Cormeilles-en-Vexin Airfield
Mission Summaries > June 1944 > Airfields in Jun 44
Cormeilles-en-Vexin (FR)
(49
05 55 N – 02 02 00 E)
General: airfield
in N France 35 km NW of Paris and 2.4 km SSE of the village of Cormeilles-en-Vexin.
History: used by
the French Air Force Sep 39 – Jun
40. Taken over and expanded by the Luftwaffe for use as a bomber base from
summer 1940 to summer 1941, then relatively inactive until early 1943.
Dimensions: approx.
1145 x 1145 meters (1250 x 1250 yards).
Surface and
Runways: turf surface.
Had 2 concrete runways – (1) approx. 1690 meters (1850 yards) aligned NW/SE;
(2) approx. 1690 meters (1850 yards) aligned NE/SW. A perimeter road paralleled one
side of the landing area. Both runways were equipped with permanent illumination
and visual Lorenz systems. The
landing area had a permanent flare-path and a beam approach system.
Fuel and
Ammunition:
there were 2 refueling loops at the main fuel storage dump on the NE boundary
and a smaller refueling point at the ladder-type servicing hardstand in the
East dispersal area. The station ammunition dump consisted of open bays cut
into the edge of a tree line approx. 2 km SW of the airfield.
Infrastructure: had 1
small repair hangar each in the North and South dispersal areas. Station HQ and admin offices were
reportedly on the W outskirts of the village of Génicourt, 2.25 km E of the airfield.
Personnel were billeted in the villages adjacent to the airfield and the
officers may have been quartered in a large house in Cormeilles-en-Vexin.
A light branch rail line running from Montgeroult served the SW side of the airfield as well as the ammunition dump.
Dispersal: 3 areas
with a total of 38 cleverly camouflaged aircraft shelters in Jun 43, but by 25
Jun 44 there were 5 – North, East, Southeast (remote), South and Southwest –
with a total of 28 large covered aircraft shelters, 16 large open and 16 small
open for a total of 60.
Defenses: protected
by 4 heavy and 9 light Flak positions in Jun 43, all within 2.5 km of the
airfield and on all sides of it. Ground defenses were anchored on
10-12 fortified strongpoints surrounding the landing area out to a distance of about 1.6 km.
Remarks:
- 22 Sep 40: assigned airfield code number 515.
- 01 Jul 42: assigned new airfield code number 262.
- 06 Feb 44: bombed by 9th AAF B-26 Marauders.
- 26 Apr 44: airfield dive-bombed by 24 VIII Fighter Command P-51 Mustangs.
- 27 Apr 44: airfield dive-bombed by 23 VIII Fighter Command P-51 Mustangs.
- 08 May 44: a new Southwest dispersal area under construction and development of the Southeast (remote) dispersal was continuing.
- 11 May 44: bombed by 9th AAF B-26s.
- 24 May 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-51s – claimed 1 x Fw 190 destroyed and another damaged.
- 26 May 44: low-level attack by 9th AAF P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51s.
- 07 Jun 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47s – claimed 1 x Bf 109, 1 x Fw 190 and 1 x Bf 110 destroyed, plus 2 x Fw 190s damaged.
- 11 Jun 44: bombed by 34 B-24 Liberators.
- 25 Jun 44: a prepared strip running parallel to the E side of the NE/SW runway and measuring approx. 1145 x 110 meters (1250 x 120 yards) observed by photo reconnaissance.
- 25 Jul 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47s – claimed 1 x He 111 destroyed.
- 01 Sep 44: USAAF used to the end of the war.
Operational
Units:
Stab/KG 76 (Jun 40 – Mar 41); III./KG 76 (Jun-Dec 40); II./KG 6 (Jan-Jul 43);
Stab, III./JG 2 (Nov 43 – May 44); 3./KG 66
(Feb-Apr 44); 6.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 123 (Apr-Aug 44); part of Horch- und
Störstaffel 2 (May 44); I./JG 2
(May-Jun 44); 4.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 123 (Jul-Aug 44); 5.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.123 (Jul-Aug
44).
Reserve Training
& Replacement Units: 11./KG 53 (Nov-Dec 42)?
Station
Commands:
Fl.H.Kdtr. E 3/I (Nov 40 – summer 1941); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 62/XIII (1941 – Dec 42);
Fl.H.Kdtr. A 211/XI (c.Jan 43 – Mar 44); Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 225/XI (Apr-Aug 44).
Station
Units
(on various dates – not complete): le.Flak-Abt. 880 (Apr-May
44); Flieger-Geräteausgabe- und Sammelstelle 4/WF ( ? – Jun 44).
Cormeilles-en-Vexin Airdrome as seen today
Image courtesy of Google Earth Pro™