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Saint-Dizier – Robinson Air Base

March 08, 2023

Saint-Dizier-Robinson Air Base (French: Base aérienne 113 Saint-Dizier) (ICAO: LFSI) is a front-line French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) fighter aircraft base located approximately 4 km (2 nautical miles) west of Saint-Dizier, in the Haute-Marne department of the Champagne-Ardenne region in northeastern France.

Saint-Dizier - Robinson Air Base

Base aérienne 113 Saint-Dizier-Robinson

Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-64
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerGovernment of France
OperatorArmée de l'air et de l'espace
LocationSaint-Dizier, France
Elevation AMSL458 ft / 140 m
Coordinates48°38′09″N 004°53′57″E / 48.63583°N 4.89917°E / 48.63583; 4.89917Coordinates: 48°38′09″N 004°53′57″E / 48.63583°N 4.89917°E / 48.63583; 4.89917
Map
LFSI
Location of airport in Grand Est region
LFSI
Location of airport in France
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
11/29 2,412 7,913 Asphalt
Sources:[1][2]

The airport is at an elevation of 458 feet (140 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 11/29 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,412 by 45 metres (7,913 ft × 148 ft).[1]

Units

History

Saint-Dizier has a long aviation history, with an early French military aircraft landing close to the city on 11 August 1910. An Armée de l'Air airdrome was established in 1913, which has been in use ever since, being used for combat operations during both 20th-Century World Wars.

Some of the pre-World War II French Air Force aircraft assigned to the base were Blériot Aéronautique, Morane-Saulnier, Stampe, de Havilland Tiger Moth and Dewoitine D.520s[4]

German use during World War II

Seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battle of France, St. Dizier was used as a Luftwaffe military airfield during the occupation. Known units assigned (all from Luftlotte 3, Fliegerkorps IV):[5][6]

JG 54 flew missions over England during the Battle of Britain; NJG 4, NJG 1, and NJG 5 were night interceptor units which attacked Royal Air Force bomber attacks. JG 27 and JG 301 were day interceptor units that engaged American Eighth Air Force heavy bomber units over Occupied France.

Largely due to its use as a base for Bf 109 interceptors, Saint-Dizier was attacked by USAAF Ninth Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts mostly with 500-pound general-purpose bombs; unguided rockets and .50 caliber machine gun sweeps when Eighth Air Force heavy bombers (Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Consolidated B-24 Liberators) were within interception range of the Luftwaffe aircraft assigned to the base. The attacks were timed to have the maximum effect possible to keep the interceptors pinned down on the ground and be unable to attack the heavy bombers. Also the North American P-51 Mustang fighter-escort groups of Eighth Air Force would drop down on their return to England and attack the base with a fighter sweep and attack any target of opportunity to be found at the airfield.[7]

American use

 
North American P-51C-5-NT Mustang (F-6C) Serial 42-103368 of the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th TRG at A-64, St. Dizler, France, Autumn 1944.

During the Liberation of France, the airfield was seized by Allied forces during September, 1944 and taken over by the United States Army Air Forces. The IX Engineer Command repaired the war-damaged base and it was designated by the Americans as Saint-Dizier Airfield or Advanced Landing Ground A-64. It was turned over to the Ninth Air Force for operational use on 9 October for fighter and reconnaissance units, as well as for command and control. The following known USAAF units operated from the airfield:

With the end of the war in Europe in May, 1945 the Americans began to withdraw their aircraft and personnel. Right after the war, some captured Messerschmitt Me 262s landed at the base, on their way to channel ports to be shipped to the United States for evaluation (Operation Lusty). Control of the airfield was turned over to French authorities on 5 July.[8]

In 1950-51 when as a result of the Cold War threat of the Soviet Union, Saint Dizier-Robinson Air Base was proposed by the United States Air Force to become a NATO light bomber air base as part of a NATO commitment to establish a modern air base at the site. In the ongoing negotiations, the site was ultimately rejected.[9]

