Chippelle Airfield

Chippelle à Cartigny-L’Epinay Airfield Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-5
Calvados, Basse-Normandie Region, France
Chippelle à Cartigny-L’Epinay Airfield (A-5), after dismantling
Chippelle à Cartigny-L’Epinay Airfield
Coordinates	49°14′50″N 000°58′30″W / 49.24722°N 0.97500°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	404th Fighter Group
Airfield information
Runways Direction Length and surface 06/24 5,000 feet (1,520 m) SMT/PSP
One runway, 4 alert pads, 50 hardstands[1]

404th Fighter Group P-47D Old Hickory at Chippelle Airfield (A-5), France

Chippelle à Cartigny-L’Épinay (Chippelle) Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of La Chapelle-en-Juger in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France.

Located jut outside of La Chapelle-en-Juger, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield shortly after D-Day on 16 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, 820th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

History

Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-5", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) Square-Mesh Track runway aligned 06/24. 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.^[2]

On 3 July, the first P-47 of the 404th Fighter Group were permitted to land on A-5 and the airfield was declared operational two days later. The grop 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 in Normandy and Brittany when spotted.

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 5 September 1944 and the land returned to agricultural use.^[3]

Major units assigned

• 404th Fighter Group 6 July - 29 August 1944

506th (4K), 507th (Y8), 508th (7J) Fighter Squadrons (P-47D)^[4]

Current use

Today the airfield is a mixture of various agricultural fields. A memorial to the men and units that were stationed at Chippelle was placed at the site of the former airfield. It is located on D 15 after he left Le Molay Littry before Épinay and turn right and follow the signs. After crossing the railroad tracks, turn immediately left. The stele is a few hundred meters to the left near a pond. NDW: Note that some map backgrounds suggest that the road along which lies the stele cross the railway track, it seems to be the case.

See also

• Advanced Landing Ground

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

1. [Chippelle à Cartigny-L’Epinay Airfield Chippelle à Cartigny-L’Epinay Airfield]
2. IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout
3. Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
4. Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links

• A-5 Memorial