Luftwaffe Activity at Le Mans

[DanPatrick]

I'm researching a book on the racing circuit for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and specifically, on the famous 3 1/2-mile Mulsanne Straightaway.

Sometime in or around 1944, the Luftwaffe took over the Le Mans airport (adjascent to the circuit) and flew missions out of there. At some point, Allied bombers made such a wreck out of the airport, Luftwaffe planes were forced to land on the nearby Mulsanne Straightaway.

If someone here could help, I'd very much like to know what unit(s) of the Luftwaffe were at Le Mans and what kind of planes they flew. And of course, any details of the dates (when they took the airport, how long they were there, when it was severely bombed and by whom, and of course, when planes were forced to land on the Mulsanne, etc.). Also, I'd like to know what kind of planes (and numbers?) that might have landed there and how long they stayed there. And if and when German or Allied bombs might have hit the circuit.

Thanks in advance, Dan