Manduria Airfield is a
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 ...
airfield in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, located approximately 5 km north of
Manduria, and about 390 km east-southeast of
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
. It was used by the
United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force and later
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...
B-24 Liberator heavy bomber airfield.
* HQ
47th Bombardment Wing, 1 October 1943 – 15 May 1945
*
68th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, November 1943-April 1944, (Various Photo-Reconnaissance Aircraft)
*
98th Bombardment Group, 19 December 1943 – 17 January 1944,
B-24 Liberator
In aerial imagery, the main runway, taxiways and many dispersal pads are clearly evident.
History
Manduria Airfield, built in the 1930s for the Regia Aeronautica in Italy, played a key role during World War II. Initially used as a patrol base, it later became a significant U.S. Army Air Force base, hosting B-24 Liberator bombers and the 47th Bombardment Wing. The airfield also supported reconnaissance missions and electronic countermeasures.
Post War
Post-war, the Italian Air Force used the base briefly. In 2011, it gained attention when it was repurposed to house refugees from North Africa.
The airfield of Manduria was closed in 1947 after World War II and was briefly reused by the Italian Air Force.
[
]
Closure
Over the years, it was abandoned and fell into disrepair, though its airstrip remained visible. In 2011, the site became notable when it was used as a temporary camp for North African refugees during a migration crisis.
Currently, the Manduria Airfield is largely abandoned and has fallen into disrepair. Some remnants of its past, like the runways, are still visible, but the site is no longer operational. It briefly gained attention in 2011 when it was used to house refugees. While the airfield retains some historical significance, it has not been restored or repurposed for aviation purposes.[
]
References
* Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. .
*
External links
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Italy
Airports established in 1943
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