La Vieille Airfield
La Vieille Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located in the commune of Saint Georges d'Elle in the Normandy region of northern France.
| La Vieille Airfield Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-19  | |
|---|---|
Basse-Normandie Region, France
  La Vieille Airfield La Vieille Airfield (France) | |
| Coordinates | 49°09′36″N 00°58′36″W (Location Undetermined) |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  United States Army Air Forces |
| Site history | |
| Built by | IX Engineering Command |
| In use | August–September 1944 |
| Materials | Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing (PHS) |
| Battles/wars | Western Front (World War II) Northern France Campaign |
Located at the " Hameau Lavieille " - Saint Georges d'Elle ( to the northeast of the commune),at the foot of the Hill 192 at 10 km of Saint Lô; the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield on 31 July 1944, shortly after the Allied landings in France The airfield was constructed by the IX Engineering Command, 818th Engineer Aviation Battalion.
History
Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-19", 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 370th Fighter Group, based P-38 Lightning fighters at La Vieille from 15 August though 6 September 1944.[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 in Normandy and Brittany when spotted.
After the Americans moved east into Central France with the advancing Allied Armies, the airfield was closed on 7 September 1944. Today the 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.
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