Picauville Airfield

Picauville Airfield
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-8/A-8N

Manche, Basse-Normandie Region, France

Picauville Airfield (A-8N) after dismantling by the IX Engineering Command

Picauville Airfield

Coordinates

49°23′41″N 001°24′28″W / 49.39472°N 1.40778°WCoordinates: 49°23′41″N 001°24′28″W / 49.39472°N 1.40778°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

Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing (PHS)

Battles/wars

World War II - EAME Theater

Normandy Campaign
Northern France Campaign

Garrison information

Garrison

Ninth Air Force

Occupants

405th Fighter Group
264 and 604 squadrons (RAF)

Airfield information

Runways
Direction	Length and surface
07/25	5,000 feet (1,520 m) SMT/PSP

One runway, 4 alert pads, 50 hardstands

World War II - EAME Theater

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

Located just outside Picauville, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield shortly after D-Day on 20 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, 826th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-8", the airfield consisted of a single Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing runway. In addition, with tents were used for billeting and also 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 airfield was home to the P-47D-equipped 405th Fighter GroupThe fighter planes flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead; strafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops when spotted.During July, the Group flew 300 missions. During those missions they had 11 pilots listed as MIA (Missing In Action) and another 4 as KIA (Killed In Action).

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Wikipedia