Carpiquet Airfield

[Alanmccoubrey]

I was reading the MBI book about the Hs129 and was very surprised to hear that they were operated against the Allies in Normandy. Apparently either III./SG101 or 151 (these were the training units based near Paris) operated from Carpiquet Airfield. he book claims "for several weeks" but I've always had the impression that the airfield was very much in the front line from D-Day on, has anyone got other information on this ? The book does say that an Hs 129 was captured on the airfield when it was eventually taken.

[dadlamassu]

Oddly enough I was given 2 of the Lindberg Hs129s (as well as a Me410, He 100 and a He162) by my grandsons on my birthday 2 weeks ago and did some research on whether I could use them in NW Europe.

In Smith and Kay German Aircraft of the Second World War p337 records the movement of Luftwaffe units to the west and states that "erganzungsgruppen" (training units of 2 or more staffeln) being made operational including a "Hs 129 unit, probably a staffel of III. / SG 151"

The notes go on to say it was based at Caen -Carpiquet and made sorties over the allied beaches during the D Day landings. One aircraft was captured in July 1944.





That said, when I researched SG 151 I found that it was equipped with Ju-87 and FW-190 except 14./SG151 which had Hs-129 and Ju-87G on the Eastern front from September 1944. So who did the Hs-129s belong to? I don't know but at least one certainly there as it was capturedthough it may have been a disabled one left over from a training unit?

I have seen a picture of one from 14./SG9 noted as western Front


the link below is about someone asking on Axis History Forum for information about Hs-129 in Normandy because his grandfather had flown one and been shot down by a P-47 near Falaise.
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=163044

The Squadron Signal book does not mention the NWETO at all https://the-eye.eu/public/WorldTracker. ... Action.pdf

However, despite research saying otherwise my two Lindberg Hs129s will join my Luftwaffe alongside the others (eventually).

[Alanmccoubrey]

The Hs129 probably belonged to II./SG 101 which was formed from the Schlachtfliegerschule at Orly near Paris, the MBI book is clearly incorrect in saying III./SG 101 because the Geschwader only had two Gruppen. Lexikon der Wehrmacht notes that they even operated 12 Stukas against the Normandy landings !
That caption saying that 14(Pz)./SG 9 served in the west is incorrect, they never left the Eastern Front at all in 1944.
My question wasn't really about the German aircraft involved but whether or not they would have been able to operate from Carpiquet.

[dadlamassu]

The airfield was rendered unusable on 6 Jun 44: runway demolished by station personnel and the remainder of the infrastructure by 17 June.

So highly unlikely that is was in operation at all once its aircraft took off on 6 June.

See http://www.ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20France.pdf

[Alanmccoubrey]

That is what I expected, even if they hadn't done that it must have been well within the range of naval guns.

[sediment]

Weren't the Canadians fighting 12th SS across Carpiquet airfield from at least D+1 for around a month or so? I can't imagine aircraft being able to use the runways. Even less likely given it would have been in range of both naval and land-based artillery from the evening of D-day.

Cheers, Andy

[dadlamassu]

That is what I expected, even if they hadn't done that it must have been well within the range of naval guns.

It was well within rangeof HMS Warspite if nothing else.

[dadlamassu]

Weren't the Canadians fighting 12th SS across Carpiquet airfield from at least D+1 for around a month or so? I can't imagine aircraft being able to use the runways. Even less likely given it would have been in range of both naval and land-based artillery from the evening of D-day.

Cheers, Andy

The Canadians were fighting 12 SS from D+1 and reached Buron & Authie before being stopped. They captured the airfield on 7-8 July. So very close but not quite on the airfield.

The Allies operated Advanced Landing Grounds within the beachhead that were also in range of German artillery. On the map below B17 is Carpiquet which was restored and in RAF use in early August.


More info : https://www.skylighters.org/history/air ... ields.html

[sediment]

Got my June and July mixed up.

I think the Germans had plenty of alternative air strips to choose from, whereas the Allies had to make do with those airfields they could seize or build in the lodgement, so whereas the Allies would have had to take the risk of artillery, I suspect the Germans would have moved everything out. It looks like 12th SS used the open ground of the airfield to their advantage once the Canadians got close enough and had added hardened positions to aid the defence.

Cheers, Andy

[Alanmccoubrey]

It would seem that SG 101 used the surviving Hs129A's with their Argos engines as well as early B's for their training so it is just possible that there were Argos engine aircraft being used against the landings, I wonder does anyone make such a kit ?

[dadlamassu]

It would seem that SG 101 used the surviving Hs129A's with their Argos engines as well as early B's for their training so it is just possible that there were Argos engine aircraft being used against the landings, I wonder does anyone make such a kit ?

Pavla https://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/pav ... 30519.html

[Alanmccoubrey]

That is tempting, certainly beats the alternative which wold be to remove the engines from a FW 189

[dadlamassu]

That is tempting, certainly beats the alternative which wold be to remove the engines from a FW 189

Certainly does! I would certainly have bought one but I have one Hs129B with 3cm cannon and 2 more donated by my grandsons. I will probably kit at least one of them out with bombs and keep the other in the stash.

[Bluewillow]

Finally a excuse to use one perhaps.

Surely the airfield was unusable due to the Canadians being able to see it from multiple locations and within range of various ships. Maybe withdrawn to the airfield at Le Mans or Laval, I will look up my Le Mans book in French when I get a chance.

Cheers
Matt

[Alanmccoubrey]

Finally a excuse to use one perhaps.

Surely the airfield was unusable due to the Canadians being able to see it from multiple locations and within range of various ships. Maybe withdrawn to the airfield at Le Mans or Laval, I will look up my Le Mans book in French when I get a chance.

Cheers
Matt

Which is why I asked the question in the first place, I just couldn't believe the claim in the (Czech) book.

[dadlamassu]

It was unusable because the Luftwaffe cratered the runway and blew up the infrastructure because the Canadians were closing in. The decision to deny the airfield was as much about preventing an airborne landing as anything. The Hs129 in the hangar either was not operatonal or lacked a pilot and so was trapped. But there are many resons for it being abandoned.