Agence Havas, Monday, November 5, 1945
The Kingdom of Cambodia, scheduled to achieve independence in February of next year, will have elections on December 30th to elect the representatives for their first parliament. According to the plan, roughly half of the positions in the Chamber of Representatives, will be of two years duration, while the other half will be four years in duration; once the initial term is up, all terms will thereafter be four years long. The new Cambodian parliament will be seated for the first time on Independence Day, February 1st, and will vote to approve the proposed Cambodian constitution.
Government Admits Assistance to Dutch in Central Africa - Le Matin, Tuesday, November 6, 1945
In a press conference today at Palais d'Elysee, Foreign Minister Ducharme confirmed that the French government is providing assistance to Dutch forces trying to put down the uprising in Ubangi-Shari. Ducharme revealed that fifty-six Normandie transports of GAT II/67, based in Saint-Christol, have been engaged in transporting Dutch troops and supplies to central Africa, by means of airfields at Algiers and Niamey. According to the minister's brief, the assistance with airlift is provided to help restore a semblance of civil order to the troubled region, and the French government would evaluate in three months whether or not to extend the loan of aircraft. "French military personnel," Ducharme stated, "should not be actively engaged against coup combatants, but have nevertheless been authorized to defend themselves in the zone of operations using appropriate force." Assistance of other types, including an offer to train a cadre of Dutch parachute troops, has also been made available.
Ducharme additionally conversed at some length on security measures within French Africa, noting that despite many worries, the Ubangi-Shari Mutiny had not sparked any general anti-colonial uprising. The military did note a slight upswing in banditry activity in the Inner Niger Delta, where troops from the French Foreign Legion, operating as Groupement Scipion, are engaged with Islamicist river pirates.
Solemn Armistice Day Ceremonies - Sunday, November 11, 1945
Despite a cold front that brought freezing rain, sleet, and light snow across northern France, President Theisman and other senior French officials attended various Armistice Day ceremonies across the nation.
Ninth Issue of Voisin et Hennequin Released - L'Union, Tuesday, November 13, 1945
The ninth and final issue of popular comic Voisin et Hennequin, following two French ace aviators during a native revolt in the fictional colony of Côte Rocheuse, arrived in stores today. In this issue, the two pilots manage to rescue Voisin's girlfriend Joséphine, held as a prisoner at the mercenary airbase. While escaping, the two pilots run afoul of the chief mercenary fighter pilot, Colonel Abraham Dirksen, and their own treacherous senior officer, Capitaine Demange. In a final dogfight, Voisin shoots down Demange, while Hennequin rams Dirksen's plane to prevent him from shooting down his friend. Both Hennequin and Dirksen bail out in the desert and meet under the shade of a large rock, where they agree on a truce and share their last bit of water to survive the day before they are rescued by the Foreign Legion's camel troops.
This ninth issue ends the comic's Côte Rocheuse arc. The comic's creators have announced that an omnibus edition with all nine episodes will be published next year, and a new story arc will start reaching shelves soon afterward.
Destroyer Tartu Launched by DCNS La Rochelle - Monday, November 19, 1945
In La Rochelle, the DCNS shipyard launched the sixteenth Forbin-class destroyer, christened Tartu.
Balochistan Rocked by Earthquake - Paris-Soir, Thursday, November 29, 1945
A major earthquake rocked Balochistan yesterday and reportedly caused major damage in Mumbai and other regions of Bharat. The French government extended its condolences to the Indian poeple and indicated emergency supplies would be sent by air and sea to assist the recovery. The French frigate Sans Reproche and submarine tender Jules Verne were dispatched to the northeast Arabian Sea to help provide medical assistance as well as search and rescue.
Ramjet Test Goes Awry? - Science et Vie, Monday, December 3, 1945
According to aviation observers, the loss of a radio-controlled bomber belonging to the French Air Force may not have been the accident it first seemed. The aircraft, a retired Bloch MB.174 medium bomber, crashed on November 16th after the aircraft was struck by an unmanned Lioré et Olivier LeO-621 ramjet testbed. However, aviation observers believe the event was not an accident. The bomber lost in the event was designated by the Armee de l'Aire as a 'radio-controlled target aircraft' and was unmanned, being flown remotely by a mothership. The LeO-621 ramjet, on the other hand, is a variant of an earlier unmanned drone. This small drone is launched from the ground using a quartet of strap-on rockets, which boost the drone up to speed in order to start the main ramjet engine, which then propels the drone to a maximum altitude of six thousand meters. According to certain confidential sources, the LeO-621 is speculated to be the first French prototype of a guided aircraft interception missile, similar to those rumoured to be in service or development elsewhere in the world.
Indochina Expands Air, Ground Forces - Le Spectateur Militaire Weekly, Monday, December 10, 1945
The Indochinese Parliament voted 67-8 to approve and fund the Fourth Year Militarization Defense Proposal. This programme comprehensively addresses both the continuing evolution of the Indochinese armed forces, as well as the preparations for Cambodian independence.
Among the most immediately noted changes heralded by the bill's passage is the renaming of the Territorial Security Forces, the main ground forces branch, to become the Army of the Autonomous Republic of Indochina (ARI). As part of the transition from the Territorial Security Forces to the ARI, Indochina shall assume control of the third and final of the French Army's Colonial Infantry Divisions. A series of expansions, proposed and implemented in stages over the last two years, were similarly affirmed, setting the peacetime manpower of the ARI at 105,000 men.
Similarly, the Indochinese Air Defense Group will be substantially strengthened by the passage of the bill, effectively doubling in manpower over the coming year. The GDAI's anti-aircraft troops will be substantially increased from four battalions to nine, while the number of interceptor squadrons shall rise from four squadrons to two Groupes de Chasse. However, overall command of air forces in the Indochina region will still rest in the hands of the Armee de l'Aire, which still deploys over five times as many aircraft in the zone as the GDAI. This is due to the continuing weakness in recruiting, training, and retaining educated and skilled pilots from within Indochina itself.
Saint Louis Launches in La Rochelle - Friday, December 21, 1945
The new heavy cruiser Saint Louis was launched today in La Rochelle. This new cruiser, armed with nine 20cm main guns, should complete sometime in 1946.
Parliament Elections in Cambodia - Gia Dinh Bao, Sunday, December 30, 1945
Cambodians voted on candidates to fill the sixty seats in the planned parliament, expected to sit for the first time on February 1st of 1946. The election proceded without a hitch in most major cities, but suffered at least two major setbacks. In a number of rural sectors, sufficient ballots were not distributed to the polling centres. In at least three regions, a large number of voters were turned away from the polls since they only had identification papers from the Autonomous State of Indochina, rather than the newly-released identification papers with 'Kingdom of Cambodia' stamps. Election officials had previously declared the older Autonomous Indochina ID would be sufficient for voter identification, but it seems this decision was not communicated to all polling stations. The election officials indicated they may throw out the results in those three regions and hold another election in two weeks in order to rectify the situation.
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