Chièvres Air Base , also referred to as SHAPE Airfield at Chievres Air Base, is a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

airfield operated by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

. It is located east southeast of the Walloon town of Chièvres in the province of Hainaut,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

and about from Headquarters,

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the military headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) that commands all NATO operations worldwide. ACO's and SHAPE's commander is t ...

(SHAPE), in Casteau. It is mainly used to provide logistic support to NATO and SHAPE. Infrastructure support is provided by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

Garrison Benelux for NATO.

History

The first airfield at Chièvres was established in 1914 by the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

during their occupation of Belgium in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. The current airfield was built by the Belgian Army in the 1930s, and at the end of 1939, the Belgian military began converting Chièvres into a diversion airfield. It was captured during the

Battle of Belgium The invasion of Belgium or Belgian campaign (10–28 May 1940), often referred to within Belgium as the 18 Days' Campaign (french: Campagne des 18 jours, nl, Achttiendaagse Veldtocht), formed part of the greater Battle of France, an offensive ...

by the invading German

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

in May 1940.

German use during World War II

Shortly after its capture, the airfield was turned over to 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-Fliegerabt ...

, and Chièvres became a major air base during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wor ...

. On 2 June,

Jagdgeschwader 26 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 (JG 26) ''Schlageter'' was a German fighter- wing of World War II. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran, Freikorps member, and posthumous Nazi martyr, arrested and executed by the French fo ...

(JG 26) moved

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 ...

E fighters to the airfield and on 9 June Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30) moved

Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...

A attack bombers to the field. Both of these units were heavily engaged in combat operations with the French and the British Expeditionary Force in France.The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
/ref> KG 26 moved into France within a few days, while KG 30 remained at Chièvres until September, taking part in the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

. In addition to the Luftwaffe, the

Corpo Aereo Italiano The ''Corpo Aereo Italiano'' (literally, "Italian Air Corps"), or CAI, was an expeditionary force from the Italian ''Regia Aeronautica'' (Italian Royal Air Force) that participated in the Battle of Britain and the Blitz during the final months o ...

stationed Fiat BR.20M Cigogna (43° Stormo) and

Cant Z.1007 The CANT Z.1007 ''Alcione'' (''Kingfisher'') was an Italian three-engined medium bomber, with wooden structure. Designed by Filippo Zappata, who also designed the CANT Z.506De Marchi and Tonizzo 1994, p. 27. it had "excellent flying character ...

bis bombers (172° Squadriglia Ricognizione Strategica Terrestre) at the base on 27 September, also taking part in the Battle of Britain. The Italians received heavy casualties, and by December 1940 they were recalled to Italy. By late 1940 Chièvres had been taken off operational status by the Luftwaffe. The Germans found the airfield construction work incomplete, and began rebuilding and expanding the airfield. Construction began and two length concrete runways were laid down, extensive taxiways and dispersal pads, and a support facility consisting of maintenance shops, barracks, warehouses and hangars. The base became operational again in March 1941 when a bomber unit, Kampfgeschwader 3 (KG 3) arrived from Le Culot Airfield ( Beauvechain Air Base), with Dornier Do 17 light bombers. From Chièvres KG 3 flew raids against Britain and anti-shipping missions in support of the

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

s during the

Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...

campaign. It later transitioned to

A attack bombers, and in February 1942 IV.(Erg)./KG 3 assisted the German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in the famous " Channel Dash". In January 1943, it moved to

Istres Air Base Istres (; Occitan: Istre) is a commune in southern France, some 60 km (38 mi) northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture. Location Ist ...

in Southern France, to attack Allied shipping in the Mediterranean. Luftwaffe operational units returned to Chièvres during the summer of 1944 when a series of

units,

Kampfgeschwader 6 ''Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6)'' (Bomber Wing 6) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during the Second World War. The unit was formed between April and September 1942 and was equipped with Dornier Do 217, Junkers Ju 188 and Junkers Ju 88 bombers. The ''Ge ...

(KG 6); Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30), and Kampfgeschwader 76 (KG 76) arrived in June and July. The units attacked targets in England, and later against Allied shipping in the English Channel after the

Normandy Invasion Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

of France. The base also served as a diversion field for Luftwaffe fighters. In August, the base became a base for day interceptors against the American

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forc ...

bomber fleets attacking targets in Occupied Europe and

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. As part of the " Defense of the Reich" campaign,

s of Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) attacked the heavy bombers. Later in August,

Kampfgeschwader 51 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 51 " Edelweiss" (KG 51) (Battle Wing 51) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. The unit began forming in May 1939 and completed forming in December 1939, and took no part in the invasion of Poland which star ...

(KG 51) arrived with the

Messerschmitt Me 262 The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: " Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: " Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the Ge ...

A jet interceptor for a few days before departing. Chièvres Air Base was a frequent target of USAAF

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 ...

