Valence airfield

[Andy Mitchell]

Nick/Larry,

Many thanks for the additional information.

[dsetzer]

The B-25 bombers of the 340th Bombardment Group stationed on Corsica hit (or tried to hit) the arifield at Valence/La Tresorerie on August 20, 1944.

It was not their finest moment. They missed.

See:

http://57thbombwing.com/340th_Histor...44_Valence.htm

For the target photos, mission report and war diary entries.

[Andy Mitchell]

Many thanks Dan.

Have added this and a link to the 340th page onto the entry for Valence here

[dsetzer]

Thank you for adding a link to the 340th Bomb Group page covering the attack on Valence / La Tresorerie Aerodrome.


Your work on that web site is quite prodigious. You are creating a structure that can be fleshed-out to be an important resource for researchers.


I have an interest in the Lehrgeschwaders 1 because my father was on the ground in Corsica in May 1944 when they came in and totally destroyed the entire bomb group fleet of aircraft and killed many soldiers on airfield at Alesani.


It was the last large-scale success of the Luftwaffe during the war. After the war Goering himself pointed to it as one of their major successes.


I have published accounts of the raid (from both sides) here:


http://home.comcast.net/~dhsetzer/taghon/Korsika_index.htm


The 340th Bomb Group was known as the “Bridge Busters” and concentrated mostly on destroying transportation infrastructure. They did attack airfields and troop concentrations on rare occasions.


I have photos of their attack on the German airfield at Eleusis – Athens on November 16, 1943 along with accounts of the attack from both sides. Contact me if you would like copies for your wiki.


Keep up the good work!

[Andy Mitchell]

Dan,

Many thanks for your generous comments.

Periodically, I ask if anyone wishes to contribute articles to the site but in reality have very few takers.

Would be interested in anything on Eleusis, need to add more airfields to that section on the Wiki. Will contact you separately regarding this.

I have read with great interest your pages on Korsika - unfortunately one of the links is dead (Pilot & Plane - One of Helbig's Flyers).

I also found my way to the pages on Joseph Heller and am currently enjoying your article comparing the characters in Catch-22 with the real life individuals in the 488th etc.

Once again many thanks

[Larry deZeng]

A.Mitchell said in part:

Would be interested in anything on Eleusis, need to add more airfields to that section on the Wiki.

Here is a contribution for this airfield. I am posting it here in case others may wish to add to it or recommend changes. We have several members from Greece who visit here regularly and may have some good information to add. What you see is not complete by any means but is the best that could be reconstructed from what documents survive. The air units can, of course, be broken down to Gruppe level and fleshed out with specific dates as this is mostly known now (the Michael Holm site will give you most of this). I leave that little task to you. Once this thread has been exposed for a week or so, you may cut and paste it into your Wiki site so it remains easily accessible and permanently installed on the internet.

