Montreuil Airfield Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-38 | |
---|---|
Centre Region, France | |
Coordinates | 48°05′29″N 000°11′16″E / 48.09139°N 0.18778°E |
Type | Military airfield |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
Site history | |
Built by | IX Engineering Command |
In use | September–October 1944 |
Materials | Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing (PHS) |
Battles/wars |
Western Front (World War II) Eastern France/Benelux Campaign |
Montreuil Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of La Bazoge in the Pays-de-la-Loire region of northern France.
Located just outside of Montreuil (likely located to the north of the town), the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield on 17 August 1944, shortly after the Allied landings in France The airfield was constructed by the IX Engineering Command, 820th Engineer Aviation Battalion.
History[]
Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-38", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing/Compressed Earth runway (3600 PHS/1400 ETH) aligned 01/19. 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.[1]
The 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, based a variety of reconnaissance aircraft at Montreuil from 4 September though 4 October1944.[2]
After the Americans moved east into Central France with the advancing Allied Armies, the airfield was closed on 5 October 1944. Today the long dismantled airfield is indistinguishable from the agricultural fields in the area.[3]
See also[]
References[]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- ↑ IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout
- ↑ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- ↑ 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.
The original article can be found at Montreuil Airfield and the edit history here.