Frejus Airport
Encyclopedia
Frejus Airport . is a former airport in France
, located about 1 mile south of Saint-Raphaël (Departement du Var,Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur); 430 miles southeast of Paris
.
The airport today is closed, but appears to be well-maintained. Now it is used as a sport complex including football, rugby, running, basketball...
in May and June 1940, Frejus was part of Italian-occupied France
and airport operations were suspended. However the Italian Royal Air Force
(Regia Aeronautica Italiana) did not use the airfield.
On 15 August 1944, United States Army
parachute units, which included the 4th, 5th and 6th Para battalions and lst Indian Army Pathfinders, dropped into Southern France between Frejus and Cannes
as part of Operation Dragoon
. Their objective was to capture the area, destroy all enemy positions and hold the ground until the United States Seventh Army
came ashore. Frejus Airport was seized from the Italian and Nazi German forces in the area and came under American Control. XII Air Force combat engineers arrived at the airport with the amphibious forces and laid out a 6000' Sod runway, aligned east-west (08/26), making the airport operational for Twelfth Air Force combat aircraft by 26 August. It was designated as Advanced Landing Ground
"Y-12 St. Raphael/Frejus".
The 79th Fighter Group
flew P-47 Thunderbolt
combat operations from the airfield against the retreating German and Italian forces from Frejus until mid-October 1944. Once the combat unit moved out, Frejus became a transport airfield, supporting C-47 Skytrain
resupply and also casualty evacuation flights until being returned to French control on 20 November 1944.
After the war, an asphalt runway was laid down north-south and the airport operated under ICAO-code LFTU until 1999. The runway and taxiway appear to be in very good condition, but are marked with large X's to indicate the closure of the air field. No evidence of wartime use remains.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, located about 1 mile south of Saint-Raphaël (Departement du Var,Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur); 430 miles southeast of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
The airport today is closed, but appears to be well-maintained. Now it is used as a sport complex including football, rugby, running, basketball...
History
Frejus Airport was established prior to World War II as a grass airfield. After the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in May and June 1940, Frejus was part of Italian-occupied France
Italian-occupied France
Italian-occupied France was an area of south-eastern France occupied by Fascist Italy in two stages during World War II. The occupation lasted from June 1940 until the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces on September 8, 1943, when Italian troops on French soil retreated under pressure...
and airport operations were suspended. However the Italian Royal Air Force
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
(Regia Aeronautica Italiana) did not use the airfield.
On 15 August 1944, United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
parachute units, which included the 4th, 5th and 6th Para battalions and lst Indian Army Pathfinders, dropped into Southern France between Frejus and Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
as part of Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. Their objective was to capture the area, destroy all enemy positions and hold the ground until the United States Seventh Army
United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:...
came ashore. Frejus Airport was seized from the Italian and Nazi German forces in the area and came under American Control. XII Air Force combat engineers arrived at the airport with the amphibious forces and laid out a 6000' Sod runway, aligned east-west (08/26), making the airport operational for Twelfth Air Force combat aircraft by 26 August. It was designated as Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
"Y-12 St. Raphael/Frejus".
The 79th Fighter Group
79th Fighter Group
The 79th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Defense Command 30th Air Division, being assigned to Youngstown Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 1 March 1960.-World War II:...
flew P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
combat operations from the airfield against the retreating German and Italian forces from Frejus until mid-October 1944. Once the combat unit moved out, Frejus became a transport airfield, supporting C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
resupply and also casualty evacuation flights until being returned to French control on 20 November 1944.
After the war, an asphalt runway was laid down north-south and the airport operated under ICAO-code LFTU until 1999. The runway and taxiway appear to be in very good condition, but are marked with large X's to indicate the closure of the air field. No evidence of wartime use remains.
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground