page_title: Quartier Mangin
section_title: 38th Tactical Bombardment Wing
hierarchical_section_title: Quartier Mangin / U.S. acquisition and use / 38th Tactical Bombardment Wing
caption_attribution_description: English: Martin B-57B-MA Serial 52-1560 of the 71st Bombardment Squadron - 1957. This aircraft was also one of the "Black Knights" aerial acrobatic team. After its withdrawal from France in 1958, this aircraft was eventually assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base South Vietnam and flew combat bombing missions into the late 1960s. Français&#160;: Martin B-57B-MA Serial 52-1560 du 71st Light Bomber Squadron - 1957. Cet avion était aussi l'un de ceux de la patrouille d'acrobaties aériennes des Black Knights. Après son départ de France, cet avion fut affecté au 8th Tactical Bombardment Squadron basé à Phan Rang Air Base au Sud-Vietnam et effectua des missions de combat (bombardements) à la fin des années 1960.
context_page_description: Laon-Couvron Air Base is a former French and United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Aisne département of France, less than one mile southeast of the village of Couvron and 6 miles northwest of Laon; on the southwest side of the Autoroute des Anglais
  1 Mile east of the village of Couvron-et-Aumencourt.
  Since 1967, the facility has been a French Army Armée de Terre station, renaming the base Quartier Mangin sur l'ancienne base de Couvron. From 1980 to 2012 it was the home of the 1st Marine Artillery Regiment.
context_section_description: On 1 January 1953, the flying assets of the 126th Bomb Wing were transferred to the 38th Tactical Bombardment Wing.  The 38th's squadrons were designated the 71st, 405th, and 822nd Bomb Squadrons. The wing continued flying the B-26's until 1956.
  In April 1955 the 38th Bomb Wing converted to the Martin B-57 "Canberra". The B-57 was a replacement for aging Douglas B-26 "Invader", and with their arrival, the B-26's were returned to CONUS.   Because English Electric was unable to meet the USAF delivery schedule, the design was licensed to Martin for US manufacture.  A total of 49 B-57B and 8 2-seat B-57C models were deployed to Laon.
  The mission of the B-57 was to provide a nuclear deterrent for NATO and to deliver nuclear weapons against pre-selected targets, day or night.  The aircraft at Laon were painted a gloss black.  An acrobatic team was organized and named the Black Knights using five B-57's.  The Black Knights performed at several air shows around Western Europe, including the 1957 Paris Air Show.  The Black Knights were the only tactical bomber show team in the world.
  In 1958, General De Gaulle announced that all nuclear weapons and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil by July 1958. Since NATO strategy had evolved into "massive nuclear retaliation" this meant all tactical fighter and bombing wings had to depart France.   The 38th TBW was inactivated at Laon on 18 June 1958 and redesignated as the 38th Tactical Missile Wing at Hahn Air Base West Germany, operating and maintaining the TM-61 "Matador" cruise missile.
  The support personnel of the 38th were reassigned to the incoming 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing.
  The B-57's were returned to CONUS and transferred to the Air National Guard and some were converted into various other versions (reconnaissance, electronic warfare) of the B-57.  Aircraft from Laon were assigned to the following units:
  117th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Kansas ANG, Hutchinson, KS
  154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Arkansas ANG, Little Rock, AR
  165th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Kentucky ANG, Louisville, KY
  172nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Michigan ANG, Battle Creek, MI
  Many of these aircraft were deployed to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.  By 1973, most of the surviving B-57s had been consigned to the boneyards at Davis Monthan AFB.
caption: Martin B-57B-MA Serial 52-1560 of the 71st Light Bomber Squadron - 1957.  This aircraft was also one of the "Black Knights" aerial acrobatic team.  After its withdrawal from France in 1958, this aircraft was eventually assigned to the 8th Tactical Bomb Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base South Vietnam and flew combat bombing missions into the late 1960s.
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