Le Mans Airfield is an abandoned

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

military airfield, which is located near the City of Le Mans in the Pays de la Loire

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

of northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

History

Le Mans was an industrial target for the Allies due to the

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...

manufacturing facilities during the Occupation of France by the Germans. The Renault plant was the largest armament, truck and tank works in France.

German use during World War II

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 ...

built a grass airfield, which opened on 7 September 1940 for the defense of the facility. Known units assigned (all from Luftlotte 3, Fliegerkorps IV): The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
/ref> *

Zerstörergeschwader 76 ''Zerstörergeschwader 76'' (ZG 76) was a ''Zerstörer'' ( heavy fighter; lit. "destroyer") ''geschwader'' (wing) of the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. The wing operated the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the early phases of World War II, th ...

(ZG 76) May–June 1940

Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engine (Des ...

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 devel ...

(JG 3) 20–23 June 1940 Messerschmitt Bf 109E *

Lehrgeschwader 1 ''Lehrgeschwader'' 1 (LG 1) (Training Wing 1) formerly ''Lehrgeschwader Greifswald'' was a Luftwaffe multi-purpose unit during World War II, operating fighter, bomber and dive-bomber ''Gruppen''. The unit was formed in July 1936 and operated t ...

(LG 1) 28–29 June 1940

C/D * Jagdgeschwader 54 (JS 54) 15 January-29 March 1941 Messerschmitt Bf 109E * Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) 7–12 June 1944 Focke-Wulf Fw 190A *

Jagdgeschwader 53 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53) was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated in Western Europe and in the Mediterranean. ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 - or as it was better known, the "Pik As" ''(Ace of Spades)'' Geschwader - was one of th ...

(JG 53) 6 June-6 July 1944 Messerschmitt Bf 109G The Luftwaffe assigned a series of units, rotating them in and out of Le Mans to provide air defense against Allied bombing attacks on the Renault works, which was attacked on several occasions by

United States Army Air Force 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 ...

Eighth Air Force heavy bomb groups during 1943 and 1944.

American use

The Luftwaffe airfield was seized by Allied ground forces about 12 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign. Almost immediately, the USAAF IX Engineer Command 816th Engineer Aviation Battalion began clearing the base of mines and destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft and repairing operational facilities for use by American aircraft. The engineers laid down a single 5000' (1500m) all-weather Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing/Compressed Earth runway (3600 PHS/1400 ETH) aligned 14/32. In addition, tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities. An access road was built to the existing road infrastructure, and a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting. Once refurbished, it was known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-35". The 36th Fighter Group, based

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-bom ...

fighters at Le Mans from 25 August though late September 1944. The 36th was replaced by the

440th Troop Carrier Group 44 may refer to: * 44 (number) * one of the years 44 BC, AD 44, 1944, 2044 Military *44M Tas, a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II *44M Tas Rohamlöveg, a Hungarian tank destroyer design of World War II, derived from the 44M Tas ta ...

, which flew

C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in f ...

s from the airfield from 30 September until 2 November 1944 The fighter planes flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead; strafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops in Normandy and Brittany when spotted. The C-47s participated in

Operation Market-Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a salient into German territory with a bridgehead over the River Rhine, ...

, the airborne invasion of the Netherlands, carrying troops of the 82d Airborne Division to a drop site near

Groesbeek Groesbeek () is a town and former municipality in the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands. In January 2015 the former municipality merged with Millingen aan de Rijn and Ubbergen. The larger area was known as Groesbeek until January 2016, when ...

on 17 September 1944. The following day, the 440th towed CG-4A Waco gliders to the same general location with reinforcements and supplies. Another glider towing resupply and reinforcement mission was flown to Overasselt, the Netherlands on 23 September. After the Americans moved east into Central France with the advancing Allied Armies, the airfield was closed on 30 November 1944. Today the long dismantled airfield is indistinguishable from the agricultural fields in the area.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. Note: The modern airport at Le Mans today, Le Mans-Arnage airport, is of postwar vintage and unconnected with World War II.

References

External links

{{authority control World War II airfields in France Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in France Airports established in 1940

History

German use during World War II

American use

See also

References

External links