Orléans-Bricy Airfield

Mission Summaries > May 1944 > Aitfields in May 44

Orléans-Bricy (FR)

(47 59 25 N – 01 45 45 E)

General: airfield in north-central France 14.5 km NW of Orléans and immediately SW of the village of Bricy.

History: constructed between 1931 and 1937 as both a military airfield and the chief research and testing station of the French Air Force. The Luftwaffe used it as a major bomber base from Jul 40 to Jun 41. After that, it was used mainly by bomber reserve training and replacement Gruppen.

Dimensions: approx. 2105 x 2285 meters (2300 x 2500 yards) and nearly circular in shape.

Surface and Runways: grass surface. Had 1 concrete runway approx. 2285 meters (2500 yards) in length and aligned ENE/WSW with assembly hardstands at both ends. The entire landing area was encircled by a concrete perimeter road. Equipped with permanent runway illumination, a double flare-path, a beam approach system and a visual Lorenz system.

Fuel and Ammunition: refueling loops with storage tanks were on the NW boundary, on the SE boundary. In front of the hangars on the E corner and on the S boundary at the SW end of the runway. Bulk fuel was stored in tanks alongside the railway line just N of the main buildings and was completely covered with camouflage netting. Ammunition dumps and storage sites were positioned on all 4 sides of the landing area with several larger ones in woods and along hedges outside the airfield perimeter.

Infrastructure: had 3 large repair hangars with adjacent workshops in a row along the E corner. The buildings of the former French research and test center were in a group 1370 meters (1500 yards) ENE of the hangars. The research and test center complex was reportedly not used during the German occupation. Station HQ, admin offices, flight control building, barracks and stores were in a group near the hangars. Personnel were also bulleted in villas on the S outskirts of Bricy and in the city of Orléans. The nearest rail connection was in Bricy and there was a short branch that served the fuel depot and the E corner of the airfield.

Dispersal: the 2 dispersal areas – North and South – had a total of 35 large, covered aircraft shelters and 31 aircraft parking hardstands.

Defenses: protected by 3 heavy and 12 light Flak positions in Jul 43, all within 4 km of the airfield. It was largely surrounded by barbed wire and there were numerous sentries and patrols, but there was only 1 strongpoint.

Satellites and Decoys:

Orléans – Saint-Sigismond
(47 58 N – 01 38 E),
dummy approx. 10 km WSW of Orléans-Bricy airfield.

Remarks:

20 Jun 40: Luftgaustab z.b.V. 12 reported that the landing area was destroyed and requested a Lw.-Bau-Btl. be sent to restore it.
20 Apr 41: employed 3,983 non-German workers.
06 Feb 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47 Thunderbolts – claimed 1 x Hs 129 destroyed and 5 x He 111s, 1 x Ju 88 and 1 x Ju 52 damaged.
10 Apr 44: bombed – 2 x Caproni transports from Fallschirmschule 1 destroyed or damaged on the ground.
30 Apr 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-38s and P-47s – claimed 2 x Me 410s destroyed, another damaged and shot up 14 Flak positions.
23 May 44: bombed by 167 B-24 Liberators and 17 B-17 Fortresses.
07 Jun 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-51s – claimed 2 x Ju 52s destroyed.
14 Jun 44: bombed early morning by 97 B-24 Liberators – 1 parked bomber destroyed and another damaged, runways, taxiways, dispersal areas and perimeter road all cratered, 1 hangar destroyed and 5 more damaged, landlines severed, airfield temporarily unserviceable. (German report).
24 Jun 44: bombed by 45 B-24s.
30 Jul 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47s – claimed 9 x unidentified aircraft destroyed.
11 Aug 44: station command reported it was preparing to transfer to Troyes.

Operational Units: II./LG 1 (Jun 40 – Jan 41); Stab/LG 1 (Jul-Dec 40); I./LG 1 (Jul 40 – Jan 41); III./KG 27 (Mar-Jun 41); I./KG 40 (May-Jun 44); Stab, I./KG 54 (Aug 44).

School Units: 5./JFS 5 (Aug 42); Jagdlehrerüberprüfungsstelle (Oct 42); Jagdlehrerüberprüfungsgruppe (Nov 42 – Aug 43); III./Flieger-Rgt. 91 (1944).

Reserve Training & Replacement Units: IV./KG 40 (Jan – Aug 42); IV./KG 76 (Oct – Nov 42); 13./KG 53 (Sep 42 – Jan 43); IV./KG 53 (Jan 43 – Feb 44).

Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. E(A) 22/XII (Jul 40 – Dec 42); Fl.H.Kdtr. A 204/XII (Jan 43 – Mar 44); Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 215/XII (Apr-Aug 44).

Station Units (on various dates on and near the airfield and in the city – not complete): Koflug Orléans (Koflug 160) (Jun 40 – Mar 41); Koflug 2/XIII (Apr 41 – Aug 44); 10. Flugh.Betr.Kp./KG 40 (c. Jul 41 – Aug 42); elements of 115. Flugh.Betr.Kp. (Qu) (Apr 44 - ? ); one Zug of Flugh.Betr.Kp. (FK) 5 (Mar-Aug 44); Stab/Flak-Rgt. 653 (Dec 42); gem.Flak-Abt. 196 (Jul 44); le.Flak-Abt. 673 (Mar 43); elements of le.Flak-Abt 877 (Aug 44); Flak- Geräteausgabestelle 4/XII (mot) (1941-43); Sprengkommando d.Lw. 3/XII (1943); 3.(Tel.Bau)/Ln.-Rgt. 13 (Jun 44); Stab III.(Flum.Mess)/Ln.-Rgt. 57 (c.Mar-Aug 44); 11.(Flum.Mess)/Ln.-Rgt. 57 (c.Mar-Aug 44); I.(Ln.Betr.)/Luftgau-Nachr.Rgt. 112 (Mar 43 – Aug 44); 4./Feldluftgau-Nachr.Rgt. Westfrankreich (c.1942-44)?; Ln.-Kp. z.b.V. 39 (Jul-Aug 44); Luftgaubereichswerkstatt (N) 2/XII (1942/43 – Aug 44); Lw.-Feldbauamt 9/W-F (c.1940-44); Lw.-Bauleitung Orleans-Bricy (c.1940-44); Stab and 2.Kp. Lw.-Bau-Btl. 3/XII (Dec 41)?; Nachschubbezirk d.Lw. 6/XII (1942 – Dec 43); Feld-Nachschubbezirk d.Lw. 4/WF (c.Mar 41 - ? ); Flieger- Geräteausgabestelle (Eisb.) 1 (Jul 40); kl.Flieger-Betriebsstoff-Kolonne 10/XII (Jul 40); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 154/XII ? – Sep 43); Kfz.Werkstatt (o) d.Lw. 118/XII (1943-44); Ldssch.Kp. d.Lw. 1/VII (1940-44)?; Ldssch.Kp. d.Lw. 5/VII (1940-44)?; Lw.-Lazarett 4/XII ( ? – Aug 44).

Orléans-Bricy, France - Bricy German Occupied Airfield

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