Eleusis (GR) (a.k.a. Athens-Eleusis; Elevsis) (38 03 N – 23 33 E)
General: Fliegerhorst 18 km WNW of Athens in S Greece; airfield 3 km NNE of the town. Taken over by the Luftwaffe 27-30 Apr 41. Played a major role in the air war over the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Attacked on 15 November 1943 (by B-24s); 17 and 18 November (by B-17s); 6 December (by 45 B-24s); 8 December (by B-17s); 14 December (by B-17s); 20 December (by B-17s); 15 September 1944 (by B-24s). Evacuated by the Luftwaffe in Oct 44.
Air Units: LG 1 (May 41 - 1942); II./KG 26 (May 41); I.(Jagd)/LG 2 (May 41); KG 26 (1941-42); St.G. 3 (1943); Stab and Stabsstaffel/SG 3 (Oct – Dec 43); JG 27 (May 41, 1942); KG 100 (1943); 11./ZG 26 (Jun 43 – Sep 44); 4./Minensuchgruppe 1 (1944); IV./TG 1 (1944); KG 4 (Sep – Oct 44);
Station Units: Fl.H.Kdtr. E 15/VII (1941); Fl.H.Kdtr. A 202/IV (to c. Mar 43); Fl.H.Kdtr. A 210/III (Apr 43 – May 44); Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) 105/XVII (May – Oct 44);
Other: Fl.Werkstatt-Zug (Skoda) 4/VI (1941); Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2563 (Junkers) (1941-42); Feldwerft-Abt. IV./20 (1942-43); 132. Flugh.Betr.Kp. (Qu) (1944); Werft-Kp. 58 (1944); Werftzüge 105, 719 and 720 (1944); 1. Lufttorpedo-Betr.Kp. (1944); 10. Lufttorpedo-Betr.Kp. (1944); Nachschub-Kp. d.Lw. 2/I (1941); mittl.Fl.Betr.St.Kol. 1/VI (1941); Flug-Betr.St.Kol. 519/VI (1944); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 6/XVII (1941); Lw.-Baugeräte-Zug 14/IV (1942-43); Ger.Kol. Lw.-Bau-Btl. 130/XVII (1944); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 304/VI (1942-44); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 146/XI (1944); 22.(schw.Flugm.)/Luftgau-Nachr.Rgt. Südost; I./Flak-Rgt. 6 (1941); Flakscheinw.Abt. 449 (1941-42); gem.Flak-Abt. 131 (1942); le.Flak-Abt. 891 (1942-44);

L.

[Andy Mitchell]

Larry,

As ever - many, many thanks.

As you indicated, googling Michael Holms site for Eleusis will bring forth lots of low level detail.

[Andy Mitchell]

Larry,

Just had a poke around on Michael Holm's site and was intrigued by the fact that the Fl.H.Kdtr. at Eleusis was essentially the same unit, it changed its name three times.

E 15/VII in 10.42 becoming A 202/IV, in 4.43 becoming, A 210/III and in 4.44 finally becoming A (o) 105/XVII before eventually disbanding in 12.44.

[Larry deZeng]

Yep, I didn’t notice that until you mentioned it. It arrived at Eleusis at the beginning of May 1941 from Comiso airfield in Sicily, spent the entire war at Eleusis, then retreated north through Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and into Bosnia. The last entry I have for it was in late December 1944 when it reported a man MIA in Sarajevo. Its FpN was never deleted so I am guessing it ended the war in Croatia or Austria. Why it went through the first two changes in designation is a mystery, but the last one was theater-wide in April 1944 in an effort to give all the Fliegerhorstkommandanturen in the Balkans Luftgau XVII (HQ in Wien-Mauer) numbering.

Fl.H.Kdtr. E 15/VII (FpN L 14994)
Fl.H.Kdtr. A 202/IV (FpN L 14994)
Fl.H.Kdtr. A 210/III (FpN L 14994)
Fl.H.Kdtr. A 105/XVII (FpN L 14994)

L.

[Andy Mitchell]

Thanks for that Larry - another little mystery then.

Below see some notes extracted from the World War II Chronology issued by the Military Intellegence Division, US War department. These notes expand on your entries regarding attacks on Eleusis and provide some info on raids on other Greek airfields.

27 Jun 1943 - Eleusis and Kalamaki airdromes near Athens bombed by about 50 B-24's; 3 hangars, runway intersection, and administration buildings at former hit; fires and smoke observed over whole area; of intercepting enemy planes, 3 destroyed and 5 probably; at Kalamaki, hangar and dispersal areas left in flames; hits scored on runway; 5 planes observed burning on ground; in combat, 4 Axis planes shot down and 3 probably.(1)

22 Sep 1943 - Eleusis airdrome (near Athens) is target for 27 B-24 s, which drop 64 tons of bombs on runways and dispersal areas and among parked aircraft; a number of JU-88 s believe damaged or destroyed on the ground.(2)

