Valence-Chabeuil Airport

The airport's origin dates from the 1930s when the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) established Valence-Chabeuil Air Base. It was the headquarters for the Zone d'Opérations Aériennes des Alpes – Z.O.A.A. (Alps Air Operations Area).{{Cite web|title=Armée de l'Air Order of Battle, 10th May 1940|url=http://france1940.free.fr/adla/ada_may.html|access-date=2021-12-31|website=france1940.free.fr}} Known operational units assigned were:

• G.R. II/14 Potez 637 (1)
• G.A.O. 582 Potez 63.11 (undetermined – in training)
• G.A.O. 1/584 Potez Potez 63.11 (3) (in training)

The Potez was a heavy twin-engined fighter. With the outbreak of war in May 1940, the unit did not see action against the Germans in the Battle of France. However, operations were flown against the Italian Army (Regio Esercito) after the Italian invasion of France on 10 June. After the Second Armistice at Compiègne the Armée de l'Air units assigned to the airfield were ordered to French North Africa, and the airport was closed by the Vichy France government.{{Cite web|title=Armée de l'Air Order of Battle, 1st September 1940|url=http://france1940.free.fr/vichy/ada_sep.html|access-date=2021-12-31|website=france1940.free.fr}}

After the forceful occupation of Vichy France in November 1942 as a result of Case Anton Wehrmacht units moved into the Valence area and the airport came under the control of the Luftwaffe. It was not, however, used as an operational base until July 1943 when XI. Fliegerkorps moved Luftlandegeschwader 1 (LLG 1) (Airborne Squadron 1) to the airport, equipped with 32 Henschel Hs 126 reconnaissance aircraft and 120 DFS 230 light transport gliders.{{Cite web|title=The Luftwaffe, 1933-45|url=http://www.ww2.dk/|access-date=2021-12-31|website=ww2.dk}} In early August 1944, Kampfgeschwader 26 (KG 26) moved Junkers Ju 88s to the airfield to attack advancing United States Seventh Army forces moving north, but the Luftwaffe was driven out by Twelfth Air Force attacks.

Twelfth Air Force combat engineers moved into Valence-Chabeuil Airport in late August 1944, and cleared the airport of mines and destroyed German aircraft. It was declared ready for operational use on 2 September 1944. It was designated as Advanced Landing Ground "Y-23 Valence".[http://www.ixengineercommand.com/airfields/general.php IX Engineering Command ETO Airfields General Construction Information] The 79th Fighter Group was assigned to the airport and operated P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber aircraft until the end of September 1944, until moving north with the advancing Allied forces.Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}. Once the combat unit moved out, Valence-Chabeuil became a transport airfield, supporting C-47 Skytrain resupply and also casualty evacuation flights until being returned to French control on 20 November 1944.Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.

In 1945 the Armée de l'Air returned to its airfield and it returned to its prewar status as an active air base. A 2100m all-weather asphalt runway was laid down for jet aircraft operations, and the damage caused by World War II was repaired. It is undetermined when it was converted to a civilian airport.

Today the airport is a modern, fully equipped facility with two additional parallel grass runways available for use. A large aircraft parking ramp along with a hangar and support buildings are available.

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• Advanced Landing Ground

• {{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}

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• {{GCM|LFLU}}

{{Airports in France|state=collapsed}}

{{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II}}

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Category:Airports in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Category:Drôme

Category:World War II airfields in France

Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in France