Toul-Croix de Metz Airfield

For the Cold War United States Air Force base, see Toul-Rosières Air Base.
Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-90
Gengault Aerodrome
Lorraine Region, France

Members of the 1st Aero Squadron, standing in front of a Salmson 2A2 reconnaissance aircraft at Gengault Aerodrome in 1918 during World War I

Ground personnel of the 358th Fighter Group prepare to start the engine of a P-47 Thunderbolt nicknamed "Chunky" at ALG A-90, Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield in 1944 during World War II
Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield
Coordinates 48°41′53.25″N 005°55′02.23″E / 48.6981250°N 5.9172861°E / 48.6981250; 5.9172861
Type Military airfield
Site information
Controlled by  Armée de l'Air
  United States Army Air Service
  United States Army Air Forces
Condition Industrial Estate
Site history
Built 1916 (Approximately)
In use 1916-1945
Battles/wars World War I
World War II

Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield is a former military airfield which is located approximately 1 mile northeast of Toul (Département de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine); 160 miles east of Paris.

The airfield had its origins in the World War I Western Front as an Aéronautique Militaire airfield, later being extensively used by the United States Army Air Service. It became a permanent airfield between the wars and during the Phony War with Nazi Germany (1939–1940) was the home of G.C. II/5 (The French Air Force descendant of the World War I Lafayette Escadrille) equipped with American Curtis Hawk 75A fighters. Seized in the Battle of France, it became a Luftwaffe airfield until being captured by the United States Third Army in September 1944. It then became a United States Army Air Forces combat airfield until the end of the war.

After the war, the airfield was redeveloped into a private industrial estate.

History

World War I

Gengault Aerodrome was established about 1916 by the French Air Force as a combat airfield on the World War I Western Front. It is undetermined which French units were stationed at the airfield during the war, however, it is known that airships were hangared and flown from the field. [1]

In April 1918 it was turned over to the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). When first deployed to France, the Aero Squadrons of the AEF were dispersed among the various army organizations. This made it difficult, however, to obtain coordination of aerial activities. Some higher organization was required. The United States Army Air Service Aero Squadrons were organized as part of the 2d, 3d and 4th Pursuit Groups.[2] Known American units at Toul were:[3]

American Units at Toul During World War I

Headquarters

Squadrons

Other Units

  • Photographic Section No. 1, 24 August-19 September 1918
  • 6th Air Park, November 1918-July 1919
  • 6th Balloon Company, ca. August–September 1918
  • 7th Balloon Company, September 1918 – 1918
  • 8th Balloon Company, August-ca. September 1918
  • 10th Balloon Company, 1918
  • 11th Balloon Company, ca. July 1918 – 1918
  • 42d Balloon Company, ca. June 1918 – 1918
  • 43d Balloon Company, 16 August-ca. September 1918
  • 69th Balloon Company, 1918-September 1918

It is known that other American air units were assigned to Toul during World War I, however they are unidentified. The Americans at Toul flew reconnaissance sorties, protected observation aircraft, attacked enemy observation balloons, strafed enemy troops, flew counter-air patrols, and bombed towns, bridges, and railroad stations behind the enemy's lines.

Some of the most illustrious names in early American Army aviation were assigned to Toul during World War I, including Eddie Rickenbacker; Quentin Roosevelt; Frank Luke; Carl Spaatz; Billy Mitchell and others.

The Americans at Toul demobilized and left France after the Armistice on 11 November 1918, the last leaving in early 1919.

Between the wars

Various French Air Force air regiments were assigned to the base during the 1920s, during which the wartime grass field became a permanent base, with a large technical support area, hangars, barracks and other facilities being constructed.

When World War II broke out in September 1939, the 35th Aero Regiment was assigned to Toul-Croix De Metz, the 7th squadron of which was the descendant of the World War I Lafayette Escadrille, "Groupe de Chasse II/5, the Escadron Lafayette". The Regiment was equipped with obsolete Curtiss Hawk Model 75s. From surviving accounts of the squadron during the Battle of France the Hawk-equipped Regiment claimed 230 confirmed and 80 probable victories in H75s against only 29 aircraft lost in aerial combat.[4] In addition to the French unis, Polish Air Force exiles flew Moraine fighters from the airfield during the early weeks of the German offensive into France and the Low Countries.[1]

With the subsequent German Blitzkrieg and the breakout of the Wehrmacht at Sedan the French Army and the British Expeditionary Force was overwhelmed. The units assigned to the field surrendered to the Germans along with the French Armed Forces at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on 22 June 1940.

