Toussus-le-Noble Airport
Encyclopedia
Toussus-le-Noble Airport is a regional airport in France
. It supports general aviation
with no commercial airline service scheduled. Many French governmental aircraft are hangared and maintained at the airport and it used primarily for government travel and charters, as well as private aircraft.
and also during the early part (1939–1940) of World War II
.
It was seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battle of France
, and was used by Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (SKG 77), a Luftwaffe
dive bombing wing, during the Battle of Britain
flying Junkers Ju 87
"Stukas" and later Dornier Do 17
light bombers between December 1940 and March 1941. When SKG 77 moved out, the airfield not actively used, but remained an auxiliary dispersal airfield by several units, but not having any active units or aircraft assigned.
It was liberated by Allied ground forces about 28 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign. Almost immediately, the United States Army Air Force IX Engineering Command 818th Engineer Aviation Battalion cleared the airport of mines and destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft. In addition, a 4000' all-weather temporary Square-Mesh (SMT) runway was quickly overlaid over the existing turf runway, being aligned 07/25. Fortunately, little battle damage was sustained, and Toussus-le-Noble Airport became a USAAF Ninth Air Force
combat airfield, designated as "A-46" about 30 August, two days after its liberation.
Under American control, the Ninth Air Force
assigned the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group to the airport which flew a variety of photo-reconnaissance aircraft until the end of September 1944. The combat unit then moved east along with the Allied lines and the airport became a resupply and casualty evacuation airfield, as well as liaison aircraft assigned to Allied headquarters in Paris. The Americans returned full control of the airport to French authorities on 8 August 1945.
After the war, the military parking apron, temporary buildings, along with various aircraft wreckage were removed. The temporary SMT runway was made permanent and resurfaced (07R/25L), and a second runway (07L/25R) along with expanding ground facilities was constructed.
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...
. It supports general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
with no commercial airline service scheduled. Many French governmental aircraft are hangared and maintained at the airport and it used primarily for government travel and charters, as well as private aircraft.
History
The airport is one of the oldest in France, being established in 1907. It was used by the French Air Force during 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...
and also during the early part (1939–1940) of 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...
.
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 by Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (SKG 77), a 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....
dive bombing wing, during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
flying Junkers Ju 87
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
"Stukas" and later Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The 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...
light bombers between December 1940 and March 1941. When SKG 77 moved out, the airfield not actively used, but remained an auxiliary dispersal airfield by several units, but not having any active units or aircraft assigned.
It was liberated by Allied ground forces about 28 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign. Almost immediately, the United States Army Air Force IX Engineering Command 818th Engineer Aviation Battalion cleared the airport of mines and destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft. In addition, a 4000' all-weather temporary Square-Mesh (SMT) runway was quickly overlaid over the existing turf runway, being aligned 07/25. Fortunately, little battle damage was sustained, and Toussus-le-Noble Airport 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-46" about 30 August, two days after its liberation.
Under American control, the 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....
assigned the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group to the airport which flew a variety of photo-reconnaissance aircraft until the end of September 1944. The combat unit then moved east along with the Allied lines and the airport became a resupply and casualty evacuation airfield, as well as liaison aircraft assigned to Allied headquarters in Paris. The Americans returned full control of the airport to French authorities on 8 August 1945.
After the war, the military parking apron, temporary buildings, along with various aircraft wreckage were removed. The temporary SMT runway was made permanent and resurfaced (07R/25L), and a second runway (07L/25R) along with expanding ground facilities was constructed.
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground