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| Lannion Airfield | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lannion, France | |||||||
 Lannion Airfield in the 1950s, showing craters and signs of no activity. | |||||||
| Coordinates | 48°45′20″N 3°28′40″W / 48.75556°N 3.47778°W / 48.75556; -3.47778 | ||||||
| Type | Military airfield | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Luftwaffe | ||||||
| Controlled by | Airfield Command E 73/III (1940 - Jan 1943), Airfield Command A 27/XII (Jan 1943 - Jun 1944) | ||||||
| Condition | Re-developed into Lannion–Côte de Granit Airport | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | Pre-1940 | ||||||
| In use | June 1940 - April 1944 | ||||||
| Demolished | 19, April, 1944 | ||||||
| Battles/wars | World War II | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| |||||||
Lannion Airfield is a defunct Luftwaffe airfield located in Lannion, France.
History
Prior to its German occupation of France, Lannion Airfield served as an unimportant small airfield with a 695 x 640 meter large landing field. On June 1940, the airfield was listed as operational, and units were stationed at the airfield. However, full-scale operations did not begin until construction work to pave the airfield was completed on April 1941. The runway was installed with permanent runway illumination, a beamed approach system, and a visual Lorenz system. On 20 April 1941, 1,149 Non-german workers assisted in the construction.
Shortly afterwards, low-level attacks by the Royal Air Force were made which destroyed 3 Ju-88s of the Coastal Aviation Group 606. On 19 May, 1941, a German pilot by the of name Eiermann, Helmut was killed and two other crew wounded after AA struck his Ju-88 aircraft, and shortly crash-landed on the airfield afterwards. On 20 June, 1942, the airfield was bombed by 11 Douglas A-20 Boston light bombers.
Occasional staging use
After August 1942, Lannion Airfield was used for occasional staging missions, however, units were no longer based there. On 3 December 1943, a dispersal of 25 medium covered, and 6 medium open was opened. On 19 April, 1944, the airfield was rendered unserviceable, as the landing area was plowed with trenches and craters from detonated mines.
Currently, the airport is known as Lannion–Côte de Granit Airport.
Satellite and decoy fields
Lannion Airfield was assigned to 4 decoy and satellite fields.
- Lannion-Saint-Michel-en-Grève
Description: Satellite or dispersal field, approximately 11 km southwest of Lannion airfield. Coordinates: 48°41′0″N 3°33′0″W / 48.68333°N 3.55000°W / 48.68333; -3.55000
- Lannion-Kerprigent
Description: Dummy airfield, 15 km east-northeast of Lannion airfield. Coordinates: 48°46′0″N 3°16′10″W / 48.76667°N 3.26944°W / 48.76667; -3.26944
- Lannion – Île Grande
Description: Dummy airfield, 10 km northwest of Lannion airfield. Coordinates: 48°48′5″N 3°35′0″W / 48.80139°N 3.58333°W / 48.80139; -3.58333
- Lannion-Trégastel
Description: Decoy, located 6.5 km north-northwest of Lannion airfield.
Units and commands
Units and Commands that were stationed at Lannion Airfield.
Operational units
- 2nd Group of Dive Bomber Wing 2 (Jun-Dec 1940): Operated from June to December 1940.
- Bomber Group 606 (May-Oct 1941): Operated from May to October 1941.
- Reconnaissance/Support Unit 123 (Aug 1941 – Jul/Aug 1942): Active from August 1941 to July/August 1942.
- 2nd Group of Bomber Wing 1 (May 1941): Began operations in May 1941.
- 2nd Group of Bomber Wing 54 (May 1941): Active from May 1941.
- 1st Group of Bomber Wing 77 (May 1941): Started operations in May 1941.
- 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron of Reconnaissance Group 123 (Aug 1941 – Jul/Aug 1942): Operated from August 1941 to July/August 1942.
Reserve training and replacement units
These units focused on training and personnel replacement.
- Replacement Chain of Bomber Group 606 (Oct 1941 – May 1942): Operated between October 1941 and May 1942.
Station commands
Units responsible for coordination within a specific airfield or station.
- Airfield Command E 73/III (1940 – Jan 1943): Operational from 1940 to January 1943.
- Airfield Command A 27/XII (Jan 1943 – Jun 1944): Operated from January 1943 to June 1944.
Station and nearby units
- Reserve Airfield Operations Company 2/XII (Oct 1940 – ?): Started in October 1940.
- 115th Airfield Operations Company (Feb 1944 – ?): Began in February 1944.
- Reserve Fortress Anti-Aircraft Battalion 323 (Jul 1940): Began operations in July 1940.
- Elements of Mixed Anti-Aircraft Battalion 292 (1941-1943): Active between 1941 and 1943.
- Elements of Light Reserve Anti-Aircraft Battalion 741 (Jun 1942): Began operations in June 1942.
- Light Reserve Anti-Aircraft Battalion 752 (Jan 1944): Started in January 1944.
- 3rd Battalion Staff of Radio Measurement Unit, Signal Regiment 54 (Perros-Guirec, 1943 – Jul 1944): Stationed in Perros-Guirec from 1943 to July 1944.
- 8th Special Radio Intelligence Platoon 10 (Perros-Guirec, 1943 – Jul 1944): Stationed in Perros-Guirec from 1943 to July 1944.
- Special Radio Intelligence Platoon 14 (Perros-Guirec, 1943 – Jul 1944): Stationed in Perros-Guirec from 1943 to July 1944.
- Special Radio Intelligence Platoon 62 (Perros-Guirec, 1943 – Jul 1944): Stationed in Perros-Guirec from 1943 to July 1944.
References
- ^ Henry L. deZeng IV and Douglas G. Stankey. "Airfields in France" (PDF). The Luftwaffe, 1933-45. pp. 194–195. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- "Kracker Luftwaffe Archive Database - Lannion Airfield". Aircrew Remembered. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- AFHRA A5259. Maxwell Air Force Base, AL: Air Force Historical Research Agency. June 5, 1943. pp. 1669–73.
- AFHRA A5260. Maxwell Air Force Base, AL: Air Force Historical Research Agency. June 5, 1943. pp. 2065–71.
- Archival Sources from NARA, PRO/NA, BA-MA. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Record Office/National Archives, and Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv.
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