5 Oct 1943 - Forty-eight B-24's bomb Eleusis airdrome; 30-35 German fighters rise to intercept. Four Messer-schmitts, 2 FW-190's destroyed; 1 fighter probably destroyed and 1 damaged. Three Liberators shot down.(3)

7 Oct 1943 - Eleusis airfield hit by 48 Mitchells escorted by 24 P-38's.(4)

9 Oct 1943 - Total of 110 heavy bomber sorties made against enemy airfields. Tatoi and Arozos bases attacked, but clouds prevent observation of results. Twenty-thirty fighters attack raiders; 4 shot down, but 2 B-17's destroyed. Larissa airfield hard hit by B-17's; 17 grounded planes destroyed and 2 gas dumps exploded. Raids on Eleusis,Salonika Sedes, and Argos fields by medium bombers achieve fair results.(5)

22 Oct 1943 - Thirty-six escorted B-25s bomb Eleusis airdrome; clouds prevent damage assessment; 1 enemy fighter destroyed in air.(6)

24 Oct 1943 - Eleusis airdrome lightly attacked.(7)

29 Oct 1943 - Eleusis is attacked by B-25s.(8)

15 Nov 1943 - Eleusis airdrome sustains severe damage, resulting from raid by 46 B-2-'s with P-38 escort; 60 tons of fragmentation bombs damage hangars and fuel stores and destroy 6 grounded aircraft. Force of 45 B-25's escorted by 36 P-38s bombs Kalamaki airdrome, damaging landing areas and hangars;large fires and explosions result.(9)

16 Nov 1943 - Seventy-nine B-25s with P-38 escort bomb Eleusis airdrome, Greece, causing extensive damage to runways, hangars and other buildings; 5 grounded aircraft destroyedand 10 fires started. (10)

17 Nov 1943 - Airdromes in Greece are targets for US bombers: 41 B-17s damage hangars, buildings, taxi strip and dispersal area at Eleusis;, destroy 5 grounded aircraft, and damage 10 more; 36 escorted B-25's drop 32 tons of explosive on Kalamaki, starting fires among hangars and marked aircraft; 10-12 Axis planes attempt interception at latter; 2 shot down.(11)

18 Nov 1943 - Eleusis airdrome again heavily damaged by U.S. bombers; 50 B-17's hit hangar and dispers-al areas and destroy 10 grounded aircraft; intense AA fire damages 17 Allied bombers. Force of 36 escorted B-25s bombs Larissa airdrome, hitting runway and hangars and destroying 2 parked planes;numerous fires started; 8 Planes damaged by AA fire.(12)

6 Dec 1943 - Kalamaki airdrome bombed by 56 B-17's; target believed well covered with HE and fragmentation bombs; of about 20 intercepting enemy planes, 6 shot down, 4 probably, and 4 damaged for loss of 1 bomber. Forrty-five B-24s attack Eleusis airdrome with good results; of 15-20 Axis aircraft opposing Allied forced 3 destroyed, 2 probably and 2 damaged; 1 B-24, destroyed and 1 escort plane missing. During night RAF heavy bombers attack dockyards at SaIamis.(13)

8 Dec 1943 - Two airdromes at Athens attacked by heavy bombers: 36 escorted B-24's cover Tatoi with 45 tons of explosive; 61 B-17's drop 81.5 tons on Eleusis; 1 B-17 destroyed by AA fire and 1 B-24 is missing.(14)

14 Dec 1943- Eleusis.and Kaltmaki airdromes at Athens: bombed by 80 B-17s dropping 236 tons of explosive, covering target areas thoroughly. Twenty-seven B-17s loose 81 tons of bombs on Piraeus docks and shipping. Bombers escorted by 48 P-4'7's and 62 P-38s; of 30-40 Axis planes intercepting, 11 shot down, 1 probably, and 1 damaged. Another Athens airdrome, Tatoi, is target for 46 escorted B-24s which drop 105 tons on field and hangars with good results.(15)

