Korba Airfield
Encyclopedia
Korba Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia
, located about 3 km west of Hamadet Bir Messaouda in Nabul provience; 13 km north of Korbra, and 60 km east-southeast of Tunis
.
Built by the US Army Corps of engineers, the airfield consisted of Pierced Steel Planking runways and parking and dispersal areas, with support structures quickly constructed out of wood or tents. Its last known use was by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1943 during the Tunisian Campaign. Units which used the airfield were the following:
The airfield is also notable because many Italian Air Force airplanes landed at Korba in the days immediately following the armistice between Italy and the Allied armed forces in early September 1943. The Regia Aeronautica
8 Gruppo Macchi C.200
fighters landed at Korba on 8 September. Most were worn out and obsolete, no longer useful for combat, however Italian crews scrounged any parts that they could to keep their aircraft flying against the Germans. Later, the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
(ICBAF or ACI) was formed and incorporated these aircraft.
With the withdrawal of the Italian aircraft in late 1943, the airfield was dismantled. Today there are few or no remains of the airfield, as the area today consists primarily of agricultural fields, although scarring on the land, where the runways and other areas were, still can be seen in aerial photography.
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, located about 3 km west of Hamadet Bir Messaouda in Nabul provience; 13 km north of Korbra, and 60 km east-southeast of Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
.
Built by the US Army Corps of engineers, the airfield consisted of Pierced Steel Planking runways and parking and dispersal areas, with support structures quickly constructed out of wood or tents. Its last known use was by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1943 during the Tunisian Campaign. Units which used the airfield were the following:
- 27th Fighter Bomber Group, June-July 1943, A-36 Apache
- 31st Fighter Group, 15 May-30 June 1943, Spitfire
- 86th Bombardment Group, 30 June-20 July 1943, A-20 Havoc
The airfield is also notable because many Italian Air Force airplanes landed at Korba in the days immediately following the armistice between Italy and the Allied armed forces in early September 1943. The Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
8 Gruppo Macchi C.200
Macchi C.200
The Macchi C.200 Saetta was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy, and used in various forms throughout the Regia Aeronautica . The MC.200 had excellent manoeuvrability and general flying characteristics left little to be desired...
fighters landed at Korba on 8 September. Most were worn out and obsolete, no longer useful for combat, however Italian crews scrounged any parts that they could to keep their aircraft flying against the Germans. Later, the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
The Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force , or Air Force of the South , was the air force of the Royalist "Badoglio government" in southern Italy during the last years of World War II. The ACI was formed in southern Italy in October 1943 after the Italian Armistice in September...
(ICBAF or ACI) was formed and incorporated these aircraft.
With the withdrawal of the Italian aircraft in late 1943, the airfield was dismantled. Today there are few or no remains of the airfield, as the area today consists primarily of agricultural fields, although scarring on the land, where the runways and other areas were, still can be seen in aerial photography.