Romorantin Airfield

Mission Summaries > June 1944 > Airfields in Jun 44

Romorantin (FR)

(a.k.a. Pruniers)

(47 18 N – 01 41 30 E)

General: airfield in C France 61 km SSW of Orléans, 6.5 km SW of Romorantin (Romorantin-Lanthenay) and 1.2 km SE of the village of Pruniers-en-Sologne.

History: a former French factory airfield occupied by the S.N.C.A. du Centre firm, which managed to evacuate all of the machinery prior to the arrival of the Germans in Jun 40. The Luftwaffe used Romorantin as an aircraft park in 1940, but by the end of 1941 this activity had been moved elsewhere and the airfield nearly deserted. It became active again in 1943-44 as a ground training base for Luftwaffe recruits.

Dimensions: approx. 870 x 1235 meters (950 x 1350 yards).

Surface and Runways: sandy soil on top of clay sub-soil that is unserviceable after heavy rain. Some drainage work had been carried out at the E end. No paved runway.

Fuel and Ammunition: fuel storage facilities existed.

Infrastructure: had 2 very large and 3 large hangars of the NW boundary with separate workshops to the rear of them. Barracks were behind the hangars and off the W corner. A light gauge railway passed by the NW boundary.

Dispersal: the 2 areas – South and Perimeter – had a total of 24 large open aircraft shelters.

Defenses: there were 3 light Flak positions, one of which was tower- mounted.

Remarks:

24 Jun 40: German report this date gave measurements of 1000 x 800 meters and said it was ready for use as an operational airfield with accommodations for 600 personnel. A French air park had been located here.
20 Apr 41: employed 700 non-German workers, most of which were probably on the payroll of the Feldluftpark.
18 Nov 43: the surface of the landing area seen to be in poor condition.
03 Feb 44: airfield reopened after being obstructed to prevent use.
10 Apr 44: bombed by 21 B-24 Liberators and strafed by VIII Fighter Command P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts – claimed 1 x Bf 109, 5 x Fw 190s, 1 x Hs 123, 2 x Hs 126s, 4 x Bü 131s, 3 x Bü 133s and 21 x unidentified aircraft destroyed, plus 1 x Bü 133 and 14 x unidentified aircraft damaged for a total of 52 destroyed or damaged aircraft.
19 Apr 44: landing area surface rough and in poor condition.
30 Apr 44: dive-bombed by a squadron of P-47s.
04 Jun 44: bombed by 72 B-24s.

Operational Units: none identified.

School Units: 1./JG 105 (Mar-Apr 44); Fluganwärter-Btl. V (Jun 42); II./Flieger-Rgt. 91 (1944).

Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. E 10/VII (Aug 40 – Mar 41)?

Station Units (on various dates – not complete): Feldluftpark Romorantin (1940-41); Lw.-Bauleitung Romorantin (c.1940-44); Flieger-Geräteausgabestelle (Eisb.) 13 (Jul 40); Nebelsäure-Nachschublager 2/VII ( ? – Aug 44); RAD-Abt. 3/225 (Jun 40 - ?).

Romorantin Airdrome as seen today

Image courtesy of Google Earth Pro™