Cercola Airfield
Encyclopedia
Cercola Airfield is an abandoned World War II
military airfield in Italy
, located approximately 2 km north of Cercola
in the Province of Naples
in the Italian
region Campania
.
It was an all-weather temporary field built by the United States Army Air Force IX 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 the(at the time) Ninth Air Force
324th Fighter Group
, which arrived at the airfield on 25 October 1943 flying P-40 Warhawks. The 324th was reassigned to XII Air Support Command on 1 November 1943, and remained at Cercola until 6 May 1944, when it moved to Pignataro Maggiore.
The 33d Fighter Group operated P-40 Warhawks from the field between 1 January and February 1944, supporting ground forces as they advanced and attacking enemy aircraft on the air and ground. At Cercola, the group was reassigned to Tenth Air Force
and moved east to India
. It was replaced by the 57th Fighter Group, also flying P-40s, which operated from the field until the end of March.
After the 324th moved out in May 1944 the airfield was dismantled. Today, there are no remaining traces of the airfield as the area around the town of Cercola has grown substantially since the war and is now part of the Naples urban area. The urban development has obliterated any trace of the airfield. It is unknown precisely where the airfield was actually located due to the changed landscape over the past 60 years.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
military airfield in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, located approximately 2 km north of Cercola
Cercola
Cercola is a comune in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 9 km northeast of Naples. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 19,232 and an area of 3.7 km²....
in the Province of Naples
Province of Naples
The Province of Naples is a province in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital city is Naples, within the province there are 92 Comuni of the Province of Naples.-Demographics:...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
.
It was an all-weather temporary field built by the United States Army Air Force IX 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 the(at the time) Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
324th Fighter Group
324th Fighter Group
The 324th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with XII Air Support Command, stationed at Fliegerhorst Stuttgart-Echterdingen , Germany. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945....
, which arrived at the airfield on 25 October 1943 flying P-40 Warhawks. The 324th was reassigned to XII Air Support Command on 1 November 1943, and remained at Cercola until 6 May 1944, when it moved to Pignataro Maggiore.
The 33d Fighter Group operated P-40 Warhawks from the field between 1 January and February 1944, supporting ground forces as they advanced and attacking enemy aircraft on the air and ground. At Cercola, the group was reassigned to Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
and moved east to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was replaced by the 57th Fighter Group, also flying P-40s, which operated from the field until the end of March.
After the 324th moved out in May 1944 the airfield was dismantled. Today, there are no remaining traces of the airfield as the area around the town of Cercola has grown substantially since the war and is now part of the Naples urban area. The urban development has obliterated any trace of the airfield. It is unknown precisely where the airfield was actually located due to the changed landscape over the past 60 years.