Jump to content

Marcel Dassault

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the World War I flying ace, seeMarcel Bloch (aviator).
Marcel Dassault
Born
Marcel Ferdinand Bloch[1]

(1892-01-23)23 January 1892
9th arrondissement of Paris,France
Died17 April 1986(1986-04-17)(aged 94)
Neuilly-sur-Seine,France
Resting placePassy Cemetery,Paris
EducationLycée Condorcet
Alma materBreguet School[2]
Supaéro
Occupation(s)Engineer and industrialist
SpouseMadeleine Minckès
ChildrenClaude Dassault
Serge Dassault
RelativesDarius Paul Dassault(brother)
AwardsDaniel Guggenheim Medal(1976)

Marcel Dassault(French pronunciation:[daso];bornMarcel Ferdinand Bloch;[1]23 January 1892 – 17 April 1986) was a French engineer and industrialist who spent his career inaircraft manufacturing.He was also involved in politics, serving intermittently more than three decades in both houses of theFrench Parliamentfrom 1951 until his death in 1986.

Early life and education

[edit]

Born on 23 January 1892 in Paris, as the youngest of the four children of Adolphe Bloch, a doctor, and his wife Noémie Allatini.[2][3]His parents were Jewish.

He was educated at theLycée Condorcetin Paris. After studies inelectrical engineering,[2]he graduated from theBreguet SchoolandSupaéro.At the latter school, Bloch was classmates with a Russian student namedMikhail Gurevich,who would later become instrumental in the creation of theMiG aircraft series.[2]

Career

[edit]
Marcel Bloch,c.1912

Bloch worked at the French Aeronautics Research Laboratory atChalais-Meudon[2]duringWorld War Iand invented a type ofaircraft propellersubsequently used by the French army during the conflict. In 1916, withHenry Potezand Louis Coroller, he formed a company, theSociété d'Études Aéronautiques,to produce the SEA series of fighters.[4]

In 1928, Bloch founded the aircraft companySociété des Avions Marcel Bloch,which produced its first aircraft in 1930.[2]In 1935, Bloch andHenry Potezentered into an agreement to buySociété Aérienne Bordelaise(SAB).[citation needed]In 1936, the company wasnationalizedas theSociété Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Ouest(SNCASO). Bloch agreed to become the delegated administrator of the Minister for Air.[5]

During theoccupation of FrancebyNazi Germanyduring World War II, France's aviation industry was virtually disbanded,[6]other than the compulsory manufacturing, assembly, and servicing of German designs. In October 1940, Bloch refused to collaborate with the German occupiers atBordeaux-Aéronautiqueand was imprisoned by theVichy government.

In 1944, the Nazis deported Bloch to theBuchenwald concentration camp,[2]as punishment for refusing to co-operate with their regime. He was tortured, beaten, and held in solitary confinement. In the meantime, his wife was interned near Paris. Bloch was detained at Buchenwald until it was liberated on 11 April 1945. By the time of his return to Paris, he was disabled to such an extent that he could barely walk. He was advised by his doctors to settle his affairs, as they did not expect him to recover his health.[2]

After the war, he changed his name from Bloch to Bloch-Dassault and in 1949 to Dassault. This name derived from 'Chardasso', thenom de guerreused by his brother, GeneralDarius Paul Bloch,when he served in theFrench Resistance.[2]The pseudonym was a play onchar d'assaut,French for "assault tank".[note 1]In 1971, Dassault acquired Breguet, formingAvions Marcel Dassault–Breguet Aviation(AMD–BA).

Personal life

[edit]
Hôtel Marcel Dassaultin Paris

In 1919, Bloch marriedMadeleine Minckès,the daughter of a wealthy Jewish family of furniture dealers.[7]They had two sons, Claude andSerge.After changing his name to Dassault, he converted tothe Roman Catholic Churchin 1950.[5][8][2]

In July 1952, Dassault acquired the Paris landmark buildings now known asHôtel Marcel Dassault,dating from 1844,[9] at nos. 7 and 9 rond-point des Champs-Élysées (at the corner of the avenue des Champs-Élysées andavenue Montaigne), from theSabatierd'Espeyran family.[10]The building at no. 7 has been used since 2002 by the auction houseArtcurial,which had further alterations made under the direction of architectJean-Michel Wilmotte.[9]While no. 7 has been sold, no. 9 is still used by theGroupe Industriel Marcel Dassault.

Autochromeby Georges Chevalier, 1930

In 1973, Dassault was inducted into theInternational Air & Space Hall of Fame.[11]

Death and legacy

[edit]
Grave of Marcel Dassault in Paris

Dassault died atNeuilly-sur-Seinein 1986 and was buried at thePassy Cemeteryin the16th arrondissement of Paris.

Serge Dassault,Marcel's younger son, became CEO ofAvions Marcel Dassault,which was restructured asGroupe Industriel Marcel Dassault,reflecting its broader interests. In 1990, the aviation division was renamedDassault Aviation.

In 1991, therond-pointdesChamps-Elyséesin Paris was renamed therond-point des Champs-Elysées-Marcel-Dassaultin his honour.

[edit]

InThe Adventures of TintinbookFlight 714 to Sydney,Dassault is parodied as the aircraft construction tycoonLaszlo Carreidas– "the millionaire who never laughs" – who offers Tintin,Captain HaddockandProfessor Calculushis personal jet, the Carreidas 160, to travel to Sydney.[12]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Char d'assaultcolloquially means "battle tank" in French, but a word-for-word translation would be "assault wagon".D'assaultsimply means "for assault" or "for attack".

References

[edit]
  • Aloni, Shlomo (2010).Mirage III vs MiG-21: Six Day War 1967 (Duel).ISBN9781846039478.
  1. ^abJean Mayet (19 September 2013).365 jours ou Les Éphémérides allant du XVIe au XXe siècle(in French). Mon Petit Éditeur. p. 220.ISBN978-2-342-01183-8.
  2. ^abcdefghijAloni 2010,p. 8.
  3. ^"Biography of Marcel Dassault".Dassault Aviation.Retrieved2021-03-10.
  4. ^Gunston, Bill (2005).World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers(2nd ed.). Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing. p. 371.ISBN0-7509-3981-8.
  5. ^ab"History of Groupe Dassault Aviation".Retrieved1 October2012.
  6. ^Dassault AviationHistory, 1916 to this day: During the War.Accessed 5 January 2006.
  7. ^Madame a Prisoner Before,Ottawa Citizen,May 25, 1964.
  8. ^Britannica Online: Marcel Dassaultretrieved February 23, 2012
  9. ^ab "Hôtel Dassault-Artcurial".Evene.fr.
  10. ^The structure at no. 7, built in 1844, was altered over the years, including work by Dassault's friend, architectGeorges Hennequin(1893—1969). The neo-Louis XV styledomicile at no. 7, known previously as the Hôtel d'Espeyran, was built by architect Henri Parent for Félicie Durand 1819-1899, the widow of Frédéric Sabatier d'Espeyran 1813-1864.
  11. ^Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor.These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame.Donning Co. Publishers, 2006.ISBN978-1-57864-397-4.
  12. ^Tintin: Hergé and His Creation.John Murray (Publishers) An Hachette UK Company. 2011.ISBN978-1-84854-673-8.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toMarcel Dassault.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marcel_Dassault&oldid=1230198328"