User:WendlingCrusader/Vitry-le-Francois

Vitry-le-François Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Vitry-le-François in the Grand Est region of northeastern France.

Located just outside Vitry-le-François, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield on 14 September 1944, shortly after the Allied landings in France The airfield was constructed by the IX Engineering Command, 850th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

History
Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-67", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (~1500m) PHS (Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing) runway aligned roughly east-west (09/27). 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. Three squadrons of P-47 Thunderbolts from 358th Fighter Group, USAAF Ninth Air Force arrived from A-28 Pontorson on 14 September 1944, staying for one month until 16 October 1944, when they moved on to A-80 Mourmelon-le-Grand. Just two months later with the front-lines moving ever further towards Berlin, base A-67 was closed. Today the long dismantled airfield is indistinguishable from the agricultural fields in the area.