Cricqueville Airfield

Last updated
Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-2
Calvados, Basse-Normandie Region, France

Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield A-2.jpg

Photo of Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield A-2 in June 1947, almost 3 years after the airfield had closed.
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Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield
Coordinates 49°21′46″N001°00′38″W / 49.36278°N 1.01056°W / 49.36278; -1.01056 (A-2 Cricqueville-en-Bessin) Coordinates: 49°21′46″N001°00′38″W / 49.36278°N 1.01056°W / 49.36278; -1.01056 (A-2 Cricqueville-en-Bessin)
Type Military Airfield
Site information
Controlled by Us army air corps shield.svg   United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built by IX Engineering Command
In use June–September 1944
Materials Square-Mesh Track (SMT)
Battles/wars

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer.jpg
World War II - EAME Theater

  • Normandy Campaign
  • Northern France Campaign
Garrison information
Garrison Patch9thusaaf.png   Ninth Air Force
Occupants
  • 354th Fighter Group
  • 367th Fighter Group
Airfield information
Runways
Direction Length and surface
17/355,000 feet (1,520 m) SMT/PSP
One runway, 4 alert pads, 50 hardstands [1]
355th Fighter Squadron Lieutenant William B.King before the picture of the P 51B Georgia Peach at Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield (A-2), France 355th Fighter Squadron Lieutenant William B.King before the picture of the P 51B Georgia Peach.jpg
355th Fighter Squadron Lieutenant William B.King before the picture of the P 51B Georgia Peach at Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield (A-2), France

Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Cricqueville-en-Bessin in the Normandy region of northern France.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

The commune is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in the United States and Canada, Gemeinden in Germany, comuni in Italy or ayuntamiento in Spain. The United Kingdom has no exact equivalent, as communes resemble districts in urban areas, but are closer to parishes in rural areas where districts are much larger. Communes are based on historical geographic communities or villages and are vested with significant powers to manage the populations and land of the geographic area covered. The communes are the fourth-level administrative divisions of France.

Cricqueville-en-Bessin Commune in Normandy, France

Cricqueville-en-Bessin is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Contents

Located just outside Cricqueville-en-Bessin, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield shortly after D-Day on 10 June 1944, shortly after the Allied landings in France The airfield was one of the first established in the liberated area of Normandy, being constructed by the IX Engineer Command, 820th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

History

Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-2", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) Square-Mesh Track/Compressed Earth runway aligned 17/35. 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. [2]

Advanced Landing Ground Temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe

Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 1944 to V-E Day, 7 May 1945.

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 left un-garrisoned and used for resupply and casualty evacuation. It was closed on 15 September 1944. [3]

Major units assigned

353d (FT), 355th (GQ), 356th (AJ) Fighter Squadrons (P-51B) [4]
392d (HS), 393d (8L), 394th (4N) Fighter Squadrons (P-38) [4]

Current use

After its closure by the Americans, the airfield was dismantled in September 1944 and the land returned to agricultural use. Today there is little or no physical evidence of its existence or its location. [3]

A memorial to the men and units that were stationed at Cricqueville was placed at the site of the former airfield. It is located from the center of Cricqueville (Town Hall-Church), take the D113 direction (toward the Cambe). After 1500 meters, turn left towards the place called "La Grande Lande". The site is about 300 meters immediately to the side of the road on the right.

See also

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References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

  1. Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield
  2. IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout
  3. 1 2 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.
  4. 1 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.