Cretteville () is a former
commune in the
Manche department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in
Normandy in north-western
France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the commune of
Picauville
Picauville () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, the former communes of Amfreville, Cretteville, Gourbesville, Houtteville and Vindefontaine were merged into Picauville. On 1 January ...
.
World War II
After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in 1944, engineers of the
Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 19 ...
outside of the town. Declared operational on 4 July, the airfield was designated as "
A-14 A14 may refer to:
* Aero A.14, a Czech reconnaissance aircraft built after World War I
* Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System 14 ( ATC code A14) ''Anabolic agents for systemic use'', a subgroup of the ATC Classification Syste ...
", it was used by the
358th Fighter Group 358th may refer to:
* 358th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
* 358th Fighter Group, inactive United States Army Air Force unit
* 358th Fighter Squadron (358 FS), part of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force B ...
which flew
P-47 Thunderbolts until mid-August when the unit moved into Central France. The
406th Fighter Group took its place at the airfield and continued to fly P-47s until early September. Afterward, the airfield was closed.
[Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. .]
See also
*
Communes of the Manche department
References
Former communes of Manche
{{Manche-geo-stub