B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in t ...

medium bombers. The medium bombers would attack in coordinated raids, usually in the mid to late afternoon, with Eighth Air Force heavy bombers returning from attacking their targets in Germany. The attack was timed to have the maximum effect possible to keep the Luftwaffe interceptors pinned down on the ground and be unable to attack the heavy bombers. Also, the

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-bomb ...

s of Ninth Air Force would be dispatched to perform fighter sweeps over Chièvres after the Marauder raids, then meet up with the heavy bombers and provide fighter escort back to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. As the

P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

groups of Eighth Air Force began accompanying the heavy bombers all the way to their German targets by mid-1944, it was routine for them to also attack Chièvres on their return to England with a fighter sweep and attack any target of opportunity to be found at the airfield. The Luftwaffe was forced to withdraw from the base by September 1, 1944, leaving the installation heavily damaged.

Allied use

On September 3, Allied troops arrived and assumed command of the airbase. Once in American hands, combat engineers of the IX Engineering Command 846th Engineer Aviation Regiment repaired the damaged airfield and applied numerous patches to the two concrete runways and taxiways of the field. It was declared operationally ready for combat units on 16 September, only a few days after its capture from German forces, 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 1 ...

A-84 or "Chievres Airfield". Although operationally usable, Chièvres was a wrecked base from the numerous Allied air attacks and what was blown up by the Germans as they withdrew. The Americans made do with what could be repaired, with the 843d Engineer Aviation Regiment moving in what equipment was necessary to conduct combat operations.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. In October 1944, the P-47D Thunderbolts of the

USAAF 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 ...

368th Fighter Group and

P-51 Mustangs The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

of the

361st Fighter Group The 127th Operations Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard. It is stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and 1s one of two flying groups assigned to the 127th Wing. The group operates Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbol ...

were stationed at Chièvres. During the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...

the base was also used by the Hawker Typhoons of 123 Wing RAF. In March 1945 the 352d Fighter Group, equipped with P-51D Mustangs, were stationed at the base. After the German surrender Chièvres became both a transit station for US soldiers returning home and a German

POW camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

. By the end of 1945 the base was turned over to the Belgian authorities.

Cold War years

In 1947 the base was rebuilt and expanded to serve as a jet-fighter base. On 1 December 1950 the 7th Fighter Wing, equipped with the

Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...

, was stationed at Chièvres and joined a year later by the 10th Fighter-Bomber Wing operating Spitfire XIV. After converting to the

F-84E Thunderjet The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...

the 10th Wing left Chièvres in 1953 for

Kleine Brogel Peer () is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. On January 1, 2006, Peer had a total population of 15,810. The total area is 86.95 km² which gives a population density of 182 inhabitants per ...

in Limburg. In June 1956 the 7th Wing converted to the

Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Ro ...

Mk. 4, and two years later to the Hunter F6. In 1963, the 7th Wing was disbanded, and on December 31, 1967 the Belgian authorities officially turned over Chièvres Airbase to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The Americans established the NATO/SHAPE Support Group (US) in 1968 at Caserne Daumerie adjacent to the air base and just east of the town of Chièvres to operate the base and provide logistic support to NATO and SHAPE. This small unit was part of Theater Army Support Command (TASCOM), which was part of U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR). The NATO/SHAPE Support Group was later renamed 80th Area Support Group (NATO/SHAPE Support Group). The air base did serve as rehearsal and arrival point of US Precision Helicopter Team that competed in September France 1989. The US Team would take the first seven places over teams from

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nati ...

in overall competition.

Post Cold War years

The 80th Area Support Group (NATO/SHAPE Support Group) was renamed USAG BENELUX (NATO/SHAPE Support Group) in 2005. In 2007 construction work started on a 94-room Army lodge. A $17 million commissary at Chièvres opened in 2010. One major project nearing completion is the runway renovation effort which sees the runway lengthened and resurfaced. 309th Airlift Squadron was the last

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

operational flying unit at Chièvres Air Base. It was attached to the 86th Operations Group at

Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and als ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. It primarily operated

Gulfstream V The Gulfstream V (Model GV, pronounced "G-five") is a long-range, large business jet aircraft produced by Gulfstream Aerospace, derived from the previous Gulfstream IV. It flies up to , up to and has a range. It typically accommodates four c ...

aircraft (Designated C-37A) providing executive airlift for senior personnel assigned to SHAPE and NATO headquarters.

Role and operations

The United States Air Force 424th Air Base Squadron (ABS) is the operational unit at Chièvres Air Base. It is supported by the 86th Operations Group at

. It functions as the Senior Airfield Authority for the airfield on behalf of the US. The airfield is considered part of SHAPE as NATO provides the US funding to maintain and operate the airfield. Even though the U.S. Air Force's 424th ABS Squadron operates the airfield and runways, overall airfield maintenance operations and the base operations are entrusted to the USAG BENELUX, a U.S. Army unit. Chievres Air Base is, in the eyes of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and the Kingdom of Belgium, a SHAPE base and not a US Army base. USAG Benelux provides base support operations and supports retirees and other personnel assigned to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe.

Based units

Flying and notable non-flying units based at Chièvres Air Base.

United States Air Force

US Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) *

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in ...

** 86th Airlift Wing *** 86th Operations Group **** 424th Air Base Squadron

United States Army

US Army Europe (USAREUR) * US Army Garrison Benelux

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chievres Air Base Bases of the United States Air Force Belgian airbases World War II airfields in Belgium Airports established in 1914 Airports in Hainaut (province) 1914 establishments in Belgium