Since 1945

The war had left Saint-Dizier airbase in ruins, littered with rubble, debris, scrap metal and charred remains of airplanes. A number of aircraft remains and unexploded German munitions had been hastily bulldozed into bomb craters, all of which needed to be removed. The station area and the hangars and aircraft mechanical shops were devastated, also with huge quantities of unexploded munitions still littering the ground. The American combat engineers had carried out considerable repair work on the runway, and constructed temporary structures for repair and maintenance of aircraft, however the personnel lived in tents as repair of the barracks was not considered a priority for aircraft operations.

A new 8,000 feet (2,400 m) jet runway was laid down over the wartime 11/29 runway and the parking ramp was torn up and relaid with new concrete. Large, modern aircraft hangars were erected and a new station area built. The aircraft dispersal areas were also renewed, later in the 1970s being fitted with NATO Tab-Vee concrete hardened aircraft shelters. A second dispersal area to the north of the main runway was also built to accommodate a second full aircraft squadron. Reconstruction was finally completed in 1956.

Most wartime and pre-war buildings and structures were removed or demolished during the reconstruction. However, the remains of the pre-war 02/20 secondary runway can still be seen in aerial photography as unconnected concrete lengths running NE/SW over the airfield. Also what appears to be part of wartime taxiways are now used as access roads around the airfield's perimeter.

In 1973, EC 1/7 Provence became the first French Air force unit to be equipped with the SEPECAT Jaguar and relocated to Saint-Dizier-Robinson. The squadron's Jaguars engaged in combat missions in Mauritania (Opération Lamantin), in Chad (Operation Manta), in the Gulf War (Opération Daguet) and in Bosnia. Since 2006, BA 113 has had the Dassault Rafale B/C fighter assigned. It was the first base of the French Air Force to be assigned the aircraft. Escadron de Chasse 1/7 Provence, a long-established fighter squadron, flies the Rafale from the base. Escadron de Chasse 1/91 Gascogne also flies Rafales from the base.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Airport information for LFSI from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. ^ Airport information for LFSI at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  3. ^ a b c "Chiffres clés de l'Armée de l'air - L'Armée de l'air en chiffres : 2019-2020 (FR)". French Air and Space Force. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  4. ^ St. Dizier Air Base history (French)
  5. ^ The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
  6. ^ Identification codes of units of the Luftwaffe 1939 - 1945
  7. ^ Derived from information in USAAF Film "Target For Today" (available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGL7vuC2A4)
  8. ^   This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.; Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4; Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.; Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
  9. ^ McAuliffe, Jerome J: U.S. Air Force in France 1950-1967 (2005), Chapter 2, Base Selection and Movement to France, 1950-1954.

