Bordeaux-Merignac Air Base
Encyclopedia
Bordeaux-Mérignac Air Base is a former (1951–1958) United States Air Force
base in France
. It is located in the Gironde
département, 6 miles west of the city of Bordeaux
.
During the early years of the Cold War
, Bordeaux-Mérignac was a front-line base for the United States Air Forces in Europe
(USAFE).
, flying from Bordeaux to various destinations in Europe and North Africa. Military uses by the French Air Force was as a training center and also as a bomber base.
During World War II
the German Luftwaffe
took control of the base and used it as a center for maritime reconnaissance. German unit was based in the base, patrolling the Atlantic and engaging RAF and USAF planes. Focke-Wulf Fw-200 "Condor"
aircraft flew from the base roaming the Atlantic Ocean
looking for Allied shipping. Junkers Ju-88 long range fighters also operated from the base, protecting submarines and Condors and fighting Allied antisubmarine planes. Fights over the Gulf of Biscay were not strange.
The United States Army Air Force 8th Air Force and the Royal Air Force
attacked the base in 1943. Chuck Yeager was shot down in one of these missions over Bordeaux.
After the war Air France resumed commercial operations out of Bordeaux and the reestablished French Air Force returned to use the facility.
. Construction of a modern air base suitable for jet aircraft began on 1 August. Much evidence of the war remained with many warning signs still in German, scattered munitions around the facility; the perimeter was still mined; large quantities of practice bombs, and destroyed hangars and other buildings as a result of Allied air raids.
Site preparation and construction of the new runways was performed by the U.S. Army's 469th Engineer Aviation Battalion (EAB) -- a newly formed SCARWAF (Special Category Army With Air Force) unit.
The 126th Bombardment Wing was the first USAF organization to arrive at Bordeaux AB on 7 December 1951. The wing flew the World War II
vintage Douglas B-26C "Invaders". The 126th was part of the Illinois
Air National Guard
which was ordered to active service on 1 April 1951 as a result of the Korean War
. The unit was initially assigned to Tactical Air Command
at Langley AFB, Virginia
.
The Korean War was a turning point for the U.S. military establishment including the Air Guard. The callup exposed the glaring weaknesses of the ANG. Units and individuals lacked specific wartime missions. Their equipment, especially aircraft, was obsolete. Their training was usually marginal. Once mobilized, they proved to be almost totally unprepared for combat.
The wing moved to Bordeaux AB, France from Langley AFB Virginia
, with the first elements arriving in November 1951. The 126th BW was assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. By 10 November, Bordeaux was considered an operational base and was assigned to the 12th Air Force.
At Bordeaux, the 126th BW consisted of the 108th, 168th and 180th
Bomb Squadrons (Light). The aircraft were marked by various color bands on the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Black/Yellow/Blue for the 108th; Black/Yellow/Red for the 168th, and Black/Yellow/Green for the 180th.
It flew B-26's for training and maneuvers and stayed at Bordeaux AB until being transferred Laon AB
, France on 25 May 1952 where it remained for the balance of the year.
The 126th was relieved from active duty and transferred, without personnel and equipment, back to the control of the Illinois ANG on 1 January 1953.
As a result of the uproar that the poorly managed reserve mobilizations during 1950-51 created. The Congress was much more willing than either the Department of Defense or the military services to fund the reserves properly. Moreover, beginning with the passage of the Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1952, a series of key laws eliminated most of the old inequities and fostered the development of more effective reserve components. It also permitted the use of Guard and Reserve volunteers to support the active duty forces.
Through the 1950s, the Air National Guard
evolved into a force that was increasingly integrated with the planning and operations of the Air Force. By the end of the decade, the Air Guard had become a larger, more capable, and increasingly diverse organization.
, Libya
.
In November 1952, the 12th Air Rescue Group stationed the 81st, 82nd and 83rd Air Rescue Squadrons at Bordeaux, providing air/sea rescue service and practing pilot recoveries at Lake Cazaux
near Arcachon
. The squadrons flew Sikorsky H-19B "Chickasaw" helicopters and Grumman SA-16 Albatross fixed wing amphibian seaplanes.
The 12th ARG departed Bordeaux AB in July, 1953.
In late 1953 a joint-use gunnery range was established near Bordeaux at Cazaux AB, a French Air Force
facility 34 miles to the southwest of the base. The facility had been used as a gunnery range by the French since the 1920s.
By 1955 Bordeaux had been developed into a major transportation portal for aircraft, material and personnel deploying from the United States, to be used in case of an emergency in Europe. The 7413th ABG had several C-47 Skytrain
transport aircraft attached for various duties.
