Saint-Léonard Airfield is a former
World War II airfield, located 1.8 km east of
Louplande
Louplande () is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire (; ; br, Broioù al Liger) is one of the 18 regions of France, in the west of the mainland. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone ...
in the
Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire (; ; br, Broioù al Liger) is one of the 18 regions of France, in the west of the mainland. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful of "balancing metropolises" ().
...
region,
France.
History
The airport was first established during
World War II as a
United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force 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 ...
in August 1944 to support the Northern France Campaign by Allied ground forces. Known as "St. Leonard Airfield" or simply "A-36", it was constructed by the IX Engineer Command
846th Engineer Aviation Battalion
The original construction was of Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing for a single runway of 5000' x 120' oriented north–south 00/18. 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.
The airfield was opened on 4 September 1944 and used by the
406th Fighter Group
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
, which flew
P-47 Thunderbolts from the field between 4 September and 4 October 1944.
[Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. .]
The Americans moved east along with the advancing Allied forces in early October, turning the airfield over to French authorities. It was returned to agricultural use and nothing remains of the former airfield.
References
Saint-Léonard (A-36)* 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.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Leonard Airfield
World War II airfields in France
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in France
Airports established in 1944