March 08, 2023
saint, dizier, robinson, base, saint, dizier, robinson, base, french, base, aérienne, saint, dizier, icao, lfsi, front, line, french, space, force, armée, espace, fighter, aircraft, base, located, approximately, nautical, miles, west, saint, dizier, haute, mar. Saint Dizier Robinson Air Base French Base aerienne 113 Saint Dizier ICAO LFSI is a front line French Air and Space Force Armee de l air et de l espace fighter aircraft base located approximately 4 km 2 nautical miles west of Saint Dizier in the Haute Marne department of the Champagne Ardenne region in northeastern France Saint Dizier Robinson Air BaseBase aerienne 113 Saint Dizier RobinsonAdvanced Landing Ground ALG A 64IATA noneICAO LFSISummaryAirport typeMilitaryOwnerGovernment of FranceOperatorArmee de l air et de l espaceLocationSaint Dizier FranceElevation AMSL458 ft 140 mCoordinates48 38 09 N 004 53 57 E 48 63583 N 4 89917 E 48 63583 4 89917 Coordinates 48 38 09 N 004 53 57 E 48 63583 N 4 89917 E 48 63583 4 89917MapLFSILocation of airport in Grand Est regionShow map of Grand EstLFSILocation of airport in FranceShow map of FranceRunwaysDirection Length Surfacem ft11 29 2 412 7 913 AsphaltSources 1 2 The airport is at an elevation of 458 feet 140 m above mean sea level It has one runway designated 11 29 with an asphalt surface measuring 2 412 by 45 metres 7 913 ft 148 ft 1 Contents 1 Units 2 History 2 1 German use during World War II 2 2 American use 3 Since 1945 4 See also 5 ReferencesUnits EditEscadron de Chasse 1 4 Gascogne with the Dassault Rafale 3 Escadron de Chasse 2 4 La Fayette with the Rafale 3 Escadron de Transformation Rafale 3 4 Aquitaine with the Rafale 3 History EditSaint Dizier has a long aviation history with an early French military aircraft landing close to the city on 11 August 1910 An Armee de l Air airdrome was established in 1913 which has been in use ever since being used for combat operations during both 20th Century World Wars Some of the pre World War II French Air Force aircraft assigned to the base were Bleriot Aeronautique Morane Saulnier Stampe de Havilland Tiger Moth and Dewoitine D 520s 4 German use during World War II Edit Seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battle of France St Dizier was used as a Luftwaffe military airfield during the occupation Known units assigned all from Luftlotte 3 Fliegerkorps IV 5 6 Jagdgeschwader 54 JG 54 29 March 1 April 1941 Messerschmitt Bf 109E Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 NJG 4 February 1942 January 1944 Messerschmitt Bf 110 Dornier Do 217 Jagdgeschwader 27 JG 27 12 September 18 November 1943 Messerschmitt Bf 109G Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 NJG 1 March May 1944 Messerschmitt Bf 110 Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 NJG 5 4 May August 1944 Messerschmitt Bf 110 Kampfgeschwader 101 KG 101 10 June July 1944 Junkers Ju 88A 4 Mistel Jagdgeschwader 301 JG 301 12 30 June 1944 Messerschmitt Bf 109GJG 54 flew missions over England during the Battle of Britain NJG 4 NJG 1 and NJG 5 were night interceptor units which attacked Royal Air Force bomber attacks JG 27 and JG 301 were day interceptor units that engaged American Eighth Air Force heavy bomber units over Occupied France Largely due to its use as a base for Bf 109 interceptors Saint Dizier was attacked by USAAF Ninth Air Force Martin B 26 Marauder medium bombers and Republic P 47 Thunderbolts mostly with 500 pound general purpose bombs unguided rockets and 50 caliber machine gun sweeps when Eighth Air Force heavy bombers Boeing B 17 Flying Fortresses Consolidated B 24 Liberators were within interception range of the Luftwaffe aircraft assigned to the base The attacks were timed to have the maximum effect possible to keep the interceptors pinned down on the ground and be unable to attack the heavy bombers Also the North American P 51 Mustang fighter escort groups of Eighth Air Force would drop down on their return to England and attack the base with a fighter sweep and attack any target of opportunity to be found at the airfield 7 American use Edit North American P 51C 5 NT Mustang F 6C Serial 42 103368 of the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 10th TRG at A 64 St Dizler France Autumn 1944 During the Liberation of France the airfield was seized by Allied forces during September 1944 and taken over by the United States Army Air Forces The IX Engineer Command repaired the war damaged base and it was designated by the Americans as Saint Dizier Airfield or Advanced Landing Ground A 64 It was turned over to the Ninth Air Force for operational use on 9 October for fighter and reconnaissance units as well as for command and control The following known USAAF units operated from the airfield HQ 100th Fighter Wing 19 September 29 December 1944 27th Fighter Group February March 1945 P 47 Thunderbolt 12th AF 367th Fighter Group 1 February 14 May 1945 P 47 Thunderbolt 405th Fighter Group 14 September 1944 9 February 1945 P 47 Thunderbolt 10th Reconnaissance Group September November 1944 Various photo reconnaissance aircraft With the end of the war in Europe in May 1945 the Americans began to withdraw their aircraft and personnel Right after the war some captured Messerschmitt Me 262s landed at the base on their way to channel ports to be shipped to the United States for evaluation Operation Lusty Control of the airfield was turned over to French authorities on 5 July 8 In 1950 51 when as a result of the Cold War threat of the Soviet Union Saint Dizier Robinson Air Base was proposed by the United States Air Force to become a NATO light bomber air base as part of a NATO commitment to establish a modern air base at the site In the ongoing negotiations the site was ultimately rejected 9 Since 1945 EditThis section includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help to improve this section by introducing more precise citations April 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message The war had left Saint Dizier airbase in ruins littered with rubble debris scrap metal and charred remains of airplanes A number of aircraft remains and unexploded German munitions had been hastily bulldozed into bomb craters all of which needed to be removed The station area and the hangars and aircraft mechanical shops were devastated also with huge quantities of unexploded munitions still littering the ground The American combat engineers had carried out considerable repair work on the runway and constructed temporary structures for repair and maintenance of aircraft however the personnel lived in tents as repair of the barracks was not considered a priority for aircraft operations A new 8 000 feet 2 400 m jet runway was laid down over the wartime 11 29 runway and the parking ramp was torn up and relaid with new concrete Large modern aircraft hangars were erected and a new station area built The aircraft dispersal areas were also renewed later in the 1970s being fitted with NATO Tab Vee concrete hardened aircraft shelters A second dispersal area to the north of the main runway was also built to accommodate a second full aircraft squadron Reconstruction was finally completed in 1956 Most wartime and pre war buildings and structures were removed or demolished during the reconstruction However the remains of the pre war 02 20 secondary runway can still be seen in aerial photography as unconnected concrete lengths running NE SW over the airfield Also what appears to be part of wartime taxiways are now used as access roads around the airfield s perimeter In 1973 EC 1 7 Provence became the first French Air force unit to be equipped with the SEPECAT Jaguar and relocated to Saint Dizier Robinson The squadron s Jaguars engaged in combat missions in Mauritania Operation Lamantin in Chad Operation Manta in the Gulf War Operation Daguet and in Bosnia Since 2006 BA 113 has had the Dassault Rafale B C fighter assigned It was the first base of the French Air Force to be assigned the aircraft Escadron de Chasse 1 7 Provence a long established fighter squadron flies the Rafale from the base Escadron de Chasse 1 91 Gascogne also flies Rafales from the base citation needed See also Edit World War II portalList of French Air and Space Force aircraft squadrons Advanced Landing GroundReferences Edit a b Airport information for LFSI from DAFIF effective October 2006 Airport information for LFSI at Great Circle Mapper Source DAFIF effective October 2006 a b c Chiffres cles de l Armee de l air L Armee de l air en chiffres 2019 2020 FR French Air and Space Force Retrieved November 3 2020 St Dizier Air Base history French The Luftwaffe 1933 45 Identification codes of units of the Luftwaffe 1939 1945 Derived from information in USAAF Film Target For Today available at https www youtube com watch v kkGL7vuC2A4 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Maurer Maurer Air Force Combat Units of World War II Maxwell AFB Alabama Office of Air Force History 1983 ISBN 0 89201 092 4 Maurer Maurer ed 1982 1969 Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II PDF reprint ed Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 405 12194 6 LCCN 70605402 OCLC 72556 Johnson David C 1988 U S Army Air Forces Continental Airfields ETO D Day to V E Day Research Division USAF Historical Research Center Maxwell AFB Alabama McAuliffe Jerome J U S Air Force in France 1950 1967 2005 Chapter 2 Base Selection and Movement to France 1950 1954 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Saint Dizier Robinson Air Base amp oldid 1133823003, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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