Saint James Airfield

Saint James Airfield
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-29

Lower Normandy, France

Saint James Airfield
Saint James Airfield (France)

Coordinates 48°30′50″N 001°19′36″W / 48.51389°N 1.32667°W / 48.51389; -1.32667Coordinates: 48°30′50″N 001°19′36″W / 48.51389°N 1.32667°W / 48.51389; -1.32667
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

Saint James Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Saint-James in the Lower Normandy region of northern France.

Located just outside Saint-James, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield on 8 August 1944, shortly after the Allied landings in France The airfield was constructed by the IX Engineering Command, 825th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

History

Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-29", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing/Compressed Earth runway aligned 13/31. 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 373d Fighter Group, based P-47 Thunderbolt fighters at Saint James from 19 August though 19 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 38 September 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/.

  1. ↑ IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout
  2. ↑ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  3. ↑ 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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