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Beauvechain Air Base
Beauvechain Air Base (ICAO: EBBE) is a Belgian Air Force military airfield in Belgium, located 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south of Beauvechain in Wallonia (Walloon Brabant Province); 20 mi (32 km) east-southeast of Brussels.
It is home to the 1st Wing, operating A109BA helicopters, and the Basic Flying Training School, operating SIAI Marchetti SF.260 trainer 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.[citation needed]
Beauvechain Air Base was a pre-World War II Belgian Air Force military airfield established in 1936 as "Le Culot Airfield". It was captured during the Battle of Belgium by the invading German Wehrmacht on 10 May 1940, destroying several Hawker Hurricane and Gloster Gladiator aircraft stationed at the airfield.
During the occupation of Belgium by Nazi Germany, the facility became a major Luftwaffe air base during the Battle of France. During the battle, two Junkers Ju 88A units Kampfgeschwader 3 and Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 3; KG 30) supported the offensive, especially the crucial breakthrough at Sedan. Other elements supported the drive to the Swiss border, encircling the French forces on the Maginot Line. When KG 30 moved into France, KG 3 remained at Le Culot, taking part in the Battle 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 in Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet 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 the North Sea and North Atlantic spotting allied convoys and shipping. It was replaced in April 1942 by AKG 33, which remained until May when it moved to Bordeaux to operate over the Bay of Biscay and North Atlantic.
Le Culot did not host any operational units until November 1943, when Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6) arrived from Larissa, Greece with Ju 88s as part of Operation 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 from Lehrgeschwader 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 the V1 cruise missiles and V2 ballistic rockets were used for hitting the British Isles.
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Beauvechain Air Base
Beauvechain Air Base (ICAO: EBBE) is a Belgian Air Force military airfield in Belgium, located 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south of Beauvechain in Wallonia (Walloon Brabant Province); 20 mi (32 km) east-southeast of Brussels.
It is home to the 1st Wing, operating A109BA helicopters, and the Basic Flying Training School, operating SIAI Marchetti SF.260 trainer 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.[citation needed]
Beauvechain Air Base was a pre-World War II Belgian Air Force military airfield established in 1936 as "Le Culot Airfield". It was captured during the Battle of Belgium by the invading German Wehrmacht on 10 May 1940, destroying several Hawker Hurricane and Gloster Gladiator aircraft stationed at the airfield.
During the occupation of Belgium by Nazi Germany, the facility became a major Luftwaffe air base during the Battle of France. During the battle, two Junkers Ju 88A units Kampfgeschwader 3 and Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 3; KG 30) supported the offensive, especially the crucial breakthrough at Sedan. Other elements supported the drive to the Swiss border, encircling the French forces on the Maginot Line. When KG 30 moved into France, KG 3 remained at Le Culot, taking part in the Battle 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 in Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet 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 the North Sea and North Atlantic spotting allied convoys and shipping. It was replaced in April 1942 by AKG 33, which remained until May when it moved to Bordeaux to operate over the Bay of Biscay and North Atlantic.
Le Culot did not host any operational units until November 1943, when Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6) arrived from Larissa, Greece with Ju 88s as part of Operation 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 from Lehrgeschwader 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 the V1 cruise missiles and V2 ballistic rockets were used for hitting the British Isles.