Advanced Landing Ground
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) was the term given to the temporary airfields constructed by the Allies in Normandy in the days following the "D-Day" landings in 1944. The ALGs enabled the relocation of tactial air support from England to Normandy, shortening the sortie turnaround time from the front lines.
Over thirty Advanced Landing Grounds were constructed in Normandy after the beachhead was expanded. ALGs were constructed rapidly by laying Sommerfeldt wire mesh, a concept similar to the Marston mats used in the Pacific Theater, directly on the ground. A Fighter Group would forward deploy to an ALG as soon as the enemy forces had been driven out of artillery range of that ALG.[1]
Later in the war, they were used less as air bases with improved runways were captured.
[edit] External link
[edit] Reference
- ^ Henkels, John B. (October 1997). They Also Serve: An Armorer's Life in the ETO. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., p. 163. ISBN 0-8059-3998-9.