Louis Delfino

Louis Delfino (5 October 1912 – 11 June 1968) was a French fighter ace in World War II and a General in the French Air Force. He was a commander of the Normandie-Niemen fighter group and attributed with 16 confirmed victories

Early life Delfino was born on 5 October 1912 in Nice, France. His father was a cabinetmaker who was killed in World War I and his mother worked in a tobacco factory. He grew up in the neighborhood of Riquier and joined the OGC Nice at 18, notably reaching the semi-finals of the 1930-1931 French Cup.

During the first professional French championship in 1932-1933, he was signed to the CA Paris-Charenton. Later, while training to be a pilot, he continued to play for FC Nancy.

On 17 May 1940, he was named commandant of the GC II/9's 4th squadron. After the armistice, he rejoined his old group, GC I/4, in Dakar. In August 1943, he became deputy commandant, but the coastal patrol missions did not satisfy his adventurous temperament, so he applied for transfer to the Normandie-Niemen squadron.

Delfino obtained his transfer to Normandie-Niemen on 28 February 1944. He succeeded Pierre Pouyade as the head of the regiment on 12 November. A major in June 1944, he was promoted to wing commander/lieutenant colonel in April 1945. He finished the war with sixteen confirmed victories and four additional claimed.

On 1 January 1946, he became the leader of the 611th wing, composed of only one group – the Normandie-Niemen. On 11 August, he became commandant of the 11th wing upon its return from Indochina. As a colonel in 1951, he was named inspector of the fighter arm the following year. His tenure at this post had an important influence on the regulation and use of fighters. As commandant of defense zone 901 in 1954, he received his first stars in 1957. He then worked with the aerial territorial defense, of which he took command in May 1961. Promoted to air marshal/lieutenant-general in 1964, he became inspector general of the French Air Force.

He died of a heart attack on 11 June 1968, at age 56 and was buried in the Caucade Cemetery in Nice. He had amassed 4,500 flight hours to his credit.

List of credited aerial victories

Medals and awards

Legion of Honour Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 Order of the Red Banner Order of the Patriotic War Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Order of Alexander Nevsky