Beauvechain Air Base
Encyclopedia
Beauvechain Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield in Belgium
, located 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Beauvechain
(Walloon Brabant Province); 20 miles (32.2 km) east-southeast of Brussels
It is home to the 1st Wing
, operating A109BA helicopters, and the Basic Flying Training School, operating SIAI Marchetti SF.260 trainer aircraft.
It is used as a base for the operational helicopter squadrons, and as a training center for pilots. Beauvechain also houses the Wing Meteo and the Air Force Band. It employs 1,100, being therefore the second employer of Walloon Brabant.
Belgian Air Force military airfield established in 1936 as "Le Culot Airfield". It was captured during the Battle of Belgium
by the invading German Wehrmacht
on 10 May 1940, destroying several Hawker Hurricane
and Gloster Gladiator
aircraft stationed at the airfield.
, the facility became a major Luftwaffe
air base during the Battle of France
. During the battle, two Junkers Ju 88
A units Kampfgeschwader 3 and Kampfgeschwader 30
(KG 3; KG 30) supported the offensive, especially the crucial breakthrough at Sedan. Other elements supported the drive to the Swiss border, encircling the French forces on the Maginot Line
. When KG 30 moved into France, KG 3 remained at Le Culot, taking part in the Battle of Britain
. At he beginning of the battle KG 3 had a total of 108 Ju 88 bombers, of which 88 were combat ready. KG 3 operated during all phases of the battle. In March 1941, it left for bases in Poland
in preparation for Operation Barbarossa
, the invasion of the Soviet Union
.
With KG 3 moved out, the Germans revamped Le Culot with two concrete runways, taxiways, concrete revetments, and a maintenance station including hangars, shops and barracks.
The airfield was placed back on operational status during December 1941 when Aufklärungsgruppe 22 (AKG 22), a Long-range reconnaissance unit arrived with Ju 88s. The unit operated primarily over the North Sea
and North Atlantic spotting allied convoys and shipping. It was replaced in April 1942 by AKG 33, which remained until May when it moved to Bordeaux
to operate over the Bay of Biscay
and North Atlantic.
Le Culot did not host any operational units until November 1943, when Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6) arrived from Larissa
, Greece with Ju 88s as part of Operation Steinbock
, a late war German operation carried out by the Luftwaffe between January and May 1944 against targets in southern England, mainly in and around the London area during the night. KG 6 remained at the base until it moved to Prague. Operation Steinbock attacks from Le Culot continued with Ju 88s from Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1) and Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30) until the end of July 1944, the last large-scale aerial bombing operation against England. Afterwards only the V1 cruise missiles and V2 ballistic rockets were used for hitting the British Isles.
Le Culot Air Base was a frequent target of USAAF Ninth Air Force
B-26 Marauder
medium bombers. Also, the P-47 Thunderbolt
s of Ninth Air Force would be dispatched to perform fighter sweeps over the base after the Marauder raids, especially after the Fw 190s moved in. After the fighter sweep, the Thunderbolts would meet up with Eighth Air Force
heavy bombers returning from Germany and provide fighter escort back to England
. Le Culot was also attacked by Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers in early 1944, causing severe damage to both the airfield and station.
A-89 or "Le Culot Airfield".
Although operationally usable, Le Culot was a wrecked base from the numerous Allied air attacks and what was blown up by the Germans as they withdrew. The Americans made due with what could be repaired, and the 846th, along with 862d Engineer Aviation Regiment moving in what equipment was necessary to conduct combat operations.
The American Ninth Air Force
used the base for several units from 22 October 1944 until closing the base in June 1946. Known units assigned were:
After combat ended in May 1945, Le Culot was used as a relief distribution base, with the Allies flying in food, clothing and other needs, and using the base to distribute these supplies in Belgium and other occupied areas in the region. The airfield was returned to Belgian control in December 1946.
The wartime Belgian Spitfire flying squadrons created inside the RAF were relocated to Beauvechain, where they formed on 1 February 1948 as the 1st Fighter Wing, including four squadrons. Various units moved in and out of the base over the next 30 years.
