Juvincourt Airfield
Encyclopedia
Juvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune
of Juvincourt-et-Damary
in the Aisne
department of northern France
.
Built originally as a grass airfield by the French Air Force
before World War II
, Juvincourt was expanded to become one of the main German Luftwaffe
air bases in France during the German occupation (1940–1944), hosting a wide variety of both fighter and bomber aircraft, including German jet fighters and bombers. Seized by the Allies in September 1944, it became a major United States Army Air Force base for fighter, bomber and transport units for the remainder of the European War
(1944–1945).
Today, the airfield is a quiet place, hosting paintball fights and a Robert Bosch GmbH
automobile testing center and track. Extensive wartime relics can be found in the area as well as the former airfield.
Western Front
. Beginning in November 1918, "Julvecourt Airdrome" was made available to the American Expeditionary Force
(AEF) air units in France. The 1st Aero Squadron; Photographic Section No. 1, and the 12th Aero Squadron all moved in during early November, and remained there until the end of the war on 11 November. Afterward, the American units withdrew by the end of the month.
After the war ended, the airfield was closed and the land returned to farmers. The exact location of Julvecourt Airdrome has not been determined, other than being in the general vicinity of Juvincourt-et-Damary
.
facility was built at Juvincourt during 1938 and 1939 consisting of a grass airfield with three small grass subfields associated with it:
It appears that the French Air Force considered Juvincourt an auxiliary airfield and did not station any units or aircraft at the facility. After World War II
broke out in September 1939, the Royal Air Force
sent 16 Fairey Battle
s of 76 Wing, 142 Squadron to Proviseux (Berry-au-Bac), between 2–12 September 1939. The RAF aircraft, however, did not see any combat during the Phony War
, and were moved on 12 September to Plivot.
, and was developed by the Luftwaffe
into the largest German military airfield in France during the occupation, having more than 300 aircraft assigned.
Under Luftwaffe control, the airfield was vastly expanded with an aggressive construction program. Three concrete runways aligned 17/35 5300' (1610 m); 09/27, 5280' (1600 m) and 05/23 6500' (1980 m) were laid down to provide all-weather use of the field. An enclosing perimeter taxiway loop connecting the ends of runways was built, connecting the airfield to the support station.. A large concrete control tower was erected, 49°25′32.87"N 003°52′11.32"E and an expansive support base to the southwest 49°25′25"N 003°51′36"E was built in a wooded area with permanent, concrete structures. Barracks, workshop buildings, air raid bunkers, earth-covered concrete hangars and a series of taxiways connected the support and maintenance facilities with the airfield. A railroad spur was built, with a right-of-way from the northern main line to haul supplies and equipment, as well as disassembled aircraft and munitions to the base. In addition to the airfield and support base, barracks facilities were constructed in the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary
, on the northeast side of the airfield, being dispersed away from the airfield and technical support area.
Known German combat units assigned (All from Luftlotte 3, Fliegerkorps I) were:
In August 1944, an Arado Ar 234
B Jet bomber arrived at the airfield with Kampfgeschwader 76 to perform reconnaissance missions over Allied shipping at the landing beaches in Normandy, France. The mission on 2 August was the first photo-reconnaissance mission undertaken by a jet. The Ar 234 returned to Germany after a few days.
Juvincourt was a frequent target of Allied aircraft during the Strategic Bombing Campaign
over Occupied Europe in 1943-1944. Eighth Air Force
records show specific heavy B-17 Flying Fortress bomber attacks on the airfield in October 1943 and January 1944.. It was also attacked routinely by Ninth Air Force
B-26 Marauder
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
s of Ninth Air Force would be dispatched to perform fighter sweeps over Juvincourt after the Marauder raids, then meet up with the heavy bombers and provide fighter escort back to England
. As the P-51 Mustang
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 Juvincourt on their return back to England with a fighter sweep and attack any target of opportunity to be found at the airfield.
Although operationally usable, Juvincourt was a wrecked base from the numerous Allied air attacks since late 1942 and what was blown up by the Germans as they withdrew. The Americans made due with the portion of the airfield closest to the town of Juvincourt 49°26′36"N 003°53′09"E, repairing the 35/17 NW/SE runway for operational use. Most of the personnel were billeted in old German and French military barracks that could be used in the town, the barracks facilities in the village being much appreciated by aircrews and ground personnel, who were used to living in tents since their departure from bases in England in June. What was not constructed of reinforced concrete was shattered, although even some of those were destroyed by the 500 pound GP bombs
of the Marauders and Flying Fortresses. Many buildings of masonry construction had been made useless, their contents consisting of nothing but wreckage.
