Deux Jumeaux Airfield
Deux Jumeaux Airfield Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-4 | |||||||
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Calvados, Basse-Normandie Region, France | |||||||
Coordinates | 49°20′52″N 000°58′50″W / 49.34778°N 0.98056°W | ||||||
Type | Military Airfield | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built by | IX Engineering Command | ||||||
In use | June–September 1944 | ||||||
Materials | Square-Mesh Track (SMT) | ||||||
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] |
Deux Jumeaux Airfield is an abandoned
.Located just outside of Deux Jumeaux, the
History
Known as
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 in Normandy and Brittany when spotted.
The main unit using Deux Jummeaux airfield was the 48th Fighter Group, however, it was also used by the P-38 Lightnings of the 485th Squadron of the 370th Fighter Group from RAF Andover in Hampshire, England in late July 1944. The lack of airfields built in France led to a lack of space at the beginning of the Battle of Normandy. The staff of the 9th Air Force, under pressure from SHAEF to "explode" the sacred unity of the Group to send squadrons in different fields already well established.[1]
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 15 September 1944 and the land returned to agricultural use.[3]
Major units assigned
- 48th Fighter Group18 June - 29 August 1944
- 492d (F4), 493d (I7), 494th (6M) Fighter Squadrons (P-47D) [4]
Current use
Today the airfield is a mixture of various agricultural fields. A memorial to the men and units that were stationed at Deux Jumeaux was placed near the site of the former airfield. It is located to the east of La Cambe along the D204, 340 meters north of the bridge on the N13.
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ a b Deux Jumeaux Airfield
- ^ "IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout". Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. 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