Ms406

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The Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 is a French fighter aircraft that was built by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938, making it France's most vital fighter during the initial stages of World War II. Although ruggedly constructed and highly agile, the M.S.406 was underpowered and poorly armed when compared to its contemporaries. Most significantly, it was outperformed by the Messerschmitt Bf 109E during the Battle of France. The M.S.406 held its own in the early war stages (the so-called Phoney War), but once the war resumed with full force in 1940, losses accumulated to approximately 400 aircraft. Out of this total, around 150 were lost due to enemy fighters and ground fire, while another 100 were destroyed on the ground during enemy air raids; the remainder was deliberately destroyed by French military personnel to prevent the intact fighters from falling into enemy hands. In return, M.S.406 squadrons achieved 191 confirmed victories and an additional 83 probable victories. Source: Wikipedia