Reims Airfield - 445BG

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Reims Airfield

Mission Summaries > May 1944 > Aitfields in May 44
Reims-Champagne (FR)
 
(a.k.a. Bétheny, Reims-Bétheny, Courcy)
 
(49 18 40 N – 04 02 25 E)
 

 
General: airfield in NE France 130 km ENE of Paris and 6.5 km N of Reims. Bétheny is 4 km NNE of Reims and Courcy is 8 km NNW of Reims.
 

 
History: 1925-28: built as a large and important French Air Force base. Served as an RAF base Sep 39 – May 40. Taken over by the Luftwaffe in Jun 40 and improved over the next several years.    Used as a bomber base during the air offensive against England (Battle of Britain) and from mid- 1941 by glider units and for twin-engine fighter training.
 

 
Dimensions: approx. 1,692 x 1,372 meters (1,850 x 1,500 yards).
 

 
Surface and Runways:  grass surface on chalky sub-soil. Did not have a paved runway as of 17 May 43. Equipped for night landings with a beam approach system and ample illumination.
 

 
Fuel and Ammunition: there were 2 sets of refueling points on the N boundary, 1 set on the S boundary near the hangars and 1 set on the W boundary. Had large capacity underground fuel tanks off the SW corner. A small ammunition dump was off the center of the N boundary and a larger dump at Fort de Brimont 5.5 km to the NW.
 

 
Infrastructure: major workshops were set up at Reims-Champagne by the Junkers firm for the overhaul and repair of Ju 88s. In total there were 3 very large double hangars at the NW corner, 1 very large double hangar, 3 large hangars and numerous workshops along the W boundary, some with concrete aprons, and 3 large hangars at the S end of the field. A large number of barracks and storage buildings were on the W side between the main road and the railway and other personnel were probably billeted in Reims. The main rail connection was in Reims, but there was a railway siding at the SW corner of the airfield.

 
Dispersal: two areas concealed in woods, one NE of the field and the other NW, had a total of 6 covered aircraft shelters and 19 concrete hardstands in May 43. Both dispersals were served by concrete taxiways.

 
Defenses: in May 43 there were 3 heavy Flak positions each with multiple guns located within 1.6 km of the airfield, and 9 light Flak positions surrounding the airfield on all sides. There were also 4 ground defense strong points with bunkers and trenches.

 
Remarks:
 
  • 26 Sep 43: bombed by 40 B-17 Fortresses with hits on the hangars and barracks along the W boundary of the airfield as well as on the landing area; 11 x Go 242 gliders belonging to I./Luftlandegeschwader 2 were destroyed or damaged on the ground.
  • 03 Oct 43: post-raid photos revealed unfilled craters on the W side of the landing area, 3 of the 4 bays of the very large double hangar on the W boundary destroyed, 1 workshop and several of the barrack blocks on the W boundary destroyed.
  • 02 Jan 44: landing area repaired and again fully serviceable but the hangars and barrack buildings had been left unrepaired, according to an Allied recce report this date.
  • 11 Feb 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47 Thunderbolts – claimed 1 x Bf 109 destroyed, 2 x Bf 109s and 2 x Bf 110s damaged; 4 hangars were also shot up and damaged.
  • 17 Mar 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47s – claimed 1 x Do 217 destroyed and another damaged, 4 x Bü 133s damaged and 1 x unidentified aircraft damaged.
  • 28 Mar 44: bombed by 59 B-17s.
  • 09 May 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-51s – claimed 1 x Ju 88 destroyed and 2 more damaged.
  • 20 May 44: bombed by 125 B-24 Liberators.
  • 25 May 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47s – claimed 1 x unidentified aircraft destroyed and 3 x Bf 109s damaged.
  • 09 Aug 44: low-level attack by P-51s – claimed 6 x Ju 88s destroyed and 2 x Ju 88s damaged, plus 2 light Flak guns and a Flak tower destroyed.
  • 30 Aug 44: evacuated by the Luftwaffe at the end of August and the USAAF occupied the airfield the following month.
                     

 
Operational Units: 3.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 22 (Jun 40); Feldbetriebsgruppe Reims (aircraft ferry unit) (1940-41); II./KG 77 (Oct 40 – Mar 41); Stab, I. II./KG 77 (Jan-Mar 41); GS-Kdo. 1 (May-Jun 43); GS-Kdo. 2 (May-Jun 43); Stab/Aufkl.Gr. 123 (Aug 44); 4.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 123 (Aug 44); I./JG 11 (Aug 44); II./JG 6 (Aug 44)
 

 
School Units: Fl.Ausbildungs-Rgt. 21 (1941-42); 2./Zerstörerschule 2 (Aug Oct 42); IV./Zerstörerschule 2 (Nov 42 – Jan 43); Schlachtfliegerschule 1 (Jan 43); 3./SG 101 (Feb – Aug 43).
 

 
Reserve Training & Replacement Units: Erg.St./JG 26 (Sep – Oct 40).
 

 
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. A 213/XI (c.Jan-c.Jul 43); Fl.Pl.Kdo. A 93/XI (c.Jul 43 – Mar 44); Flugplatzkdo. Reims of Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 231/XI Juvincourt (Apr-Aug 44).
 

 
Station Units (on various dates – list incomplete): Koflug 2/XIII (Jun 40); Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2562 (Junkers) (1940/41 – Aug 44); elements of le.Res.Flak-Abt. 773 (Feb, Apr 43); Flak-Abt. 10080 (Aug 44); 8. (Flum.Res.)/Luftgau-Nachr.Rgt. Belgien/Nordfrankreich (fall 41 – Aug 44); kl.Fl.Betr.St.Kol. 2/XII (Jun 40); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 8/XII (Jun 40).
Reims, France - German occupied airfield
Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration ©
Reims, France - German occupied airfield as seen today
Image courtesy of Google Earth Pro™
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