Le Kouif Airfield

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Le Kouif Airfield
Part of Twelfth Air Force
Coordinates35°31′01.52″N 008°18′39.57″E / 35.5170889°N 8.3109917°E / 35.5170889; 8.3109917
TypeMilitary airfield
Site information
Controlled byUnited States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built1942
In use1942-1943
Le Kouif Airfield is located in Algeria
Le Kouif Airfield
Le Kouif Airfield
Location of Le Kouif Airfield, Algeria

Le Kouif Airfield was a

North African Campaign against the German Afrika Korps
in February and March 1943.

History

It was a temporary airfield constructed by Army Engineers using compacted earth for its runway, parking and dispersal areas. It was not designed for heavy aircraft or for long term use. The prevailing temperatures in the area are some of the hottest in the world, making

steel planking
unsuitable for airfield use.

After World War II, flights from Le Kouif connected travelers to Tébessa and Annaba.[1] In 1957, a new landing strip was inaugurated. The airfield was heavily used by the Compagnie des Phosphates de Constantine.[2]

Once the 81st moved east into Tunisia, the airfield was dismantled by Army engineers. Today, the remains of its runway can be seen in aerial photography, but otherwise, nothing remains of the facility.

Further reading

  • Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. .
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
    OCLC 72556
    .

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ (in French) Ahmed Lakhar Amrani, Le Kouif, un village pas comme les autres, Liberte-algerie.com, 26 November 2014
  2. ^ (in French) Pierre Jarrige, Aérodromes et bases 1945-1962 (19), Enpa.capmatifou.com

External links