Comments by Fabrice Loubette - October 2004
Chenevières is a small village about 7kms south-east of the town of Lunéville, which in turn is south east of Nancy in France.
Lunéville-Croismare, today a civilian airfield was used by the Americans during World War II. It was used to accomodate P-47 Thunderbolt for a part of the conflict. Then it seems that the airfield was used as a Dispersed Operationnal Base (DOB) for the USAFE base of Chambley (30 kms south west of Metz). Lunéville's base had indeed a 6800 ft long runway.
Nowadays, the airfield is only used by the local air club, so they don't need such a "avenue" to get the sky. It would be too expensive to maintain. Today, a part of the airfield is transformed in a commercial activity area.
My father told me he saw some F-100 Super Sabre and F-84 aircraft at the Lunéville airport when he was a kid (probably for a meeting). But it was apparently rare: Americans wanted to expand the base, but the nearness of the village of Croismare made it was impossible. This is why they moved 7 kms in the south east, to Chenevières.
The Chenevières airfield was built along a wood, and was thought to be a deployment base for Toul, like Rocroi for RCAF. So there wasn't all the facilities built that one would find on a permanent base, but more than on the line of a DOB (what were thought to be used only in case of conflict).
My father lived in the village just behind the woods when he was a child and the aerodrome closed-circuit passed over his home. He told me it wasn't rare to see (and hear) F-100 Super Sabre jets preparing to land, or just after their take off. What I know is that around once a month, one Squadron was established in Chenevières for approximately one week, combined with a logistic convoy to make the squadron operational.
The base was deactivated at the same time as the RCAF Station at Grostenquin. Sadly, I think the memories of our local French nationals are very bad about Chenevières. Nobody (except my father!) seems to remember anything about it. Today, one of the three dispersal areas is used as a closed circuit for automobiles. This is the reason why some people remember that there was an airfield at this place. Every year, there is a great car rally. The general public park on the remains of the runway for this occasion. The domestic site of the base and one other dispersal were used until this summer to accomode a French Regiment of transmission, which has now moved to Lunéville.
Little by little, the last dispersal area is being absorbed by the forest. There still are two NATO hangars, but no contol tower. I'm not sure there has ever been one. It was probably mobile tower, deployed with the groundcrews.
We find very few references to this air base. It is only figured on the small scale map of Lunéville, and for two years on the aeronautical map for private pilots (figured as an abandoned airfield). I don't know why, but it's clear Chenevières lost his aeronautical vocation a long time ago. It was never used by cargo aircraft. I asked the militarians of French Air Forces based in Chenevières (there are around 10 as in GT), for assistance when looking for archives. They advised that they tried to find documents some years ago, without any result. If there are any available historical records for Chenevieres, then they must be on your side of the Atlantic!
Comments by Ren L'Ecuyer - October 2004
The FLIP Enroute Supplement of 13 Sep 1963 says of the two airfields close to Lunéville: Croismare FAF H7900 (CON), Chenevières FAF H7900 (CON), both Altn A/D for Moselle MCAC 0630-1530Z. Croismare is today a local airfield with limited usage of the once almost 8000 ft runway; Chenevières is still occupied by the French Army w/o any flying activities.
Extract from an article called "The USAF In France 1950-1967", by Jerry McAuliffe
During 1950 the State Department, HQ USAF teams, and the French Defense Ministry negotiated to select the air bases and determine the amount of construction funding needed to get them operational at the earliest possible date. France gave tentative approval by February 1951 to establish ten main US air bases with all support facilities: Bordeaux-Merignac, Chambley-Bussieres, Chaumont-Semoutiers, Chateauroux-Deols, Dreux-Louvillier, Etain-Rouvres, Evreux-Fauville, Laon-Couvron, Phalsbourg-Bourscheid, and Toul-Rosieres. Two additional bases were selected for RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) fighters, at Grostenquin and Marville-Montmedy.
As the main air bases became operational, the USAFE planners had to decide on the best dispersal of tactical aircraft against enemy counter air strikes using both conventional and nuclear weapons. Their goal was to have no more than one squadron at a single base in the event of war. The 1954 concept would place one squadron forward on alert in West Germany, one squadron at a DOB (Dispersed Operating Base) in France, and one squadron at its main air base. Beginning in 1954, DOBs were constructed at Chalons-Vatry, Luneville-Chenevieres, Vitry-Brienne, and Vouziers-Sechault: all sites in northeast France. The DOB concept was considered by all to be worth the costs and operational hardships. Usually one tactical squadron would fly to a DOB and operate for a week or two while undergoing an operational readiness inspection. The maintenance sections would pack up their shop semitrailers, drive to the DOB, set up the camp site and support a very active flying schedule.
Today (1967) most of the old USAF air bases in France are being used and are not accessible to tourists. The French Air Force is currently flying from Evreux, Toul, and the Sechault DOB. The French Army uses Chaumont, Etain, Laon, Phalsbourg, Chenevieres DOB and RCAF Grostenqiun. Chateauroux-Deols air depot complex is used as a regional airport. Portions of the old aircraft factory are used as a commercial aircraft overhaul facility. The adjacent large La Martinerie depot storage and administrative area is operated by the French Air Force. Dreux AB is not active but not abandoned and is secured; all buildings plus four large hangars are still standing. Brienne la Chateau DOB is a commercial business park; the airfield is used for sport aviation, an aviation museum and has a campground. Chalons-Vatry DOB renamed Vatry-Sommesous is being expanded into the largest air cargo terminal in Europe. Chambley AB and RCAF Marville are being developed into commercial business parks; many old buildings and hangars exist, and runways and aprons at these sites are usable.
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Updated: November 5, 2004