The first F-16 arrived in Beauvechain in January 1979. The 1st Fighter Wing was disbanded on 4 March 1996 and its squadrons were relocated to Florennes Air Base
and Kleine Brogel Air Base
.
The 1st Wing
was formed as a flight training unit when all training squadrons relocated from Goetsenhoven
and Brustem
to Beauvechain in 1996.
The 1st Wing
was disbanded as a training unit and recreated as a helicopter unit in September 2010.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, located 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Beauvechain
Beauvechain
Beauvechain is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 6,529 inhabitants. The total area is 38.58 km², giving a population density of 169 inhabitants per km²....
(Walloon Brabant Province); 20 miles (32.2 km) east-southeast of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
It is home to the 1st Wing
1st Wing (Belgium)
The 1st Wing is a wing in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces, located at Beauvechain Air Base.-Training Wing:The 1st Fighter Wing was disbanded in 1996, with 349 Squadron and the Operational Conversion Unit moving to Kleine Brogel Air Base. 350 Squadron moved to Florennes Air Base...
, operating A109BA helicopters, and the Basic Flying Training School, operating SIAI Marchetti SF.260 trainer aircraft.
It is used as a base for the operational helicopter squadrons, and as a training center for pilots. Beauvechain also houses the Wing Meteo and the Air Force Band. It employs 1,100, being therefore the second employer of Walloon Brabant.
History
Beauvechain Air Base was a pre-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...
Belgian Air Force military airfield established in 1936 as "Le Culot Airfield". It was captured during the Battle of Belgium
Battle of Belgium
The Battle of Belgium or Belgian Campaign formed part of the greater Battle of France, an offensive campaign by Germany during the Second World War...
by the invading German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
on 10 May 1940, destroying several Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
and Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
aircraft stationed at the airfield.
German use during World War II
During the occupation of Belgium by Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, the facility became 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....
air base 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...
. During the battle, two 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 units Kampfgeschwader 3 and Kampfgeschwader 30
Kampfgeschwader 30
-Service history:Formed on 15 November 1939 in Greifswald. I Gruppe formed 1 September, II Gruppe on 23 September and III Gruppe on 1 January 1940, based in Greifswald then Barth...
(KG 3; KG 30) supported the offensive, especially the crucial breakthrough at Sedan. Other elements supported the drive to the Swiss border, encircling the French forces on the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
. When KG 30 moved into France, KG 3 remained at Le Culot, taking part in 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...
. At he beginning of the battle KG 3 had a total of 108 Ju 88 bombers, of which 88 were combat ready. KG 3 operated during all phases of the battle. In March 1941, it left for bases in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in preparation for Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the invasion 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....
.
With KG 3 moved out, the Germans revamped Le Culot with two concrete runways, taxiways, concrete revetments, and a maintenance station including hangars, shops and barracks.
The airfield was placed back on operational status during December 1941 when Aufklärungsgruppe 22 (AKG 22), a Long-range reconnaissance unit arrived with Ju 88s. The unit operated primarily over the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and North Atlantic spotting allied convoys and shipping. It was replaced in April 1942 by AKG 33, which remained until May when it moved to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
to operate over the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
and North Atlantic.
Le Culot did not host any operational units until November 1943, when Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6) arrived from Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
, Greece with Ju 88s as part of Operation Steinbock
Operation Steinbock
Operation Steinbock was the nocturnal Second World War Luftwaffe offensive operation to destroy British military and civilian targets in southern England, between January and May 1944. The attacks were mainly in and around the Greater London area...
, a late war German operation carried out by the Luftwaffe between January and May 1944 against targets in southern England, mainly in and around the London area during the night. KG 6 remained at the base until it moved to Prague. Operation Steinbock attacks from Le Culot continued with Ju 88s from Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1) and Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30) until the end of July 1944, the last large-scale aerial bombing operation against England. Afterwards only the V1 cruise missiles and V2 ballistic rockets were used for hitting the British Isles.
