Lioré et Olivier LeO 45
The Lioré et Olivier LeO 45 was a French twin-engined medium bomber designed to a 1934 requirement and first flown in January 1937. Its production version, the LeO 451 with Gnome-Rhône radial engines, was France's best medium bomber of 1940 but reached front-line units too slowly to affect the Battle of France. The type went on to serve Vichy France, the Free French, Germany and Italy, was built in two separate production runs either side of the 1940 armistice, and ended its career in post-war test and transport conversions, the last examples retiring in 1957.