Date:	Sunday 17 September 1939
Time:	17:23
Type:	Bloch MB.131
Owner/operator:	GR I/22 Armée de l'air
Registration:	86
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Rosbruck, Moselle -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Etain-Rouvres
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
On 17 September 1939 the Bloch 131 n°86 and n°100 of GR I/22 were sent to the Saar frontline to fly reconnaissance in the Stenay-Sierck-Metz area. The n° 86 was attacked by 5 Bf 109 E of I./JG 53 over Morsbach and shot down at 17h23 by the Hptm Erich Mix and the Oblt Winfried Balfanz of the Stab I./JG 53. The victory was attributed to the latter as his first kill. The other Bloch managed to escape.

The Bloch 131 n°86 crash-landed in flames at Rosbruck, near Morsbach, and slided on the ground before hitting some trees. The observer, Sous-Lieutenant Paul Antoine Jean Capdeville, and the air gunner, Adjudant René Emile Louis Saron, were fatally wounded, both dying at Morhange from their wounds, the same day for Saron and the day after for Capdeville, while the commander, Lieutenant Rousset, and the pilot, Sous-lieutenant Leroy, were wounded.

After this new loss, it was ordered on the 18th that the Bloch MB.131s were no more to be used for day reconnaissances but only at night.

http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=4893
"Ils étaient là. L’Armée de l’Air septembre 1939 - juin 1940", by Jacqueline and Paul Martin, ISBN 2-9514567-2-7
Luftwaffe claim lists by Tony Wood and Jim Perry (http://don-caldwell.we.bs/jg26/claims/tonywood.htm)
Batailles aériennes n° 3 (French magazine), 1997-1998
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloch_MB.131
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosbruck
http://www.maplandia.com/france/lorraine/moselle/forbach/rosbruck/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
13-Apr-2017 17:15	brocky	Added
02-Jan-2019 12:23	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
24-Dec-2019 16:29	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]