Lyon–Bron Airport (; ) is an airport located in

Bron Bron () is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, eastern France. Geography Bron lies east-southeast of central Lyon. It is the sixth-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is adjacent to its east side. Climat ...

, east of

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

, both

communes A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

of the

Metropolis of Lyon The Metropolis of Lyon (, ), also known as Grand Lyon (, "Greater Lyon"), is a French territorial collectivity in the east-central region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is a directly-elected metropolitan authority, encompassing both the city of L ...

in the

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in Eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Lyon–Bron is one of two airports serving the city, alongside the larger and more recent

Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport — formerly known as ''Lyon Satolas Airport'' — is an international airport of Lyon, the third-largest city in France and an important transport facility for the entire Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It lies in ...

History

The airport was established in 1920 and became an international airport in 1924 with flights to

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. After the 1940

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

during World War II initially the Lyon area was part of the southern unoccupied zone of France (

Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...

), and limited air service remained at the airport. In addition, the

Vichy French Air Force The Air Force (), usually referred to as the Air Force of Vichy (''Armée de l'air de Vichy'') or Armistice Air Force (''Armée de l'Air de l'armistice'') for clarity, was the aerial branch of the Armistice Army of Vichy France established in th ...

(French: ''Armée de l'Air de Vichy'') stationed GR I/36, equipped with Potez 630 heavy fighters at the airport. However, after the Allied invasion of

French North Africa French North Africa (, sometimes abbreviated to ANF) is a term often applied to the three territories that were controlled by France in the North African Maghreb during the colonial era, namely Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. In contrast to French ...

(

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa whil ...

), Nazi forces moved into the area (

Case Anton Case Anton () was the military occupation of Vichy France carried out by Germany and Italy in November 1942. It marked the end of the Vichy regime as a nominally independent state and the disbanding of its army (the severely-limited '' Armisti ...

) in November 1942 and took control of Bron Airport and seized the military aircraft assigned to it. It was used as a military airfield beginning in 1943 by the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

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

, being used as a radar station by Nachtjagdraumführer 109 (NJRF 109) to detect

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

bombers flying over Occupied France at night to targets in Italy. It was attacked by the

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 ...

407th Bombardment Squadron (92d BG) in April 1944, causing heavy damage. In mid-August 1944, prisoners from Montluc prison were taken to Bron where 109 of them, including 72 Jews, were killed in what would become known as ''Le Charnier de Bron'' ("The

Charnel house A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves. The term can also be used more generally as a description of a plac ...

of Bron"). After the Normandy Invasion of France by Allied Forces, 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 ...

50th Fighter Group used the airport 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 in support of ground forces in Southern France from September 25 - November 1944. It was designated as Advanced Landing Ground "Y-6". The 121st Liaison Squadron flew Cessna UC-78 and Stinson L-5 observation aircraft in support of the Sixth Army Group from the airport until March 1945, ending American military use of the airport. After the war, it was the main commercial airport for Lyon. In 1950/51 when, as a result of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

threat of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, Bron Airport was proposed by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

to become a USAF air logistics and maintenance depot as part of a NATO commitment to establish a modern Air Force Base at the site. In the ongoing negotiations, the site was ultimately rejected.McAuliffe, Jerome J: U.S. Air Force in France 1950–1967 (2005), Chapter 2, Base Selection and Movement to France, 1950–1954 In 1975 commercial airline traffic was moved to the new

, and Bron Airport is now used for general aviation.

Statistics

References

USAF Historical Research Agency Document 00220571, French Airfields: Lyon/Bron
*Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . *Maurer, Maurer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.

External links

Official Website

''Aéroport de Lyon–Bron'' (LYN / LFLY)
at ''Union des Aéroports Français''
MARIBA official website : association for the information and protection of the residents living near Lyon-Bron Airport
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon-Bron Airport Airports in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Buildings and structures in Rhône (department) Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in France Transport in Lyon Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in the European Theater Airports established in 1920 Lyon in World War II

History

Statistics

See also

References

External links