Under American control, Ninth Air Force
used the base for several units from 7 September 1944 until closing the base in July 1945. Known units assigned were:
Each group had three or four combat squadrons of aircraft assigned to the airfield, making Juvincourt one of the largest and most active USAAF fields on the continent. Attacks on German ground forces, bridges, airfields still in Luftwaffe hands, railroads and any target of opportunity of the German forces were targets of the Thunderbolts as the ground forces moved east into Luxembourg
and past the Siegfried Line
into Germany. In addition, the Royal Air Force
also utilized Juvincourt, units and aircraft are yet to be determined.
With the war ended, Juvincourt became largely a transport airfield, being used by the RAF also for repatriation of English, Australian and New Zealand prisoners of war. These transfers were made by Lancasters of No 463 and 467 Squadrons, RAAF.
The airfield was returned to French control on 2 July 1945.
In 1950 when as a result of the Cold War
threat of the Soviet Union
, the air base at Juvincourt was offered to the United States Air Force
by the French Air Ministry as part of their NATO commitment to establish a modern Air Force Base at the site. Some construction was performed, pouring a 8000' jet runway (05/23) to the south of the World War II airfield, along with aircraft dispersal areas at each end of the runway. However the construction was never completed due to the high cost of breaking the agricultural leases, and also the high costs of removing the concrete German runways and other facilities. It was cheaper to build an air base elsewhere and the land was simply sold off to private interests..
Of the three concrete runways laid down by the Luftwaffe, only the northwest/southeast (17/35) remains at full length and width. although some sections have been removed over the years. Many patched bomb craters are evident on the concrete. A significant amount of the east/west (09/27) runway still exists, also extensively patched, however, the 05/23 runway is almost nonexistent, being almost totally removed for hardcore aggregate. A very small section, however, can be found in the middle of a field 49°26′03.80"N 003°52′03.26"E connecting two single-track agricultural roads which are the remaining narrow concrete strips of the former runway, the full width of which can be seen in disturbed earth along the road. The enclosing perimeter track taxiway exists also as single-lane concrete farm roads. Connecting taxiways of the airfield exist as well in the same condition.
An interesting feature 49°26′07.27"N 003°52′27.84"E can be found in the middle of the airfield. It is a concrete circle in a ring, that indicates the cardinal points of the compass. It was connected by a taxiway and was used to adjust aircraft navigation equipment. The concrete control tower (coordinates listed above) today is a restaurant, with what appears to be a connecting wartime building as part of the structure located today on the west side of the N44. About 1 km northwest, also along the N44 is a British World War I
cemetery 49°25′50.23"N 003°51′48.53"E which has the graves of many Tommies killed along the Western Front
trenches that were close by the area. Nearby the cemetery are concrete bomb shelters dug by the Germans and reinforced, to protect personnel during the frequent Allied air raids.
The wooded areas to the southwest of the airfield 49°25′42"N 003°51′53"E, adjacent to the N44 is where the German ground support station was built. Many buildings still remain in the woods, in various states of disrepair, almost all constructed of concrete. This area is now on private land and access is prohibited. The woods contain underground bomb shelters; concrete aircraft hangars, ruins of barracks; workshops and other buildings. Photos of these structures can be found here: In aerial photography, the remains of aircraft taxiways and dispersal parking revetments can be seen which connected the technical site to the airfield. The railroad spur right-of-way 49°26′10.27"N 003°51′09.24"E is still visible in aerial photography, however the tracks have long since been removed.
In the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary
, northeast of the airfield, several buildings that appear to be the remains of former military barracks and bomb shelter exist. 49°26′33.33"N 003°53′25.25"E, 49°26′35.67"N 003°53′28.13"E, 49°26′46.24"N 003°53′12.56"E. Some are abandoned, some are in use today by the residents of the commune.
To the southeast of the wartime airfield is the 1950s jet aircraft runway and dispersal pads built when Juvincourt was proposed as a NATO air base. Today it is owned by Robert Bosch GmbH
, being used as an automobile testing center and track.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Juvincourt Airfield:Built prior to World War II as a French Air Force facility...
in the Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
department of northern France
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...
.
