Voltone 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 approximately 4 km west of

Tarquinia Tarquinia (), formerly Corneto, is an old city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Central Italy, known chiefly for its ancient Etruscans, Etruscan tombs in the widespread necropolis, necropoleis, or cemeteries. Tarquinia was designated as a ...

(Provincia di Viterbo, Lazio), central

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 ...

, about 70 km northwest of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. It was an all-weather temporary field built by the XII Engineer Command using a graded earth compacted surface, with prefabricated hessian (burlap) surfacing (PHS). PHS was made of an asphalt-impregnated jute rolled out over the compacted surface over a square mesh track (SMT) grid of wire joined in 3-inch squares.

Pierced Steel Planking Marston Mat, more properly called pierced (or perforated) steel planking (PSP), is standardized, perforated steel matting material developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the r ...

was also used for parking areas, as well as for dispersal sites, when it was available. In addition, tents were used for billeting and support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums; drinkable water and a minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting. Once completed it was turned over for use 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 U ...

415th Night Fighter Squadron 415th may refer to: * 415th Bombardment Group, inactive United States Air Force unit * 415th Flight Test Flight (415 FLTF), squadron of the United States Air Force Reserves * 415th Tactical Fighter Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit S ...

between 17 June-9 July 1944, flying

Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufor ...

s. When the Americans pulled out, the airfield was dismantled by engineers. Today the location of the airfield is partially a golf course bisected by a road with the outline of its former main runway on the other side in a pasture.

References

* Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. . * {{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II 1944 establishments in Italy Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Italy Airports established in 1944