Saint Jean d'Angély-Fontenet military airfield

Camp de Fontenet ; Base aérienne 129 Saint Jean d'Angély-Fontenet
Characteristics
Coordinates	45 ° 54 ′ 0 ″ N , 0 ° 27 ′ 18 ″ W Coordinates: 45 ° 54 ′ 0 ″ N , 0 ° 27 ′ 18 ″ W.
Height above MSL	75 m (246 ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	10 km southeast of Saint Jean d'Angély
Street	D 221; 12 km
Basic data
opening	1939
closure	1961/1990
Start-and runway
08/26

The area known as Camp de Fontenet is a former military airfield . The French Air Force designated it as Base aérienne 129 Saint Jean d'Angély-Fontenet . The site is located in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the department of Charente-Maritime in the field of Fontenet , about ten kilometers southeast of Saint-Jean-d'Angély .

history

Construction on Base 129 began in 1937 and opened as a training facility in 1939.

During the Second World War , air force units also used the space in the hinterland of the submarine bases in Bordeaux and La Rochelle-La Pallice . Between October 1940 and May 1941, two of the three squadrons of the supplementary group of Jagdgeschwader 53 which were equipped with Bf 109E and later Bf 109F were located here . Between January and April 1941, the supplementary group of Jagdgeschwader 3 was added , also equipped with Bf 109E .

In the further course of the war during the Atlantic Battle , part of the squadrons of the supplementary hunting group East were stationed here between September 1942 and February 1944 . The aircraft types flown by these were the Bf 109F / G and Fw 190A .

The last flying formation of the Luftwaffe was between February and July 1944 the 7th squadron of Kampfgeschwader 40 with its Fw 200C - maritime patrols .

After the war, the French air forces used the base until 1961. The military use finally ended in 1990.

In addition to agricultural use, there is now a small solar park here.