Coulommiers – Voisins Aerodrome

Coulommiers Airfield has its direct origins in 1938 when the French Armée de l'Air established the base. French aviation had been ongoing in the area as far back as early balloon flights by the De Montgolfier brothers in 1783 and various glider and other aeronautical experiments in the 19th Century. The battles of the Marne were fought in the region during World War I, and numerous French and German aircraft were in the area.[3]

The Armée de l'Air had stationed GC III/6 and GC III/7 at the airfield; GC III/6 was equipped with single-engine Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighters and GC III/7 with Bloch MB.220 fighters. With the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, additional squadrons of both French and Royal Air Force aircraft were assigned to Coulommiers, including RAF Supermarine Spitfires; various reconnaissance aircraft, and Dewoitine D.520 (GC I/3).[4] Combat forces from the airfield fought in the Battle of France during May and June 1940, until the final armistice with Germany of 20 June.

Seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battle of France, Coulommiers was used as a Luftwaffe military airfield during the occupation. Known units assigned (all from Luftlotte 3, Fliegerkorps IV):[5][6]

• Kampfgeschwader 54 (KG 54) 10–26 July 1940 Junkers Ju 88A (Fuselage Code: B3+)

The Ju 88s from KG 54 were heavily engaged in the Battle of Britain from Coulommiers. The unit flew thousands of sorties during the Blitz, hitting targets all over the United Kingdom. The unit lost 265 killed, 121 missing, 63 as POWs and 65 wounded as well as 62 aircraft during the operation.[7] The unit moved to Évreux in late July.[5]

After KG 54 moved out, the Luftwaffe also expanded the facility with an entirely new dispersal area in a wooded area to the northeast of the French airfield, building numerous dispersal pads and taxiways.

• Schnellkampfgeschwader 10 (SKG 10) September–October 1943 Focke-Wulf Fw 190A
• Kampfgeschwader 2 (KG 2) 11 April – 10 August 1943 Dornier Do 217E/K/M (Fuselage Code: U5+)

In 1943, Coulommiers was brought back online as an operational base, initially with day interceptor fighters (SKG 10) to attack USAAF Eighth Air Force heavy bombers as part of the "Defense of the Reich" campaign. KG 2 engaged in night bombing attacks over Britain and dropping naval mines in the English Channel and along the British east coast.[5] These attacks drew the attention of the USAAF, and the airfield became the target of frequent attacks by Allied aircraft, being attacked on 14 June 1944 by Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses; and by IX Bomber Command B-26 Marauders on 23 June. On 27 June over 30 P-51 Mustangs attacked the airfield on strafing runs.[8]

• Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (NJG 4) 8 May – August 1944 Messerschmitt Bf 110 (Fuselage Code: U5+)

In the summer of 1944, NJG 4 moved in with RADAR-equipped Bf 110s, and engaged in night interceptor attacks against RAF Bombers. It remained until the Luftwaffe was forced to withdraw from Coulommiers as Allied ground forces were moving into the area during the Northern France Campaign. in August 1944.[5]

It was liberated by Allied ground forces about 1 September 1944 during the Northern France Campaign. Almost immediately, the United States Army Air Forces IX Engineer Command 825th Engineer Aviation Battalion cleared the field of mines and destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft. Coulommiers Airfield became a USAAF Ninth Air Force combat airfield, designated as "A-58" after about one week of reconstruction on 8 September, with two 6,000-foot concrete runways fully operational.[9][10]

Under American control, the airfield was assigned to Ninth Air Force, with the following combat units assigned:

• 425th Night Fighter Squadron, 11 September – 13 October 1944 (P-61 Black Widow)
• 410th Bombardment Group, September 1944 – February 1945 (A-20 Havoc)

The combat unit then moved east along with the Allied lines and the airport became transport airfield, hosting C-47 Skytrains of the 437th Troop Carrier Group from February until the summer of 1945, after end of the war. The Americans returned full control of the airport to French authorities on 8 August 1945.[11]

After the war, the airfield was abandoned for a number of years, but remained in the hands of the French Air Ministry. During the 1950s, plans were made to use Coulommiers as an alternate for Le Bourget Airport. In addition, construction of two circular marguerite systems of aircraft hardstands was made in order to upgrade the airfield to NATO standards for possible military use. In 1960, a decision was made to reopen Orly Airport (then being a USAF base (Orly Air Base)) as a civil commercial airport and plans for the use of Coulommiers were discontinued.[3]