Built originally as a grass airfield by the French Air Force
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Juvincourt was expanded to become one of the main German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
air bases in France during the German occupation (1940–1944), hosting a wide variety of both fighter and bomber aircraft, including German jet fighters and bombers. Seized by the Allies in September 1944, it became a major United States Army Air Force base for fighter, bomber and transport units for the remainder of the European War
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
(1944–1945).
Today, the airfield is a quiet place, hosting paintball fights and a Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
automobile testing center and track. Extensive wartime relics can be found in the area as well as the former airfield.
World War I
Juvincourt Airfield has its origins about 1917 as a grass airdrome built by the French Air Force as a combat airfield on the World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. Beginning in November 1918, "Julvecourt Airdrome" was made available to the American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
(AEF) air units in France. The 1st Aero Squadron; Photographic Section No. 1, and the 12th Aero Squadron all moved in during early November, and remained there until the end of the war on 11 November. Afterward, the American units withdrew by the end of the month.
After the war ended, the airfield was closed and the land returned to farmers. The exact location of Julvecourt Airdrome has not been determined, other than being in the general vicinity of Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Juvincourt Airfield:Built prior to World War II as a French Air Force facility...
.
Between the wars
A new French Air ForceFrench Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
facility was built at Juvincourt during 1938 and 1939 consisting of a grass airfield with three small grass subfields associated with it:
- Amifontaine 49°49′54"N 003°57′08"E
- Guignicourt 49°26′49"N 003°56′08"E
- Proviseux 49°28′57"N 004°01′59"E
It appears that the French Air Force considered Juvincourt an auxiliary airfield and did not station any units or aircraft at the facility. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out in September 1939, the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
sent 16 Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
s of 76 Wing, 142 Squadron to Proviseux (Berry-au-Bac), between 2–12 September 1939. The RAF aircraft, however, did not see any combat during the Phony War
Phony War
The Phoney War was a phase early in World War II – in the months following Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany in September 1939 and preceding the Battle of France in May 1940 – that was marked by a lack of major military operations by the Western Allies against the German Reich...
, and were moved on 12 September to Plivot.
Luftwaffe use
It was captured by the Germans in June 1940 during 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...
, and was developed by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
into the largest German military airfield in France during the occupation, having more than 300 aircraft assigned.
Under Luftwaffe control, the airfield was vastly expanded with an aggressive construction program. Three concrete runways aligned 17/35 5300' (1610 m); 09/27, 5280' (1600 m) and 05/23 6500' (1980 m) were laid down to provide all-weather use of the field. An enclosing perimeter taxiway loop connecting the ends of runways was built, connecting the airfield to the support station.. A large concrete control tower was erected, 49°25′32.87"N 003°52′11.32"E and an expansive support base to the southwest 49°25′25"N 003°51′36"E was built in a wooded area with permanent, concrete structures. Barracks, workshop buildings, air raid bunkers, earth-covered concrete hangars and a series of taxiways connected the support and maintenance facilities with the airfield. A railroad spur was built, with a right-of-way from the northern main line to haul supplies and equipment, as well as disassembled aircraft and munitions to the base. In addition to the airfield and support base, barracks facilities were constructed in the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Juvincourt Airfield:Built prior to World War II as a French Air Force facility...
, on the northeast side of the airfield, being dispersed away from the airfield and technical support area.
Known German combat units assigned (All from Luftlotte 3, Fliegerkorps I) were:
- KG 77 with Stab I. et II./ Gruppe March-June 1941, Junkers Ju 88Junkers Ju 88The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
A (Fuselage Code: 9K+) - KG 2 with IV. / Gruppe 13 June 1941 to January 1942, Dornier Do 17Dornier Do 17The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
Z and Dornier Do 217Dornier Do 217The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful version of the Dornier Do 17, known as the Fliegender Bleistift . Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber, its design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940...
(Fuselage Code: 1H+) - KG 54 with the I / Gruppe June 6 to July 27, 1944, Junkers Ju 88Junkers Ju 88The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
(Fuselage Code: B3+) - KG 51 with the I / Gruppe August 27 to August 28, 1944, Messerschmitt Me 262Messerschmitt Me 262The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
A2A-1 (Fuselage Code: 9K+) (15 aircraft) - E insatzkommando Schenck of 22 to 28 August 1944, Messerschmitt Me 262Messerschmitt Me 262The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
A2A-1 - Luftbeobachtungsstaffel 4 (Observation Squadron), formed on 1 May 1944 was stationed on the base until June 1944, Messerschmitt Bf 110Messerschmitt Bf 110The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
and Junkers Ju 88Junkers Ju 88The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early... - JG 11 with the II. / Gruppe of 16 to 17 August 1944, Messerschmitt Bf 109Messerschmitt Bf 109The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
G (Fuselage Code: 6+) - NJG 4 with III. / Gruppe of September 1942 in August 1944, Messerschmitt Bf 110Messerschmitt Bf 110The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
, Dornier Do 217Dornier Do 217The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful version of the Dornier Do 17, known as the Fliegender Bleistift . Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber, its design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940...
