Carentan Airfield
Carentan Airfield Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-10 | |||||||
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Basse-Normandie Region, France | |||||||
Coordinates | 49°18′18″N 001°10′46″W / 49.30500°N 1.17944°W | ||||||
Type | Military Airfield | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built by | IX Engineering Command | ||||||
In use | June–November 1944 | ||||||
Materials | Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing (PHS) | ||||||
Battles/wars | World War II - EAME Theater
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Garrison information | |||||||
Garrison | Ninth Air Force | ||||||
Occupants |
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Airfield information | |||||||
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One runway, 4 alert pads, 50 hardstands[1] |
Carentan Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Carentan in the Normandy region of northern France.
Located just outside Carentan, the
History
Known as
In addition, tents were erected for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump was created for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water; and a minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting was installed.[2]
The fighter planes flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead; strafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops when spotted.
After the Americans moved east into Central France with the advancing Allied Armies, the airfield was left un-garrisoned and used for resupply and casualty evacuation. It was closed on 4 November 1944.[3]
Major units assigned
- 50th Fighter Group20 June - 23 August 1944
- 10th (TS), 81st (2N), 313th (W3) Fighter Squadrons (P-47)[4]
- 392d Fighter Squadron (H5) 25 June - 16 August 1944 (P-38)[4]
Current use
After its closure by the Americans, the airfield was returned to farmland. Today, the Normandy Victory Museum utilizes part of the original site of the old A10 Airfield of Carentan, first aerodrome re-opened since 1944. It presents the Battle of Normandy known as "the hedgerow hell" and received a P47 2N-U replica.
There is a monument to the A-10 Airfield at the junction of D 974, ex N13 toward Carentan, with D 89, turn left towards Saint Pellerin. The monument is 400 meters left, rue de Banville.[5]
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ Carentan Airfield
- ^ "IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout". Archived from the original on 2019-06-09. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
- ^ 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.
- ^ ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- ^ Carentan Airfield monument