page_title: RAF Advanced Air Striking Force
section_title: 12 June
hierarchical_section_title: RAF Advanced Air Striking Force / Fall Rot / 12 June
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Carte d'état-major de la région autour de Pont-de-l'Arche, dans l'Eure. English: Map of the Seine river around Pont-de-l'Arche, in Eure, France
context_page_description: The RAF Advanced Air Striking Force comprised the light bombers of 1 Group RAF Bomber Command, which took part in the Battle of France during the Second World War. Before hostilities began, it had been agreed between the United Kingdom and France that in case of war, the short-range aircraft of Bomber Command would move to French airfields to operate against targets in Nazi Germany. The AASF was formed on 24 August 1939 from the ten squadrons of Fairey Battle light bombers of 1 Group under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Patrick Playfair and was dispatched to airfields in the Rheims area on 2 September 1939.
  The AASF was answerable to the Air Ministry and independent of the British Expeditionary Force. For unity of command, the AASF and the Air Component of the BEF, came under the command of British Air Forces in France on 15 January 1940. Using the bombers for attacks on strategic targets in Germany was set aside due to Anglo-French reluctance to provoke German retaliation and attacks on German military forces and their communications were substituted.
  The Battle of France began with the German invasion of the Low Countries on 10 May 1940.
context_section_description: At dawn, nine Battles bombed the roads around Les Andelys, north of the Seine, for no loss. In the afternoon, twelve Battles bombed a concentration of vehicles blocked at the Pont de l'Arche railway bridge south of Le Manoir, forcing German engineers repairing it to flee for cover, also for no loss. An attack on pontoon bridges south of Les Andelys was thought to have failed in poor visibility, for one Battle lost and one damaged. Fifteen Battles were sent out to the roads around Les Andeleys that night but only seven reached the target in more poor weather.
caption: C19th diagram of the Pont de l'Arche railway bridge
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