Cardonville Airfield

Cardonville Airfield
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-3

Calvados, Basse-Normandie Region, France

Cardonville Airfield A-3

Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield

Coordinates

49°21′04″N 001°03′09″W / 49.35111°N 1.05250°WCoordinates: 49°21′04″N 001°03′09″W / 49.35111°N 1.05250°W

Type

Military Airfield

Site information

Controlled by

United States Army Air Forces

Site history

Built by

IX Engineering Command

In use

June–September 1944

Materials

Square-Mesh Track (SMT)

Battles/wars

World War II - EAME Theater

Normandy Campaign
Northern France Campaign

Garrison information

Garrison

Ninth Air Force

Occupants

368th Fighter Group
370th Fighter Group

Airfield information

Runways
Direction	Length and surface
15/33	5,000 feet (1,520 m) SMT/PSP

One runway, 4 alert pads, 50 hardstands

World War II - EAME Theater

Cardonville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield located near the commune of Cardonville in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France.

Located just outside Cardonville, 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 Engineering Command, 816th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

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-garrissoned and used for resupply and casualty evacuation. It was closed on 1 September 1944.

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Wikipedia