Orléans - Bricy Air Base
Encyclopedia
Orléans – Bricy Air Base is a French Air Force
( (ALA) base. The base is located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) north-northwesst of Ingré
near the city of Orléans
; about 65 miles (104.6 km) south-southwest of Paris
.
The mission of the base is primarily tactical airlift.
as a French Air Force
facility. It was seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battle of France
, and was used as a major Luftwaffe
military airfield during the occupation. LG 1 (Luftflotte (Air Fleet) 3/Fliegerkorps (Division) V/1st Heavy Fighter Wing) stationed Junkers Ju 88
A-5 (Fuselage Code L1+) day/night interceptor
s at the base.
It was liberated by Allied ground forces about 22 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign. Almost immediately, the USAAF IX Engineering Command 832d, 833dd and 877th Engineer Aviation Battalions began clearing the base of mines and destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft and repairing operational facilities for use by American aircraft. Subsequently, Bricy became a USAAF Ninth Air Force
combat airfield, designated as "A-50" about 24 August, only a few days after its capture from German forces.
Almost immediately, the repaired base became home to numerous combat units.
The Americans returned control of the base to the French Air Force at the end of October 1945 and it returned to being a French military airfield.
After the war, the base was completely rebuilt. An 8000' new jet runway was laid down along with two circular marguerite systems of hardstands that could be revetted later with earth for added protection. The Marguerite consist of fifteen to eighteen hardstands around a semicircular taxiway. Each hardstand can hold one or two aircraft, and allows the planes to be spaced approximately 150 feet (46 m) apart. Each marguerite is dispersed at each end of the runway, allowing the aircraft to be launched quickly. Each squadron is assigned to a separate hangar/hardstand complex.The wartime main runway was extended to become the taxiway for the new jet runway. Additional dispersed aircraft parking, ramp space and hangars were also constructed, along with a completely new administrative and personnel area. A 4000' grass runway was also constructed for glider and small aircraft landings.
Today, the base is a modern, fully equipped NATO base. Bricy will be the home of the upcoming Airbus A400M
new European tactical cargo aircraft for 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...
( (ALA) base. The base is located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) north-northwesst of Ingré
Ingré
Ingré is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
near the city of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
; about 65 miles (104.6 km) south-southwest 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 mission of the base is primarily tactical airlift.
Units
- 2 Squadrons of tactical transport.
- 1 Squadron of intelligence and electronic war (SIGINTSIGINTSignals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether between people , whether involving electronic signals not directly used in communication , or combinations of the two...
/ ELINT). - Group telecommunications.
- Commando Parachutistes de l'Air (CPA N°10).
History
Orléans-Bricy Air Base was built prior to World War IIWorld 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...
as a 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...
facility. It was seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battle of France
Battle 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 used as a major 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....
military airfield during the occupation. LG 1 (Luftflotte (Air Fleet) 3/Fliegerkorps (Division) V/1st Heavy Fighter Wing) stationed Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The 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-5 (Fuselage Code L1+) day/night interceptor
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
s at the base.
It was liberated by Allied ground forces about 22 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign. Almost immediately, the USAAF IX Engineering Command 832d, 833dd and 877th Engineer Aviation Battalions began clearing the base of mines and destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft and repairing operational facilities for use by American aircraft. Subsequently, Bricy became a USAAF 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....
combat airfield, designated as "A-50" about 24 August, only a few days after its capture from German forces.
Almost immediately, the repaired base became home to numerous combat units.
- 394th Bombardment Group394th Bombardment GroupThe 394th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the XII Fighter Command stationed at AAF Station Kitzingen, Germany. It was inactivated on 15 February 1946...
, flew B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe 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....
s from 18 September through 8 October 1944 - 440th Troop Carrier Group, flew 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...
s from 2 November 1944 through 18 October 1945. The C-47s pulled gliders in the airborne assault across the Rhine (Operation VarsityOperation VarsityOperation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
).
The Americans returned control of the base to the French Air Force at the end of October 1945 and it returned to being a French military airfield.
After the war, the base was completely rebuilt. An 8000' new jet runway was laid down along with two circular marguerite systems of hardstands that could be revetted later with earth for added protection. The Marguerite consist of fifteen to eighteen hardstands around a semicircular taxiway. Each hardstand can hold one or two aircraft, and allows the planes to be spaced approximately 150 feet (46 m) apart. Each marguerite is dispersed at each end of the runway, allowing the aircraft to be launched quickly. Each squadron is assigned to a separate hangar/hardstand complex.The wartime main runway was extended to become the taxiway for the new jet runway. Additional dispersed aircraft parking, ramp space and hangars were also constructed, along with a completely new administrative and personnel area. A 4000' grass runway was also constructed for glider and small aircraft landings.
Today, the base is a modern, fully equipped NATO base. Bricy will be the home of the upcoming Airbus A400M
Airbus A400M
The Airbus A400M, also known as the Atlas, is a multi-national four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities. The aircraft's maiden flight, originally planned for 2008, took place on 11 December 2009 in...
new European tactical cargo aircraft for the French Air Force.
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground