Beauvechain Air Base

Beauvechain Air Base(ICAO:EBBE) is aBelgian Air Componentmilitary airfield inBelgium,located 3nautical miles(5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south ofBeauvechaininWallonia(Walloon BrabantProvince); 20 mi (32 km) east-southeast ofBrussels.

Beauvechain Air Base (Advanced Landing Ground A-89)
IATA:none ICAO:EBBE
Summary
Airport type	Military
Operator	Belgian Air Component
Location	Beauvechain,Wallonia,Belgium
Built	1936
ElevationAMSL	370 ft / 113 m
Coordinates	50°45′28″N004°46′01″E
Map
EBBE Location in Belgium
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04L/22R 3,074 10,085 Asphalt/concrete 04R/22L 2,450 8,038 Asphalt/concrete
Sources: BelgianAIP

It is home to the1st Wing,operatingA109BAhelicopters, and theBasic Flying Training School,operatingSIAI Marchetti SF.260trainer aircraft.

It is used as a base for the operational helicopter squadrons, and as a training center for pilots. Beauvechain also houses the Wing Meteo and the Air Force Band. It employs 1,100, therefore being the second employer of Walloon Brabant.

History

Beauvechain Air Base was a pre-World War IIBelgian Air Force military airfield established in 1936 as "Le Culot Airfield". It was captured during theBattle of Belgiumby the invading GermanWehrmachton 10 May 1940, destroying severalHawker HurricaneandGloster Gladiatoraircraft stationed at the airfield.

German use during World War II

During the occupation of Belgium byNazi Germany,the facility became a majorLuftwaffeair base during theBattle of France.During the battle, twoJunkers Ju 88A unitsKampfgeschwader 3andKampfgeschwader 30(KG 3; KG 30) supported the offensive, especially the crucial breakthrough atSedan.Other elements supported the drive to the Swiss border, encircling the French forces on theMaginot Line.When KG 30 moved into France, KG 3 remained at Le Culot, taking part in theBattle of Britain.At the beginning of the battle KG 3 had a total of 108 Ju 88 bombers, of which 88 were combat ready. KG 3 operated during all phases of the battle. In March 1941, it left for bases inPolandin preparation forOperation Barbarossa,the invasion of theSoviet Union.

With KG 3 moved out, the Germans revamped Le Culot with two concrete runways, taxiways, concrete revetments, and a maintenance station including hangars, shops and barracks.

The airfield was placed back on operational status during December 1941 when Aufklärungsgruppe 22 (AKG 22), a Long-range reconnaissance unit arrived with Ju 88s. The unit operated primarily over theNorth Seaand North Atlantic spotting allied convoys and shipping. It was replaced in April 1942 by AKG 33, which remained until May when it moved toBordeauxto operate over theBay of BiscayandNorth Atlantic.

Le Culot did not host any operational units until November 1943, whenKampfgeschwader 6(KG 6) arrived fromLarissa,Greece with Ju 88s as part ofOperation Steinbock,a late war German operation carried out by the Luftwaffe between January and May 1944 against targets in southern England, mainly in and around the London area during the night. kg 6 remained at the base until it moved to Prague. Operation Steinbock attacks from Le Culot continued with Ju 88s fromLehrgeschwader 1(LG 1) and Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30) until the end of July 1944, the last large-scale aerial bombing operation against England. Afterwards only theV1cruise missiles andV2ballistic rockets were used for hitting the British Isles.

Le Culot Air Base was a frequent target ofUSAAFNinth Air ForceB-26 Maraudermedium bombers. Also, theP-47 Thunderboltsof Ninth Air Force would be dispatched to perform fighter sweeps over the base after the Marauder raids, especially afterFocke-Wulf Fw 190fighters moved in. After the fighter sweep, the Thunderbolts would meet up withEighth Air Forceheavy bombers returning from Germany and provide fighter escort back toEngland.Le Culot was also attacked by Eighth Air ForceB-17 Flying Fortressheavy bombers in early 1944, causing severe damage to both the airfield and station.

Allied use

After the German forces were removed from the Beauvechain area in early September 1944, 126 Wing of Group 83 - 2nd Tactical Air Force (Canadian Fighter Wing) utilized base from Sept.20th to Oct.1st to provide air cover forArnhemandNijmegen(Operation Market Gardentail end). This was designated B68 ALG Le Culot - until taken over by Americans at end of October and re-designated A89 ALG.

Combat engineers of theUnited States Army Air ForcesIX Engineering Command 846th Engineer Aviation Regiment repaired the damaged airfield and applied numerous patches to the two concrete runways and taxiways of the field. The airfield was severely damaged from the Allied bombing attacks while in German hands as well as by the Germans as they withdrew, and it took nearly six weeks to make the airfield operationally ready for combat units. It was opened on 28 October, being designated asAdvanced Landing GroundA-89or "Le Culot Airfield".

The AmericanNinth Air Forceused the base for several units from 22 October 1944 until closing the base in June 1946. Known units assigned were:

• 373d Fighter Group,22 October 1944 – 11 March 1945 (P-47)
• 36th Fighter Group,27 October 1944 – 26 March 1945 (P-47)
• 322d Bombardment Group,March 1945 – June 1945 (B-26)

After combat ended in May 1945, Le Culot was used as a relief distribution base, with the Allies flying in food, clothing and other needs, and using the base to distribute these supplies in Belgium and other occupied areas in the region. The airfield was returned to Belgian control in December 1946.

Postwar/current

After being returned to Belgian control, the base was totally rebuilt, as the war had destroyed the base almost completely.

The wartime BelgianSupermarine Spitfireflying squadrons created inside theRAFwere relocated to Beauvechain, where they formed on 1 February 1948 as the 1st Fighter Wing, including four squadrons. Various units moved in and out of the base over the next 30 years.

The firstF-16 Fighting Falconarrived in Beauvechain in January 1979. The 1st Fighter Wing was disbanded on 4 March 1996 and its squadrons were relocated toFlorennes Air BaseandKleine Brogel Air Base.

The1st Wingwas formed as a flight training unit when all training squadrons relocated fromGoetsenhovenandBrustemto Beauvechain in 1996. The 1st Wing was disbanded as a training unit and recreated as a helicopter unit in September 2010.

Beauvechain is the home of the First Wing Historical Centre, a military museum which has a number of historic aircraft on display.

See also

• Advanced Landing Ground

References

This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency