Dijon Air Base

Dijon-Longvic Air Base (French: Base aérienne 102 Dijon, IATA: DIJ, ICAO: LFSD) was a French Air Force (French: Armée de l'Air) air base. The airfield is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east-southeast of Longvic; about 165 miles (266 km) southeast of Paris. Operating as a joint civilian base, it is today used as a commercial airport named Aéroport Dijon-Bourgogne.

Dijon-Longvic Air Base was one of the oldest of the Armée de l'Air, being established in 1914, having origins beginning in September 1910 as a civilian aerodrome. It has been active for 102 years, through both 20th Century World Wars, the Cold War, and numerous crises. The military left the base in June 2016.

In the years following the sumptuous "aviation parties" that were held in Dijon (from 22 to 25 September 1910), the French War Department decided to build a military airfield near the city, and on 7 July 1913, nine hectares located between the villages of Ouges and Longvic, near the National Road 468, were declared of public utility.

This airfield became operational in the spring of 1914 and was assigned the headquarters of the 1st Aviation Group, which was accommodated in several aircraft hangars and barracks. Four squadrons were stationed there when the World War broke out: the BR 17, BL 18, HF 19 and MF 20. It was on this military airfield that the 2e reserve aviation unit dedicated to the centralization of deliveries made by factories working for the aviation and transit to aviation squadrons of the parks from the front of the stored goods.^{[clarification needed]} 2Y also worked, from 1917, a flight school dedicated to piloting aircraft manufacturing company Voisin. On May 13, 1916, there was presented to the troops the flag of the Air Force by the most famous aces of war, Lieutenant Georges Guynemer, injured two months earlier at Verdun in front of the front of the troops of 1st group.^{[clarification needed]}

After 1919, Dijon-Longvic was used for deployment of several units specializing in pursuit and observation. In 1920, saw the birth of Dijon 2e observation aviation regiment equipped with Breguet 14 (renamed later 32nd RAO). That same year, on the edge of the airfield, an area was reserved for civil aviation and the land became "mixed aerodrome". Civil aviation was built near the future base 102, at the northern end of the coast and southwest of Dijon, aeronautical lighthouse great power of Mt. Africa, situated on the air route Paris-Lyon-Marseille.

During World War II, the airport was attacked by the Luftwaffe on several occasions (10, 14 May) during the Battle of France. It was seized by the German Army in June. Initially, during the Occupation of France, it was used as a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp for French and Allied personnel, during August and September 1940, who surrendered during the German Blitzkrieg, being named "Front Stalag 155". While a POW camp, prisoners were used to clear the wreckage of destroyed aircraft and tear down destroyed buildings. German engineers moved in during the winter of 1940/1941 and expanded the main runway from 800 to 1400m in length, in addition to constructing many new buildings to replace the destroyed French facilities.

The first operational Luftwaffe unit to take up residence at Dijon was IV/KG 55 "Greiff", in February 1941, consisting of three squadrons (Staffel) numbers 10, 11 and 12, equipped with twelve Heinkel He 111 bombers each. The unit also included a number of Gotha Go 145 and Junkers Ju 52s. This unit took part in many bombing missions over England. In March 1943, II/NJG4 arrived, a night fighter unit, equipped with three squadrons of Messerschmitt Bf 110s; Dornier Do 217 N-1s (RADAR equipped), and Junkers Ju 88 Ns.

Also in 1943, I/Luftlandgeschwader 2. arrived at Dijon from the Crimea in the Eastern Front, equipped with Heinkel 111Z reconnaissance aircraft, as well as Gotha Go 242 gliders. The unit only stayed at Dijon briefly, being moved to Istres for use in the Italian Campaign.