Perthes Airfield

Perthes Airfield
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-65

Champagne-Ardenne Region, France

Perthes Airfield
Perthes Airfield (France)

Coordinates 48°39′25″N 004°49′21″E / 48.65694°N 4.82250°E / 48.65694; 4.82250
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 Grass

Perthes Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Perthes in the Champagne-Ardenne department of northern France.

Located probably north of the commune, it was a United States Army Air Force temporary airfield established during the Northern France Campaign in September 1944. Its primary use was for P-47 Thunderbolt fighters of the Ninth Air Force 371st Fighter Group.

History

Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-65", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' grass runway aligned 10/28. In addition, with 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]

Combat units stationed at the airfield were the 371st Fighter Group, between 18 September-1 October 1944 which flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead; stafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops when spotted.[2]

After the Americans moved east with the advancing Allied Armies, the airfield was closed on 5 October 1944, and the land was returned to its owners. Today there is little or no physical evidence of its existence or its location.[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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