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History of the Feldflugplatz Coquelles 1940-1944.

Part I : Luftwaffe August 1940-April 1942.

Free article of the Belfra Team , without any commercial value. All aerials and plans are from the Belfra Team excepted otherwise indicated.

By Dirk Terriere

1. Introduction.

This paper described the history of the occupation by the Germans of a small town called “Coquelles” situated south-west of Calais from the capitulation of France on July 1940 until the liberation by the Canadian Army on 26 September 1944 (1).

After the capitulation of France the battle of England started and the Luftwaffe began to build a Feldflugplatz in Coquelles. This Feldflugplatz was located in the area within “Château Pigache” and the farms “La Grande Rouge Cambre”, “La Petite Rouge Cambre”, “La Tourelle” and “Les Sapins”.

Old IGN map with the castle and the different farms.

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Aerial of 1949 with the Feldflugplatz (Source IGN)

Aerial of 1994 with Eurotunnel terminal and the remaining Castle (Source IGN).

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Aerial of 2010 with the disappeared Feldflugplatz (Source Google earth)

2. Luftwaffe units at Coquelles(2).

The first unit was the I./JG 52 (Jagdgeschwarder = Fighter Wing) from 02.08.40 until 31.10.40. The gruppekommandeures were Hptm Siegfried von Eschwege (02.8.40 - 25.8.40) and Hptm Wolfgang Ewald (26.8.40 - 31.10.40). This wing flew only with the Messerschmitt Bf 109E’s (3,4).

Picture of Bf 109E’s at Coquelles (Source: website asisbiz).

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Within the same period (18.08.40 – 28.08.40) the Stab. of the JG52 has his base at Coquelles with Maj. Hubert Merhart Von Bernegg as Jagdgeschwarder-commondore.

Emblem of the JG 52:

The second unit was the I./JG 51. This unit has his base at Coquelles from 20.11.10 until 07.12.40 with Bf109E’s and from 09.03.41 until 25.05.41. under Hptm Hermann-Friedrich Joppien. They flew only with Bf109F’s (5,6).

Emblem of the JG 51 :

The last unit was the III./JG 26 from 19.10.41 until 07.04.42 under Maj. Gerhard Schöpfel (19.10.41 – 05.12.41) and Hptm Josef Priller (06.12.41-07.04.42). This wing flew with Bf 109F’s and with Fw190G’s (7,8).

Picture of a Fw190 (Focke-wulf) (Source : website airpowerworld).

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Emblem of the JG 26:

3. Reconstruction of the Feldflugplatz. Using the aerials of different dates a basic reconstruction of the different fortifications was established. For the completion of the plan a detailed field survey with the measurement of the possible fortifications were used.

3.1. The Castle : “Château Pigache”. 3.1.1. Aerial of 1943.

On the aerial of 1943 you see the barbed wire around the castle, a hangar for reparations and many protection boxes for the planes on the left.

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3.1.2. Aerial of 1944.

On this aerial more protection boxes are displayed on the right.

3.1.3. Aerial of 1961.

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3.1.4. Measurement of the remaining fortifications.

Aerial google earth :

VF 2a : N° 01

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The ceiling is constructed with I-profiles and not with the usual “hoyerbalken”.

You find also a “nische” for a telephone right of the entrance.

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Barrack : N° 02

Barrack : N° 03

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Protection box for plane : N° 04.

Un know building : N° 05.

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Protection box for plane : N° 06.

VF 2a : N° 07.

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3.1.5. Reconstruction by Jörg Poweleit©.

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3.2. Farm : La Grande Rouge Cambre. 3.2.1. Aerial of 1943.

On this aerial you find a lot of protection boxe

3.2.2. Aerial of 1961

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3.2.3. Reconstruction by Jörg Poweleit©.

3.3. Farm : Les Sapins. 3.3.1. Aerial of 1943.

On this aerial you see on the left a construction used for shooting practice fighter.

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3.3.2. Aerial of 1944.

3.3.3. Aerial of 1961.

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3.3.4. Reconstruction by Jörg Poweleit©.

4. Literature and consulted websites.

(1)Hugues Chevalier. Les Combats de la Libération du Pas-de Calais 1er – 30 septembre 1944. Ed. Les Echos 2012. ISBN : 978-2-9519835-3-3 (2)http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com/?p=2131 (3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdgeschwader_52 (4) http://www.ww2.dk/air/jagd/jg52.htm (5)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdgeschwader_51 (6)http://www.ww2.dk/air/jagd/jg51.htm (7)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdgeschwader_26 (8)http://www.ww2.dk/air/jagd/jg26.htm

Finally I want to thank Jörg Poweleit and the members of the Belfra team for their collaboration.