Castelvetrano Airfield is a decommissioned
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
military airfield in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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which is located approximately 1 km southwest of
Castelvetrano. The airfield had been an
Italian Air Force
, colours =
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(''
Regia Aeronautica''), seized by the United States Army during the Invasion of Sicily (
Operation Husky), and used as part of
Sicilian Campaign and the
Allied Invasion of Italy in 1943.
History
When the
Axis Forces were driven out of
Cyrenaica during
Operation Crusader in December 1941, they could no longer fly in supplies from
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...
to
Derna. Instead, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' and German ''
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...
'' began flying transport missions from airfields in Sicily, including Castelvetrano. On 4 January 1942 Castelvetrano was attacked by a force of
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
Blenheim IV bombers flying from
Luqa airfield on
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, which caught 75 aircraft 'parked wing-tip to wing-tip ... the airfield was left a smoking ruin'. That night
Wellington IC bombers from Luqa added to the damage.
[Playfair, pp. 94, 416.]
After its capture the airfield was primarily used by the
United States Army Air Force
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War I ...
Twelfth Air Force units:
*
81st Fighter Group, 12 October - February 1944,
P-39 Airacobra
*
314th Troop Carrier Group, September 1943-February 1944,
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
When the Americans moved out, the airfield was closed and dismantled. Today, the main runway of the airfield is clearly visible in aerial photography but no structures of other components of the airfield remain.
Notes
References
* Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. .
*
* Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol III: ''(September 1941 to September 1942) British Fortunes reach their Lowest Ebb'', London: HMSO, 1960 /Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004,
External links
Airports in Sicily
Airfield
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Italy
{{Italy-airport-stub