Athis Airfield was a World War II military airfield located approximately 1 km northeast of Athis, approximately 130 km east-northeast of Paris. It was used by the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

, then by the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

during World War II. After the war, the site was abandoned and is now agricultural fields.

History

Athis was a World War II airfield constructed by the Germans in August 1944. Construction began in July 1944 and it consisted of grass runways and simple support services. It lay to the northeast of Athis village and to the southwest of Tours-sur-Marne. The base was on flat, former agricultural fields bordered to the north by woodland in which aircraft and services were concealed. The airfield is referred to by several names in Luftwaffe and Allied documents including "Tours-sur-Marne", "Athis" and "Bisseuil".

German use during World War II

It became operational on 10 August 1944, when II./

Jagdgeschwader 3 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3) "Udet" was a ''Luftwaffe'' fighter wing of World War II. The ''Geschwader'' operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet, an important figure in the develo ...

(JG 3) was assigned to it with

Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...

G day interceptor fighters. On 20 August 1944, II./JG 3 was replaced by III./

Jagdgeschwader 76 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 76 (JG 76) was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG 76 was first formed in 1939 in Wien-Aspern with only I. ''Gruppe'' (1st group). The ''Geschwader'' was renamed II./ Jagdgeschwader 54 on 4 July 1940. The ''Geschwad ...

(JG 76), also flying Bf 109Gs until the end of the month when the Germans were driven from the area by the advancing Allied armies.The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
/ref> On 22 August Athis came under attack by elements of the 354th Fighter group,

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

conducting a fighter-sweep across northern France. P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts from the 354th attacked Luftwaffe aircraft shortly after they took off from Athis, claiming 8 Bf 109s shot down.

American use

On 4 September 1944 the IX Engineer Command 826d Engineer Aviation Battalion moved in and began a quick rehabilitation of the base so it could be used by American aircraft. The engineers laid down a Square-Mesh Track (SMT) surface to form a NE/SE runway for aircraft use. In addition to the airfield, tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting. It was declared operationally ready for

combat units in September being designated as

Advanced Landing Ground Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 19 ...

"A-76 Athis Airfield" Almost immediately, the 36th Fighter Group moved in, flying

P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

s from the field until 1 October. Athis airfield was turned over to French authorities on 4 October 1945.Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.

Postwar

In French control after the war, the airfield sat abandoned for several years. There was much unexploded ordnance at the site which needed to be removed, as well as the wreckage of German and American aircraft. It was cleared and returned to agricultural use and very little sign of it exists today. (Épernay-Plivot Airport ) is located to the south east of the wartime Athis site.

References

External links