The Souk-el-Arba Airfields are a pair of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

military airfields in

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, located near what was at the time the village of Souk-el-Arba but since 1966 has been known as Jendouba. The location is approximately 130 km west-southwest of

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Souk-el-Arba I

The original airfield, which pre-dates Operation Torch, was located immediately to the south-east of the town and was captured by paratroops of the British 1st Parachute Brigade on 16 November 1942. Within days, Souk-el-Arba I was used by the Royal Air Force, an example being No.255 Squadron.

Souk-el-Arba II

The second airfield was constructed later by US military engineers, located about 4 km to the South-West of the town ''Luftwaffe'' aerial photograph: http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/targetnorthafrica/Algeria/slides/Souk%20el%20Arba%20I%20u.%20II%201.html and used primarily by American bombers. Souk-el-Arba II was a temporary airfield constructed by Army Engineers using compacted earth for its runway, parking and dispersal areas, not designed for heavy aircraft or for long-term use. Also known as Engle Field, it was used by 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 ...

Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to ...

during the North African campaign. Known units assigned to the airfield were: * HQ, 47th Bombardment Wing, 8 June-7 August 1943 * 47th Bombardment Group, 13 April-1 July 1943,

A-20 Havoc The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement f ...

* 321st Bombardment Group, 1 June-8 August 1943,

B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...

82d Fighter Group 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number ...

, 13 June-3 August 1943,

P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

After the Americans moved east to

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in August, the airfield was closed and dismantled. Today, the former main runway is visible in aerial photography and, other than two hangars south of the runway, no buildings or physical features remain.

Bibliography

* * Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. . * * Johnson, Kenneth M. Capt. USAAF. "My stretch in the Service, book III". Personal collection of Jeffrey M. Johnson, 1943

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Souk-El-Arba Airfield Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Tunisia World War II airfields in Tunisia