Le Culot Air Base was a frequent target of 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....
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. 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 the base after the Marauder raids, especially after the Fw 190s moved in. After the fighter sweep, the Thunderbolts would meet up with 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....
heavy bombers returning from Germany 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...
. Le Culot was also attacked by Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers in early 1944, causing severe damage to both the airfield and station.
Allied use
After the German forces were removed from the Beauvechain area in early September 1944, Combat engineers of the United States Army Air Force IX Engineering Command 846th Engineer Aviation Regiment repaired the damaged airfield and applied numerous patches to the two concrete runways and taxiways of the field. The airfield was severely damaged from the Allied bombing attacks while in German hands, and it took nearly six weeks to make the airfield operationally ready for combat units. It was opened on 28 October, being designated as Advanced Landing GroundAdvanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
A-89 or "Le Culot Airfield".
Although operationally usable, Le Culot was a wrecked base from the numerous Allied air attacks and what was blown up by the Germans as they withdrew. The Americans made due with what could be repaired, and the 846th, along with 862d Engineer Aviation Regiment moving in what equipment was necessary to conduct combat operations.
The American 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 22 October 1944 until closing the base in June 1946. Known units assigned were:
- 373d Fighter Group373d Fighter GroupThe 373d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with First Air Force stationed at Mitchel Field , New York. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945....
, 22 October 1944-11 March 1945 (P-47) - 36th Fighter Group, 27 October 1944-26 March 1945 (P-47)
- 322d Bombardment Group, March-June 1946 (B-26)
After combat ended in May 1945, Le Culot was used as a relief distribution base, with the Allies flying in food, clothing and other needs, and using the base to distribute these supplies in Belgium and other occupied areas in the region. The airfield was returned to Belgian control in December 1946.
Postwar and current use
After being returned to Belgian control, the base was totally rebuilt, as the war had destroyed the base almost completely.The wartime Belgian Spitfire flying squadrons created inside the RAF were relocated to Beauvechain, where they formed on 1 February 1948 as the 1st Fighter Wing, including four squadrons. Various units moved in and out of the base over the next 30 years.
The first F-16 arrived in Beauvechain in January 1979. The 1st Fighter Wing was disbanded on 4 March 1996 and its squadrons were relocated to Florennes Air Base
Florennes Air Base
Florennes Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield located in Florennes, a municipality of Belgium. It is home to the 2nd Tactical Wing, operating F-16 Fighting Falcons. It also used to be the home to the Tactical Leadership Programme , a joint training program formed by 10 NATO members...
and Kleine Brogel Air Base
Kleine Brogel Air Base
Kleine Brogel Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield located in Kleine Brogel, a municipality of Belgium. It is home to the 10th Tactical Wing, operating F-16 Fighting Falcons.It has been subject to much political controversy because of U.S...
.
The 1st Wing
1st Wing (Belgium)
The 1st Wing is a wing in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces, located at Beauvechain Air Base.-Training Wing:The 1st Fighter Wing was disbanded in 1996, with 349 Squadron and the Operational Conversion Unit moving to Kleine Brogel Air Base. 350 Squadron moved to Florennes Air Base...
was formed as a flight training unit when all training squadrons relocated from Goetsenhoven
Goetsenhoven Military Airfield
Goetsenhoven Military Airfield is a Belgian Air Component base, located south of Tienen , approximately east-southeast of Brussels ....
and Brustem
Sint-Truiden Air Base
Sint-Truiden Air Base is a Belgian Air Component base, located south of Sint-Truiden , approximately east of Brussels ....
to Beauvechain in 1996.
The 1st Wing
1st Wing (Belgium)
The 1st Wing is a wing in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces, located at Beauvechain Air Base.-Training Wing:The 1st Fighter Wing was disbanded in 1996, with 349 Squadron and the Operational Conversion Unit moving to Kleine Brogel Air Base. 350 Squadron moved to Florennes Air Base...
was disbanded as a training unit and recreated as a helicopter unit in September 2010.
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground