Α forgotten warrior from " nobody's air force " (1) : Potez 25 TOE in HAF/RHAF ( 1931-1941 )

By Christos Voulgaris
     The Potez 25 TOE was a version of  French Potez 25  which was  meant  (partly) for export .This version was designed for use in difficult conditions and for that reason it had reinforced lubrication and cooling system for the power plant and an extra fuel tank installed in the fuselage which increased its range quite considerably (2)
     Around 300 items were sold in various countries among them Greece which brought 24 in 1931 for her just created HAF ( Hellenic Air Force which was renamed in RHAF Royal Helenic Air Force after the 1935 restoration of monarchy ) (3) On the eve of Greek Italian War in October 1940 either 17 ( 4) or 15 ( 5 ) were serviceable in the 4th Militairy Cooperation Squadron for reconnaissance missions. (6) based on Amygdaleonas in Western Greek Macedonia (7)

      These aircraft were numbered to Σ1-Σ24  (From the initial of Συνεργασία = Cooperation)
Before the war ( photos 1-3 from S. Constantidis   ) they were pained dark green except from the metal and wooden parts which were left In their natural colours and wore the national roudel in their wings  (8) .
     Post 28 October 1940 ( photo 4 by Jean Louis Roba) the national roudel moved to the main body of the aircraft and the aircraft were pained in green brown  camouflage ( upper side) and blue ( down side  ) (9) .They performed credibly but they were past their prime .(10)  Some of them may were captured by the Germans as the  Σ4 ( in  photo n. 4 ) but they were deemed useless and were scrapped (11)
Notes
(1) FO 371/ 22356/ 19 memo by H.A. Packet 5, October 1938 ( Comment of a Senior Hellenic Royal Navy Officer ) quoted in Robin Higham & ThanosVeremis (eds) , The Metaxas Dictaroship Aspects of Greece 1936 -1940,  ELIAMEP Pulising , Greece , (1993) p. 33
(2) D. Brefffort & A. Jouineau , French aircraft from 1939-1842 , Histoire & Collections , France , (2005), Vol.2.,  p.60.
(3) S. Constantidis Ελληνικά Αεροσκάφη Δεύτερου Παγκόσμιου Πολέμου Aviation Publications , Greece (2007) , p.69
(4) ibid , p.69
(5) John Carr,  On Spartan Wings, Pen & Sword Militairy, Great Britain, (2012) p. 17
(6) S. Constantidis, p.69.
(7) Harlton Harouchis ( Sq. L., HAF), H. The Hellenic Air Force  during the 1940-41 War , A.Line Defence publishing , (2007) p. 58. ( in Greek)
8.S. Constantidis, p. 69
9. Ibid , p.69
10. John Carr, p.22
11. Jean Louis Roba , Foreign planes in the service of the Luftwaffe, Pen & Sword, (2009) UK p. 93