Vesuvius Airfield

Part of Twelfth Air Force
Coordinates| 40°50′27.98″N 014°30′59.43″E﻿ / ﻿40.8411056°N 14.5165083°E﻿ / 40.8411056; 14.5165083
Type| Military airfield
Site information
Controlled by| United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built| 1943
In use| 1943-1944

Vesuvius Airfield

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Location of Vesuvius Airfield, Sicily

Vesuvius Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located approximately two km (1.2 mi) east-northeast of San Giuseppe Vesuvianom about 21 km (13 mi) east of Naples.

It was an all-weather temporary field built by the XII Engineer Command using a graded earth compacted surface, with a prefabricated hessian (burlap) surfacing known as PHS. PHS was made of an asphalt-impregnated jute which was rolled out over the compacted surface over a square mesh track (SMT) grid of wire joined in 3-inch squares. Pierced Steel Planking was also used for parking areas, as well as for dispersal sites, when it was available. In addition, 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.

Once completed it was turned over for use by tactical light bombers of the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force 47th Bombardment Group.

The 47th first arrived at the airfield on 10 January 1944, however it had to abandon the field on 22 March 1944 due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius which severely damaged the field and several A-20 Havoc aircraft. The group was evacuated to Capodichino Airport near Naples for several weeks until they returned to the repaired base on 25 April, remaining until 10 June 1944.

When the 47th pulled out, the airfield was dismantled and abandoned. Today, the location of the field can not be precisely determined, as the suburbs of Naples have expanded and the area where it was located is now developed.

## References

[edit]

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

* 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

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USAAF Twelfth Air Force in World War II

Stations

| Morocco|

* Berguent
* Casablanca
* Guercif
* Louis Gentil
* Marnia
* Médiouna
* Nouasser
* Port Lyautey
* Oujda
* Rabat Sale
* Ras el Ma

|

Algeria|

* Ain M'lila
* Berteaux
* Biskra
* Canrobert
* Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel
* Constantine
* Es Sénia (Oran)
* Maison Blanche (Algiers)
* Matemore
* Montesquieu
* Nouvion
* Orleansville
* Philippeville
* Relizane
* Rerhaia
* Saint-Donat
* Saint-Leu
* Sedrata
* Sainte-Barbe du Tlélat
* Tafaraoui (Oran)
* Tébessa
* Telergma
* Thiersville
* Youks-les-Bains

Tunisia|

* Bizerte
* Dar el Koudia
* Depienne
* Djedeida
* Djilma
* Ebba Ksour
* El Djem
* El Bathan
* Enfidaville
* Goubrine
* Grombalia
* Hergla
* Kairouan
* Korba
* La Marsa
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* Le Sers
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* Mateur
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* Monastir
* Oudna
* Pont du Fahs
* Protville
* Sainte Marie du Zit
* Souk-el-Arba
* Souk-el-Khemis
* Soliman
* Sousse
* Thelepte

Italy|

* Agrigento (Sicily)
* Bagnoli
* Barcelona LG (Sicily)
* Bari
* Boccadifalco (Sicily)
* Borizzo (Sicily)
* Capodichino (Naples)
* Castel Volturno
* Castelvetrano (Sicily)
* Cassibile (Sicily)
* Cattolica
* Catania (Sicily)
* Cercola
* Comiso (Sicily)
* Ciampino (Rome)
* Cesenatico
* Decimomannu (Sardinia)
* Elmas (Sardinia)
* Falconara
* Fano
* Florence
* Foggia
* Follonica
* Gaudo
* Gerbini (Sicily)
* Gioia
* Grosseto
* Grottaglie
* Iesi
* Le Banca
* Lecce
* Licata (Sicily)
* Manduria
* Marcianise
* Malignano
* Mazzara (Sicily)
* Milazzo (Sicily)
* Messina (Sicily)
* Montalto Di Castro
* Nettuno
* Montecorvino
* Ombrene
* Orbetello
* Paestum
* Pisa
* Pantelleria
* Pignataro Maggiore
* Piombino
* Pomigliano
* Ponte Galeria
* Pontedera
* Pompeii
* Ponte Olivo (Sicily)
* Reggio Calabria
* Rocca Bernardo
* Rosia
* San Pancrazio
* Santa Maria
* Scordia (Sicily)
* Sele
* Serretella
* Tarquinia
* Termini (Sicily)
* Tortorella
* Torrente Comunelli
* Tre Cancello
* Voltone
* Vesuvius

France|

* Aghione (Corsica)
* Amberieu (Y-5)
* Amiens (B-48)
* Clastres (A-71)
* Dijon (Y-9)
* Dôle-Tavaux (Y-7)
* Ghisonaccia (Corsica)
* Gisonochia (Corsica)
* Istres (Y-17)
* La Vallon (Y-18)
* Le Luc
* Luneville (Y-2)
* Loyettes (Y-25)
* Poretta (Corsica)
* Saint-Dizier (A-64)
* Salon de Provence (Y-16)
* Serragia (Corsica)
* Solonzara (Corsica)
* Tantonville (Y-1)
* Toul-Ochey (A-96)

Units

| Commands|

* XII Bomber
* XII Tactical Air
* XXII Tactical Air
* XII Troop Carrier (Provisional)

|

Wings|

* 5th Bombardment
* 42d Bombardment
* 47th Bombardment (7th Fighter)
* 51st Troop Carrier
* 52d Troop Carrier
* 57th Bombardment
* 62d Fighter
* 63d Fighter
* 64th Fighter
* 87th Fighter
* 90th Photographic

Groups|

| Bombardment|

* 2d Bombardment
* 12th Bombardment
* 17th Bombardment
* 47th Bombardment
* 97th Bombardment
* 98th Bombardment
* 99th Bombardment
* 301st Bombardment
* 310th Bombardment
* 319th Bombardment
* 320th Bombardment
* 321st Bombardment
* 340th Bombardment
* 376th Bombardment

|

Fighter|

* 1st Fighter
* 14th Fighter
* 27th Fighter
* 31st Fighter
* 33d Fighter
* 52d Fighter
* 57th Fighter
* 79th Fighter
* 81st Fighter
* 82d Fighter
* 86th Fighter
* 324th Fighter
* 325th Fighter
* 332d Fighter
* 350th Fighter

Reconnaissance|

* 3d Reconnaissance
* 5th Reconnaissance
* 68th Reconnaissance

Troop carrier

* 60th Troop Carrier
* 61st Troop Carrier
* 62d Troop Carrier
* 64th Troop Carrier
* 313th Troop Carrier
* 314th Troop Carrier
* 316th Troop Carrier

Squadrons|

* 15th Bombardment
* 414th Night Fighter
* 415th Night Fighter
* 416th Night Fighter
* 417th Night Fighter
* 427th Night Fighter

* United States Army Air Forces

* First
* Second
* Third
* Fourth
* Fifth
* Sixth
* Seventh
* Eighth
* Ninth
* Tenth
* Eleventh
* Twelfth
* Thirteenth
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* Fifteenth
* Twentieth

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