, near Marseille
to set up a flight operations office and facilities to service transient aircraft. Marignane Airport was used at a refueling stop for USAFE aircraft in southern France on their way to North African gunnery ranges in Libya
and Morocco
.
The detachment at Marseille
was considered to be a Geographically Geperated Unit and the USAF personnel there were paid in French currency and lived on the local economy.
The facilities at Marseille
were used until the USAF withdrawal from France
in 1966. Today, Marseille Provence Airport
is the 5th busiest airport in France
for passenger traffic and 2nd for cargo traffic.
.
On 1 October 1958, Bordeaux Air Base was closed to reduce USAFE expenses and manpower. All ongoing activities were moved to Châteauroux Air Base
. The U. S. Army operated the faclilty for a few years after the Air Force departed, but ended their activities in 1961 and the entire facility returned to French control.
civil airport. The old USAF facilities are indistinguishable from the current-day Bordeaux - Mérignac Airport . It is one of the ten busiest airports in France
.
As well as its civil use, the French Air Force
designated Bordeaux Air Base BA 106, and it has been used in its strategic air force.
As a consequence of the temporary closure of the Cazaux
military base, the civil authorities have been forced to share the runaway with the French Army since November 2005.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base in France
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 is located in the Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
département, 6 miles west of the city of 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...
.
During the early years of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Bordeaux-Mérignac was a front-line base for the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
(USAFE).
Origins
Bordeaux-Mérignac Air Base originated in the 1920s, when a joint civilian/military air field was established there. The facility was a major hub for Air FranceAir France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
, flying from Bordeaux to various destinations in Europe and North Africa. Military uses by the French Air Force was as a training center and also as a bomber base.
During 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...
the German 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....
took control of the base and used it as a center for maritime reconnaissance. German unit was based in the base, patrolling the Atlantic and engaging RAF and USAF planes. Focke-Wulf Fw-200 "Condor"
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
aircraft flew from the base roaming the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
looking for Allied shipping. Junkers Ju-88 long range fighters also operated from the base, protecting submarines and Condors and fighting Allied antisubmarine planes. Fights over the Gulf of Biscay were not strange.
The United States Army Air Force 8th Air Force and the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
attacked the base in 1943. Chuck Yeager was shot down in one of these missions over Bordeaux.
After the war Air France resumed commercial operations out of Bordeaux and the reestablished French Air Force returned to use the facility.
NATO acquisition
In 1951 Bordeaux was turned over to NATO for use by the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Construction of a modern air base suitable for jet aircraft began on 1 August. Much evidence of the war remained with many warning signs still in German, scattered munitions around the facility; the perimeter was still mined; large quantities of practice bombs, and destroyed hangars and other buildings as a result of Allied air raids.
Site preparation and construction of the new runways was performed by the U.S. Army's 469th Engineer Aviation Battalion (EAB) -- a newly formed SCARWAF (Special Category Army With Air Force) unit.
126th Bombardment Wing (Light)
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...
vintage Douglas B-26C "Invaders". The 126th was part of the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
which was ordered to active service on 1 April 1951 as a result of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. The unit was initially assigned to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
at Langley AFB, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
The wing moved to Bordeaux AB, France from Langley AFB Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, with the first elements arriving in November 1951. The 126th BW was assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. By 10 November, Bordeaux was considered an operational base and was assigned to the 12th Air Force.
At Bordeaux, the 126th BW consisted of the 108th, 168th and 180th
180th Airlift Squadron
The 180th Airlift Squadron is located at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base at Rosecrans Memorial Airport, Saint Joseph, Missouri. It is part of the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, and operationally flies the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft...
Bomb Squadrons (Light). The aircraft were marked by various color bands on the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Black/Yellow/Blue for the 108th; Black/Yellow/Red for the 168th, and Black/Yellow/Green for the 180th.
It flew B-26's for training and maneuvers and stayed at Bordeaux AB until being transferred Laon AB
Laon-Couvron Air Base
Laon-Couvron Air Base is a former French and United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Aisne département of France, less than one mile southeast of the village of Couvron and 6 miles northwest of Laon; on the southwest side of the Autoroute des Anglais 1 Mile east of the...
, France on 25 May 1952 where it remained for the balance of the year.
The 126th was relieved from active duty and transferred, without personnel and equipment, back to the control of the Illinois ANG on 1 January 1953.
As a result of the uproar that the poorly managed reserve mobilizations during 1950-51 created. The Congress was much more willing than either the Department of Defense or the military services to fund the reserves properly. Moreover, beginning with the passage of the Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1952, a series of key laws eliminated most of the old inequities and fostered the development of more effective reserve components. It also permitted the use of Guard and Reserve volunteers to support the active duty forces.
