Cardonville Airfield is an abandoned

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

military airfield located near the commune of

Cardonville Cardonville () is a commune in the Calvados department and Normandy region of north-western France. History World War II After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in early June 1944, engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Com ...

in the

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of northern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Located just outside Cardonville, the

United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

established a temporary airfield 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 Engineering Command, 816th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

History

Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-3", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) Square-Mesh Track runway aligned 15/33. Tents were used for billeting and 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. The fighter planes flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead, attacking German military vehicles, gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops in Normandy and Brittany. 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 1 September 1944.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.

Major units assigned

368th Fighter Group 368th may refer to: *368th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group The 368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group is a combat support unit of the United States Air Force. ...

20 June - 23 August 1944 : 395th (A7), 396th (C2), 397th (D3) Fighter Squadrons (P-47D)Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. . *

370th Fighter Group The 370th Fighter Group was a unit of the Ninth Air Force that was located in the European Theater of Operations during World War II.Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units Of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1 ...

24 July - 15 August 1944 : 401st (9D), 402d (E6), 485th (7F) Fighter Squadrons (P-38)

Current use

After its closure by the Americans, the airfield was dismantled in September 1944 and the land returned to agricultural use. Today the airfield is a mixture of various agricultural fields. A memorial to the men and units that were stationed at Cardonville was placed near the site of the former airfield. It is located in North East Cardonville at the crossroads of the D199A and D199

References

External links

A-3 Memorial

A-3 - Cardonville
(In French) {{authority control World War II airfields in France Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in France Airports established in 1944

History

Major units assigned

Current use

See also

References

External links