Laon-Couvron military airfield
| Laon-Couvron Air Base Quartier Mangin sur l'ancienne base de Couvron |
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| Characteristics | |
| Coordinates | |
| Height above MSL | 80 m (262 ft ) |
| Transport links | |
| Distance from the city center | 10 km northwest of Laon |
| Street |
D 26 10 km to 
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| Basic data | |
| opening | 1938 |
| closure | 2012 |
| operator | lastly Armée de terre |
| surface | 600 ha |
| Start-and runway | |
| 03/21 | 2407 m of concrete |
The Laon-Couvron Air Base (. French Base aérienne de Laon-Couvron ) was a NATO - military airport of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) in France with roots dating back to the early days of aviation.
The net of USAFE until 2012 by the French army as Quartier Mangin sur l'ancienne base de Couvron used property is located in the region of Hauts-de-France in the department of Aisne on the municipalities Couvron-et-Aumencourt , Vivaise and Chéry -lès-Pouilly , about ten kilometers northwest of Laon .
A racetrack is currently being built here.
history
During the final phase of the First World War , the German army set up an airfield on the site for their air force to defend a Paris gun .
In the period of armament before the outbreak of World War II , the French Armée de l'air reactivated the former airfield and in 1938 opened a full-fledged military airfield with a grass runway. It became home to the 23rd hunting group, Groupement de Chasse 23 , which was equipped with Morane-Saulnier MS.406 .
Second World War
After the start of the western campaign of the German Wehrmacht and the conquest of the airfield by the German Wehrmacht, it immediately became a base for tactical units of the Air Force to further support the ground offensive. In the last week of May 1940, this included the I. and II. Groups of Jagdgeschwader 53 (I. and II./JG 53) and in the following two weeks of June the I. and III. Jagdgeschwader 2 group (I. and III./JG 2), both equipped with the Bf 109E . Then the Ju 87B of the I. Group of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (I./St.G 2), initially also those of III./St.G 2, used Couvron airfield until July .
With the beginning of the Battle of Britain , the base became a bomber base. The majority of Kampfgeschwader 77 (KG 77) was stationed here between June 1940 and February 1941. The squadron initially flew the Do 17Z and later the Ju 88A . The IV. Group remained in Couvron until 1942 and from October 1942 the IV. Group of Kampfgeschwader 100 (IV./KG 100) with He 111H was here until winter .
The airfield, which was sometimes also referred to as "Crepy Air Base", was subsequently expanded, including two 600 m long concrete runways (orientation 02/20 and 10/28). Between August 1943 and the beginning of April 1944, the 3rd squadron of the battle squadron 101 (SG 101) was based here.
Later, from mid-March to mid-June 1944, the combat squadron 101 (KG 101), a Bf109E / Ju88A mistletoe unit, was stationed here.
After the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy , Ju 188E of the II. Group of Kampfgeschwader 2 (II./KG 2) moved to Couvron, with only the 6th squadron remaining here from the end of June. Then the II. Group of Kampfgeschwader 30 (II./KG 30), equipped with Ju 88A, operated for a few days from Couvron in mid-July 1944 and in the second half of August the staff of Jagdgeschwader 27 (Stab / JG 27) was with them some Bf 109G. In these last few weeks under German command, the field has repeatedly been the target of Allied air strikes, in particular by A-26s of the Ninth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces .
After the liberation of the area by the US Army, Airfield A.70 , its allied code name, became home to the Ninth Air Force in September 1944, initially to the 50th Fighter Group with its P-47 fighter-bombers until the end of the month . It was replaced by the B-26 equipped 409th Bombardment Group in February 1945 , which was in Couvron until June. The property was then returned to France and initially not used for military purposes.
Laon-Couvron Air Base
After the beginning of the Cold War , the former airfield was selected as one of a number of future NATO bases for the United States Air Force (USAF). The airfield was completely rebuilt in June 1951, including a runway suitable for jets.
Although the new building was completed in 1954, the re-aeronautical use started by the United States Air Forces in Europe in late May (USAFE) 1952. The first to use was the 126th Bombardment Wing of the Air National Guard , equipped the three B-26B / C light bomber squadrons were subject. Aircraft and equipment were taken over from the 38th Tactical Bombardment Wing of the regular air force on site at the beginning of 1953 . The conversion to the B-57B / C in the nuclear role took place from May 1955 and the squadron maintained an aerobatic team with the "Black Knights". After President de Gaulle ordered in 1958 that all nuclear weapons, including their delivery systems, had to leave France by July 1958, the 38th Tactical Bomber Squadron was decommissioned in mid-June 1958.
New house, being the beginning of July to date in Sembach lying 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing , with its three RF-84F -Aufklärungsstaffeln due to repair and expansion work in Laon until the following September from Phalsbourg Coming arrived in Couvron. Part of the squadron converted to the RF-101C in 1959 .
As a result of France's withdrawal from the military integration of NATO in spring 1966, the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was relocated to Upper Heyford in November 1966 and the remaining Americans withdrew in March 1967.
District Mangin sur l'ancienne base de Couvron
After the USAF withdrew, the airfield became a barracks of the Armée de terre and renamed Quartier Mangin sur l'ancienne base de Couvron .
In the decades that followed, three large hangars were demolished and replaced by new buildings. Aviation use was limited to combat helicopters .
The 1st Marine Artillery Regiment , (1er régiment d'artillerie de marine) (1er RAMa) was stationed here between 1993 and 2012.
Todays use
As part of the conversion of the former military base, a race track is to be built here , which is to be completed in 2015. In addition to the public sector, the former Formula 1 driver Jonathan Palmer is contributing part of the investment.