, and Junkers Ju 88Junkers Ju 88The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
(Fuselage Code: MK)
In August 1944, an Arado Ar 234
Arado Ar 234
The Arado Ar 234 was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber, built by the German Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. Produced in very limited numbers, it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible...
B Jet bomber arrived at the airfield with Kampfgeschwader 76 to perform reconnaissance missions over Allied shipping at the landing beaches in Normandy, France. The mission on 2 August was the first photo-reconnaissance mission undertaken by a jet. The Ar 234 returned to Germany after a few days.
Juvincourt was a frequent target of Allied aircraft during the Strategic Bombing Campaign
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
over Occupied Europe in 1943-1944. Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
records show specific heavy B-17 Flying Fortress bomber attacks on the airfield in October 1943 and January 1944.. It was also attacked routinely by Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
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
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. 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
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...
s of Ninth Air Force would be dispatched to perform fighter sweeps over Juvincourt after the Marauder raids, then meet up with the heavy bombers and provide fighter escort back to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As the P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
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 Juvincourt on their return back to England with a fighter sweep and attack any target of opportunity to be found at the airfield.
Allied use
The airfield was sized from the Germans by Allied ground forces on 5 September 1944. Before abandoning the base, the Germans conducted demolitions of whatever buildings had not been destroyed by Allied air attacks. Once in American hands, combat engineers of the IX Engineering Command 820th Engineer Aviation Regiment repaired the damaged airfield and declared it operationally ready for combat units on 7 September, only a few days after its capture from German forces, being designated as Juvincourt Airfield (A-68)Although operationally usable, Juvincourt was a wrecked base from the numerous Allied air attacks since late 1942 and what was blown up by the Germans as they withdrew. The Americans made due with the portion of the airfield closest to the town of Juvincourt 49°26′36"N 003°53′09"E, repairing the 35/17 NW/SE runway for operational use. Most of the personnel were billeted in old German and French military barracks that could be used in the town, the barracks facilities in the village being much appreciated by aircrews and ground personnel, who were used to living in tents since their departure from bases in England in June. What was not constructed of reinforced concrete was shattered, although even some of those were destroyed by the 500 pound GP bombs
General-purpose bomb
A general-purpose bomb is an air-dropped bomb intended as a compromise between blast damage, penetration, and fragmentation in explosive effect.-Characteristics:...
of the Marauders and Flying Fortresses. Many buildings of masonry construction had been made useless, their contents consisting of nothing but wreckage.
Under American control, Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
used the base for several units from 7 September 1944 until closing the base in July 1945. Known units assigned were:
- 439th Troop Carrier Group, 8-28 September 1944 (C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe 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...
) - 404th Fighter Group404th Fighter GroupThe 404th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with III Fighter Command, stationed at Drew Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 9 November 1945....
, 13 September-4 October 1944 (P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic 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...
) - 365th Fighter Group365th Fighter GroupThe 365th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces stationed at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 22 September 1945....
, 15 September-4 October 1944 (P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic 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...
) - 36th Fighter Group, 1-27 October 1944 (P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic 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...
) - 367th Fighter Group367th Fighter GroupThe 367th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with XII Tactical Air Command stationed at Seymour Johnson Field , North Carolina...
, 28 October 1944-1 February 1945 (P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
) - 368th Fighter Group368th Fighter GroupThe 368th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the XII Tactical Air Command stationed at Fliegerhorst Straubing , Germany. It was deactivated on 20 August 1946....
, 27 December 1944-5 January 1945 (P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic 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...
) - 410th Bombardment Group, February-May 1945 (A-20 Havoc)
Each group had three or four combat squadrons of aircraft assigned to the airfield, making Juvincourt one of the largest and most active USAAF fields on the continent. Attacks on German ground forces, bridges, airfields still in Luftwaffe hands, railroads and any target of opportunity of the German forces were targets of the Thunderbolts as the ground forces moved east into Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and past the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
into Germany. In addition, the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
also utilized Juvincourt, units and aircraft are yet to be determined.
With the war ended, Juvincourt became largely a transport airfield, being used by the RAF also for repatriation of English, Australian and New Zealand prisoners of war. These transfers were made by Lancasters of No 463 and 467 Squadrons, RAAF.
The airfield was returned to French control on 2 July 1945.
Postwar
In French control after the war, the base sat abandoned for several years. There was much unexploded ordinance at the site which needed to be removed, as well as the wreckage of German and American aircraft. Many of the buildings at the base were destroyed by the Allied air attacks, and although some had been repaired by the American combat engineers, most were in ruins. Although it was a prewar French Air Force facility, the Air Force wanted nothing to do with a Nazi airfield on French soil. As a result, the Air Ministry leased the land, concrete runways, structures and all, out to farmers for agricultural use, sending in unexploded ordnance teams to remove the dangerous munitions.In 1950 when as a result of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
threat of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the air base at Juvincourt was offered to the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
by the French Air Ministry as part of their NATO commitment to establish a modern Air Force Base at the site. Some construction was performed, pouring a 8000' jet runway (05/23) to the south of the World War II airfield, along with aircraft dispersal areas at each end of the runway. However the construction was never completed due to the high cost of breaking the agricultural leases, and also the high costs of removing the concrete German runways and other facilities. It was cheaper to build an air base elsewhere and the land was simply sold off to private interests..
Current
Today Juvincourt Airfield is a quiet place, consisting of mostly agricultural fields. The N44 highway bisects the airfield, crossing over the southwest part running NW/SE.Of the three concrete runways laid down by the Luftwaffe, only the northwest/southeast (17/35) remains at full length and width. although some sections have been removed over the years. Many patched bomb craters are evident on the concrete. A significant amount of the east/west (09/27) runway still exists, also extensively patched, however, the 05/23 runway is almost nonexistent, being almost totally removed for hardcore aggregate. A very small section, however, can be found in the middle of a field 49°26′03.80"N 003°52′03.26"E connecting two single-track agricultural roads which are the remaining narrow concrete strips of the former runway, the full width of which can be seen in disturbed earth along the road. The enclosing perimeter track taxiway exists also as single-lane concrete farm roads. Connecting taxiways of the airfield exist as well in the same condition.
An interesting feature 49°26′07.27"N 003°52′27.84"E can be found in the middle of the airfield. It is a concrete circle in a ring, that indicates the cardinal points of the compass. It was connected by a taxiway and was used to adjust aircraft navigation equipment. The concrete control tower (coordinates listed above) today is a restaurant, with what appears to be a connecting wartime building as part of the structure located today on the west side of the N44. About 1 km northwest, also along the N44 is a British World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
cemetery 49°25′50.23"N 003°51′48.53"E which has the graves of many Tommies killed along the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
trenches that were close by the area. Nearby the cemetery are concrete bomb shelters dug by the Germans and reinforced, to protect personnel during the frequent Allied air raids.
The wooded areas to the southwest of the airfield 49°25′42"N 003°51′53"E, adjacent to the N44 is where the German ground support station was built. Many buildings still remain in the woods, in various states of disrepair, almost all constructed of concrete. This area is now on private land and access is prohibited. The woods contain underground bomb shelters; concrete aircraft hangars, ruins of barracks; workshops and other buildings. Photos of these structures can be found here: In aerial photography, the remains of aircraft taxiways and dispersal parking revetments can be seen which connected the technical site to the airfield. The railroad spur right-of-way 49°26′10.27"N 003°51′09.24"E is still visible in aerial photography, however the tracks have long since been removed.
In the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Juvincourt Airfield:Built prior to World War II as a French Air Force facility...
, northeast of the airfield, several buildings that appear to be the remains of former military barracks and bomb shelter exist. 49°26′33.33"N 003°53′25.25"E, 49°26′35.67"N 003°53′28.13"E, 49°26′46.24"N 003°53′12.56"E. Some are abandoned, some are in use today by the residents of the commune.
To the southeast of the wartime airfield is the 1950s jet aircraft runway and dispersal pads built when Juvincourt was proposed as a NATO air base. Today it is owned by Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
, being used as an automobile testing center and track.
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground
External links
- Juvincourt Airfield (in French)
- Contains many photos of the ruins of the airfield, many in restricted areas not available to the public.
- Der Flugplatz Juvincourt (in German)
- Contains many photos of the airfield and base while being used by the Luftwaffe, and has detailed descriptions of the units and aircraft assigned.