German use during World War II

Shortly after its capture, the airfield was turned over to the Luftwaffe. The airfield was initially used primarily as a training base for ground support units. In September 1942, Zerstörerschule 2 (Fighter-Destroyer School 2) (ZS 2) used the base as a training facility for Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter pilots until February 1944.[5]

Toul became an operational airfield in July 1944, when Kampfgeschwader 53 (KG 53) arrived at the airfield with Heinkel He 111 medium bombers. The He 111s were used as carrier aircraft for launching V-1 Flying Bombs, aimed at targets in Britain. kg 53 withdrew from the airfield at the end of August, ahead of the advancing American Third Army which was moving into the area.[5] Toul-Croix De Metz was attacked by USAAF Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers to attempt to stop these V-1 attacks.[6]

American use during World War II

The IX Engineer Command moved the 826th Engineer Aviation Battalion to Toul airfield on 14 September 1944. The airfield was relatively intact, and began clearing the airport of mines; destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft, and repairing operational facilities for use by American aircraft. Subsequently, it became a USAAF Ninth Air Force combat airfield, designated as Advanced Landing Ground "A-90" Toul-Croix De Metz the next day.[7]

Under American control, Toul-Croix De Metz was initially used as a resupply and casualty evacuation (S&E) airfield, with C-47 Skytrain transports using the airfield frequently, carrying in supplies and moving wounded personnel to hospitals in the rear.[8] In October, the 862d EAB moved in and laid down a 5000' Pierced Steel Planking all-weather runway. The engineers also repaired the barracks and other facilities at the base, allowing it to be used though the winter months.[7]

In November, the 358th Fighter Group moved in with P-47 Thunderbolts and flew operational missions from the base until the beginning of April 1945.[9] The airfield was closed, and returned to French control after the war on 30 October 1945.

Postwar use

In French control after the war, the airfield was closed and for years was left unused. The growing urban area of Toul and the need for other, more pressing reconstruction after the war led the Air Ministry to sell off the property to private interests, and not rebuild it as a military airfield. A major reason was that the airfield was physically small, and the cost to purchase additional land to build a jet runway, and other facilities was very high. In addition, the prospect of jet fighter aircraft taking off and landing over the urbanized area around the airfield was highly undesirable. In 1950 when NATO was looking to locate an American Air Force fighter airfield in the area, given the historical American association with Toul, the World War II airfield at Rosieres En Haye was made available.[10]

United States Army use

In 1951, the abandoned airfield was turned over by the French to the United States Army for use as an Engineering Depot.[1] Army units were assigned to the field to clear the remnants of the World War II Army Airfield and completely re-design the facility. Railroad spurs, new hard-surfaced roads, permanent buildings, warehouses and utilities were put in, and in December 1952 the facility was re-opened as the Toul Engineer Depot.[1]

Initially used as a reserve depot for supplies and equipment, but in 1955 the facility was upgraded to become a major depot supporting USAREUR units in both France and Germany. This was scaled back in 1956 due to budget reductions to support Army Engineering units in France only.[1] Further budget cuts in 1960 led to its consolidation with the Army's Nancy General Depot, and in November 1961 the facility was closed and returned to French military control..[1]

Current use

The French government sold the land and all of the buildings to private interests during the 1960s. Today in aerial photography, clear outlines of former buildings can be seen in grassy areas, as well as the runways and taxiways of the former airfield, the streets put in by the United States Army. It is now an industrial estate.

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Unknown. "Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield". Abandoned, Forgotten & Little Known Airfields in Europe. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  2. ↑ American Aviators of World War I
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Lafayette Escadrille - Post WWI
  5. 1 2 The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
  6. ↑ USAFHRA Document 00221383
  7. 1 2 IX Engineering Command ETO Airfields General Construction Information
  8. ↑ 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. ↑ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  10. ↑ McAuliffe, Jerome J: U.S. Air Force in France 1950-1967 (2005), Chapter 16, Toul-Rosieres Air Base.
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