Through the 1950s, the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
evolved into a force that was increasingly integrated with the planning and operations of the Air Force. By the end of the decade, the Air Guard had become a larger, more capable, and increasingly diverse organization.
7413th Air Base Group
After the departure of the B-26's, the 7413th Air Base Group was activated at Bordeaux AB in 1953. The 7413th provided support to transient aircraft for USAFE tactical fighters deploying to and from the desert gunnery range at Wheelus ABWheelus Air Base
-See also:*List of airports in Libya-External links:*****...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
In November 1952, the 12th Air Rescue Group stationed the 81st, 82nd and 83rd Air Rescue Squadrons at Bordeaux, providing air/sea rescue service and practing pilot recoveries at Lake Cazaux
Cazaux
Cazaux is a commune of the Ariège department in southwestern France....
near Arcachon
Arcachon
Arcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
. The squadrons flew Sikorsky H-19B "Chickasaw" helicopters and Grumman SA-16 Albatross fixed wing amphibian seaplanes.
The 12th ARG departed Bordeaux AB in July, 1953.
In late 1953 a joint-use gunnery range was established near Bordeaux at Cazaux AB, 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 34 miles to the southwest of the base. The facility had been used as a gunnery range by the French since the 1920s.
By 1955 Bordeaux had been developed into a major transportation portal for aircraft, material and personnel deploying from the United States, to be used in case of an emergency in Europe. The 7413th ABG had several C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The 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...
transport aircraft attached for various duties.
Marseille-Marignane Airport
On 20 July 1955 Det. 2, 7413th Air Base Group was set up at Marignane AirportMarseille Provence Airport
Marseille Provence Airport or Aéroport de Marseille Provence is an airport located 27 km northwest of Marseille, on the territory of Marignane, both communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région of France...
, near Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
to set up a flight operations office and facilities to service transient aircraft. Marignane Airport was used at a refueling stop for USAFE aircraft in southern France on their way to North African gunnery ranges in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
The detachment at Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
was considered to be a Geographically Geperated Unit and the USAF personnel there were paid in French currency and lived on the local economy.
The facilities at Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
were used until the USAF withdrawal from France
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...
in 1966. Today, Marseille Provence Airport
Marseille Provence Airport
Marseille Provence Airport or Aéroport de Marseille Provence is an airport located 27 km northwest of Marseille, on the territory of Marignane, both communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région of France...
is the 5th busiest airport in France
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...
for passenger traffic and 2nd for cargo traffic.
USAF closure
By 1957, the suitability of the Cazaux range was becoming limited due to the upgrading of the USAFE tactical fighter forces. In January the use of the facility was discontinued. However, a Boy Scout facility was established on the former range and was used for many years by American scouts from all across FranceFrance
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...
.
On 1 October 1958, Bordeaux Air Base was closed to reduce USAFE expenses and manpower. All ongoing activities were moved to Châteauroux Air Base
Châteauroux-Déols Air Base
Châteauroux-Déols Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Indre département of France, located about 3 miles northeast of Châteauroux and about 1 mile northeast of Déols on the east side of the Départemental 920 road in Central France.During the Cold...
. The U. S. Army operated the faclilty for a few years after the Air Force departed, but ended their activities in 1961 and the entire facility returned to French control.
Current uses
Today Bordeaux Air Base has been incorporated into Bordeaux'sBordeaux
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...
civil airport. The old USAF facilities are indistinguishable from the current-day Bordeaux - Mérignac Airport . It is one of the ten busiest airports in France
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...
.
As well as its civil use, 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...
designated Bordeaux Air Base BA 106, and it has been used in its strategic air force.
As a consequence of the temporary closure of the Cazaux
Cazaux
Cazaux is a commune of the Ariège department in southwestern France....
military base, the civil authorities have been forced to share the runaway with the French Army since November 2005.
See also
- United States Air Force In FranceUnited States Air Force In FranceDuring the early years of the Cold War, the United States Air Force deployed thousands of personnel and hundreds of combat aircraft to France to counter the buildup of Soviet forces in Eastern Europe....
- United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
- Aéroport de Bordeaux MérignacAéroport de Bordeaux Mérignac-Ground transport:The airport is accessible by :*Road: Rocade 11b*Public transport:**Jet'Bus shuttle serving the Bordeaux Saint-Jean railway station**Bus line 1 serving the city centre....
(In English) - Aéroport de Bordeaux - Mérignac(In French)
External links
- 126th Bombardment Wing (Light)
- Aviation Photos: Bordeaux - Merignac (BOD / LFBD)
- History of aeronautics in Bordeaux and its area (In French)
- Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport Official Website (In French)
- Bordeaux-Mérignac: