The Bréguet 690 and its derivatives were a series of light twin-engine ground-attack aircraft that were used by the French Air Force in World War II.

[1] The encouraging test results led to the order of a hundred Bréguet 691 AB2 (Assaut Bombardement Biplace, Two-seater Attack Bomber) on 14 June 1938.

[5] Late production versions of the Bre 693 introduced propulsive exhaust pipes that improved top speed by a small margin as well as, according to some sources, another two machine-guns in the rear of each engine nacelle.

[6] A small experimental unit had been investigating ground-attack tactics since 1937, initially in outdated biplanes such as the Potez 25, then in ANF Les Mureaux 115 monoplanes.

Eventually, the Armée de l'Air concluded that low-altitude level bombing was more suitable than dive-bombing for engaging enemy vehicles and artillery on the battlefield.

The chosen tactic consisted in a hedge hopping approach at maximum speed, followed by a strafing run or the delivery of time-delayed bombs directly over the target.

[7] In late 1939, two squadrons transferred from level bomber units were gathered in the small airfield near Vinon-sur-Verdon, where they began their operational training.

[8] When they were delivered, the Bréguets were popular with their crews, although the unreliable engines in the Bre 691 affected aircraft serviceability and undercarriage failures proved especially troublesome.

As the position of the French and Allied armies grew steadily more desperate, the assault groups were engaged daily, still enduring losses to anti-aircraft fire but also increasingly to German fighters.

[13] After the Armistice, the Vichy authorities were allowed to maintain a small air force in mainland France and its assault bomber pilots flew rare training flights in the Bre.693 and Bre.695.

[13] Vichy French Air Force[13] Data from William Green, Aircraft of the Third Reich (2010) unless indicated[16]General characteristics Performance Armament