Santa Maria Airfield

Santa Maria Airfield
Part of Twelfth Air Force
Coordinates	40°50′17.25″N 014°20′57.77″E / 40.8381250°N 14.3493806°E / 40.8381250; 14.3493806
Type	Military airfield
Site information
Controlled by	United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built	1943
In use	1943-1944

Santa Maria Airfield is an abandoned

.

It was an all-weather temporary field built by the XII Engineer Command using a graded earth compacted surface, with a prefabricated hessian (burlap) surfacing known as PHS. PHS was made of an asphalt-impregnated jute which was rolled out over the compacted surface over a square mesh track (SMT) grid of wire joined in 3-inch squares.

was also used for parking areas, as well as for dispersal sites, when it was available. In addition, tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.

Once completed it was turned over for use by

. Known units assigned were:

• P-47 Thunderbolt
• P-40 Warhawk

There are no remaining traces of the airfield as the urban growth of the Cappella Santa Maria Del Carmine area of Naples has expanded over the area, and obliterated any trace of the airfield. It is unknown precisely where the airfield was actually located due to the changed landscape over the past 60 years.

References

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

• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983.
  ISBN 0-89201-092-4
  .

External links