Lignerolles Airfield
| Lignerolles Airfield Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-12  | |
|---|---|
Haute-Normandie Region, France
  Lignerolles Airfield Lignerolles Airfield (France)
| |
| Coordinates | 49°10′32″N 000°47′24″W / 49.17556°N 0.79000°W |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  United States Army Air Forces, 1944 |
| Site history | |
| In use | July-November 1944 |
| Built by | IX Engineering Command |
| Materials | Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing (PHS) |
| Battles/wars | Western Front (World War II) Northern France Campaign |
Lignerolles Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Lignerolles in the Haute-Normandie region of northern France.
Located just outside of Lignerolles (likely to the northwest of the commune), the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield on 6 July 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-12", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing runway aligned 07/25. 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 362d Fighter Group, based P-47 Thunderbolt fighters at Lignerolles from 2 July through 10 August 1944. They were replaced on 15 August by the 365th Fighter Group, also flying P-47s, until 3 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 used as a resupply and causality evacuation airfield for several months, before being closed on 4 November 1944. Today the airfield is indistinguishable from the agricultural fields in the area.[3]
A memorial to the men and units that were stationed at Lignerolles was placed at the site of the former airfield. It is located along a path that starts from the D13 at the place called The Hodam.
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ↑ 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.
External links
