Fighter Squadron 3/11 Corsica
Escadron de Chasse 3/11 Corse
Squadron insgnia
Active	August 1933 - present
Country	France
Branch	Armée de l'air et de l'espace
Type	Fighter aircraft
Role	Air Defense
Part of	Air Forces Command
Garrison/HQ	BA 188 Djibouti (Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport)
Engagements	World War II Indochina War Suez Crisis Algerian War Western Sahara War Gulf War Bosnian War
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Dassault Mirage 2000-5F and Mirage 2000D

Escadron de Chasse (Fighter Squadron) 3/11 Corse is a French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) fighter squadron currently stationed at BA 188 Djibouti Air Base (ICAO: HDAM).^[1]

The squadron is composed of three historic escadrilles (Flights), C46, SPA 69, and SPA 88, dating back decades and with many historical traditions.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Groupe de Chasse I/3 (GC I/3) was equipped with the Morane-Saulnier MS.406. After seeing combat during the Phoney War, GC I/3 relocated to southern France. While at Cannes-Mandelieu, the unit converted to the new Dewoitine D.520 fighter. When the Battle of France began in May 1940, it was the only unit to be operationally ready with the D.520, which it first took to battle on May 12 after hastily relocating to Wez-Thuisy. In late June 1940, as the collapse of the French armies was inevitable, GC I/3 crossed the Mediterranean to escape capture. Here it went under control of the Vichy government. After three of its pilots, including ace Marcel Albert, had defected to Gibraltar to join the Free French, the Germans requested GC I/3 to be disbanded. However, the unit was simply renamed GC III/3, using the designation of a squadron that had been disbanded the previous year. Under this guise, the unit briefly faced the Allies during Operation Torch.

After French forces in North Africa had sided with the Allies, the unit was re-christened GC 1/3 Corse and was re-equipped with Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

It then operated under the Royal Air Force, which referred to it as No. 327 (French) Squadron. No. 327 Squadron was active from 1 December 1943 until November 1945.

The Corse have 2 "historical" escadrille since his creation in 1933 :

• 1st Escadrille : SPA 88 'Serpent' (Snake)
• 2nd Escadrille : SPA 69 'Chat' (Cat)

2 escadrilles were also added at several moments of his history :

• Escadrille C 46 from January 1943 to July 1943
• Escadrille GC III/6 (5) from August 1994 to June 1997 (who came from the Escadron de Chasse 1/11 Roussillion)

• Groupe de Chasse (GC) I/3 (1933 - 1941)
• Squadron 327 (1943 - 1945)*
• Groupe de Chasse I/3 Corse (January 1943 - November 1943/ 1945 - 1949)
• Groupe de Chasse I/6 Corse (1949 - 1952)
• Escadron de Chasse (EC) 1/1 Corse (1952 - 1966)
• Escadron de Chasse 3/11 Corse (1966 - 1997/ 2008 - ...)

* In RAF Service

• 1ère Escadre de Chasse (1943 - 1945/ 1952 - 1966)
• 50ème Escadre de Chasse (1945 - 1946)
• 6ème Escadre de Chasse (1946 - 1949)
• 11ème Escadre de Chasse (1966 - 1994)

• Nieuport 62 (1930 - 1936)
• Dewoitine D.500 (1936 - 1939) / Dewoitine D.501 (1937 - 1939)
• Morane-Saulnier MS.406 (1939 - 1940)
• Dewoitine D.520 (1940 - 1941)
• Supermarine Spitfire (1943 - 1945)
• De Havilland Mosquito (1945 - 1952)
• Grumman F6F Hellcat (1949 - 1952)
• Republic F-84 Thunderjet (1952 - 1956) / F-84F Thunderstreak (1956 - 1966)
• North American F-100 Super Sabre (1966 - 1975)
• SEPECAT Jaguar (1975 - 1997)
• Dassault Mirage 2000C (2008 - 2011)
• Dassault Mirage 2000D (2008 - 2016/ 2025 - ...)
• Dassault Mirage 2000-5F (2011 - ...)

• List of French Air and Space Force aircraft squadrons

• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Lavergne, Pierre & Regazzoni, Herminio (July 1999). "Courrier des Lecteurs" [Readers' Letters]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (76): 13–15. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Fighters Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers)Ltd., 1969 (New revised edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
• Soumille, Jean-Claude (February 1999). "Historique du "Corse": I) Les escadrilles Spa 69 et Spa 88 en 1914/1918" [History of "Corse": The Squadrons Spa 69 and Spa 88 in 1914–1918]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (71): 48–55. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Soumille, Jean-Claude (March 1999). "Historique du "Corse": II) Le GC I/3 pendant la Second Guerre Mondiale" [History of "Corse": GC I/3 During the Second World War]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (72): 13–19. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Soumille, Jean-Claude (April 1999). "Historique du "Corse" (III) Mosquito en Indochine" [History of "Corse": Mosquitos in Indochina]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (73): 12–18. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Soumille, Jean-Claude (May 1999). "Historique du "Corse" (fin) Spitfire, Hellcat et Bearcat sur l'Indochine" [History of "Corse": Spitfire, Hellcat and Bearcat in Indochina]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (74): 14–21. ISSN 1243-8650.

• Squadron Histories for No.'s 310-347 Squadrons on RAFweb
• Squadron Histories for Nos. 326-328 Squadrons at Royal Air Force website