20 Dec 1943 - Force of 109 B-17's with escort of 66 P-38s drops 297 tons of bombs on Eleusis airdrome at Athens, inflicting extensive damage; Allied planes opposed by about 35 aircraft of which 19 are destroyed, 3 probably, and 3 damaged.(16)

13 Sep 1944 - During night 92 VWIellingtons, B-24s, and Halifaxes drop 194 tons of bombs on 3 enemy airfields near Athens(Eleusis, Kalamaki, and Tatoi) with fair to excellent results.Preveza on VW shore of Greece is effectively bombed by Wellingtons. Five additional Wellingtons make night attack onMaleme and Heraklion airfields in Crete,. Five Beaufighters damage enemy plane over Calato airfield on Rhodes.(17)

14 Sep 1944 - Five Wellingtons again bomb Preveza. Eleusis,Tatoi, and Kalamaki airfields are again targets for 84 B-24s and Wellingtons which drop 202.4 tons with good to excellent results. Three vessels:- in Paroikia harbor, Paros Is, are damaged- by 16 Beaiufighters, while 5 Wellingtons continue attacks on Heraklion and Maleme airfields in Crete. During night CCs and DDs attack shipping N of Crete.(18)

15 Sep 1944 - Force of 327 heavy bombers escorted by 84 P-51s pounds Salamis submarine base and Eleusis, Kalamaki, and Tatoi airfields with 686.8 tons of bombs; damage includes 51 enemy planes destroyed on airfields, DD (Turbine), floating.dock, and SS sunk, DD damaged, 2 floating cranes destroyed,and SS missing; 200 Germans reported killed. Fighters effectively strafe Miegara and Eleusis airfields, Wellingtons continue attacks in Aegean: Maleme and Heraklion airfields are again -night targets for 5 planes, while Calato field at Rhodes is again bombed by others.(19)

24 Sep 1944 - Reports indicate Kithira I. occupied by 600 more British troops.
Three Allied planes drop additional personnel and equipment on airfield near Cape Pappas. Strategic AF hammers targets in Greece: 252 B-24s successfully drop 473 tons of bombs on airfields at Kalamaki, Eleusis, and Tatoi; W RR yards at Salonika are targets for 58 B-24s which unload 142 tons with good results; Skaramagna submarine base and harbor facilities are hit by 52 B-24s with 140 tons; all targets well covered; 20 aircraft destroyed at Eleusis and Kalamaki airfields. Four Spitfires attack MT on Crete,. DDs bombard small vessel near Argostolion, Cephalonia, while others(Terpischore and Termagant) destroy convoy of 5 vessels (including 2 F-lighters) E. of Scarpanto I., SW of Rhode's. AK loaded with ammunition is sunk at Vathy, Samos I., causing many casualties.(20)

4 Oct 1944 – Kalamaki, Eleusis and Tatoi in Athens area strafed by P-51s, 9 enemy planes destoyed on ground and 21 damaged.(21)

6 Oct 1944 - Eleusis, Tatoi, Kalamaki, and Megara fields attacked by 53 P-51s which destroy 5 planes, ammunition dump, MG and oil dump and damage 10 planes. (22)

9 Oct 1944 – With fair to good results, 19 Wellingtons attack Tatoi, Eleusis, and Kalamaki airfields near Athens throughout night dropping 44.35 tons of bombs with hits on landing ground,hangars, and buildings. (23)

==Notes==
(1) June 1943 World War II Chronology - Military Intellegence Division, US War Department.
(2) Sept 1943 World War II Chronology - Military Intellegence Division, US War Department.
(3)-(8) Oct 1943 World War II Chronology - Military Intellegence Division, US War Department.
(9)-(12) Nov 1943 World War II Chronology - Military Intellegence Division, US War Department.
(13)-(16) Dec 1943 World War II Chronology - Military Intellegence Division, US War Department.
(17)-(20) Sept 1944 World War II Chronology - Military Intellegence Division, US War Department.
(21)-(23) Oct 1944 World War II Chronology - Military Intellegence Division, US War Department.