St. Jean D'Angely

Mission Summaries > Decenber 1943 > Airfields in Dec 43

Saint-Jean-d’Angély (FR)

(a.k.a. Fontenet)

(45 54 05 N – 00 27 30 W)

General: airfield in W France 55 km SE of La Rochelle; airfield 7.5 km SE of the town.

History: a former French military airfield that was left relatively unused by the Luftwaffe until fall 1940 and thereafter used mainly by reserve training and replacement units.

Dimensions: approx. 1372 x 1097 meters (1500 x 1200 yards).

Surface: grass surface.

Runways: none on 15 Jul 43.

Infrastructure: refueling loop off the W boundary; 3 large double hangars on the W boundary with servicing tarmacs and 2 large triple hangars on the E boundary; extensive barracks off the W boundary to the rear of the hangars; control tower and admin buildings along the W boundary just N of the hangars. Nearest rail connection was the Niort-Saintes Line at Saint- Jean-d’Angély.

Dispersal: had a Southeast dispersal with 6 uncovered a/c shelters and 2 parking sites, and a West dispersal with 7 covered a/c shelters and 1 uncovered shelter (Jul 43).

Defenses: defended by approx. 6 light Flak positions in Jul 43.

Satellites and Decoys: none reported.

Remarks:

20 Apr 41: employed 320 non-German workers.
31 Dec 43: bombed by 87 B-24 Liberators – southern part of the landing area rendered unserviceable; taxi tracks in the Southeast dispersal cratered; 1 large double hangar destroyed and another damaged; tarmac aprons heavily cratered; several barrack blocks destroyed and several others damaged; station HQ possibly damaged (analysis of 4 Jan 44 photo recon).
30 Jan 44: landing area under repair and is now partially serviceable.
27 Mar 44: bombed by 55 B-17 Fortresses.

Operational Units: 7./KG 40 (Feb – Jul 44).

Reserve Training & Replacement Units: Kommodore der Ergänzungsjagdgruppen (1943 – Mar 44); Erg.St./JG 53 (Sep – Nov 40); Erg.Gr./JG 53 (Nov 40 – c. Jun 41); Erg.St./JG 3 (Oct 40 – Feb 41); Erg.JGr. Ost (later JGr. Ost) (Sep 42 – Feb 44).

Station Commands: as Fl.Pl.Kdo. Saint-Jean-d’Angély (Apr 41); Fl.H.Kdtr. A 227/XII (c.Feb 43 – Mar 44); Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 233/XII (Apr-Aug 44).

Station Units (on various dates – not complete): none identified.