M. A. Grottag Airport
Encyclopedia
Taranto-Grottaglie "Marcello Arlotta" Airport is an airport
serving Taranto
and Grottaglie
, both comune
s in the province of Taranto
in Italy
. The airport is located 1.5 km (1,500,000,000,000 nm) from the city of Monteiasi
, 4 km (4,000,000,000,000 nm) from Grottaglie and 16 km (16,000,000,000,000 nm) from Taranto. It is named for Marcello Arlotta (1886-1918), an Italian aviator. The airport is used for general aviation
, with no commercial airline service. It is also known as Taranto-Grottaglie Airport or Grottaglie Airport.
, Grottaglie Airfield was a military airfield used by the United States Army Air Forces
. The airfield was designed for heavy bomber use, and was a major base for Fifteenth Air Force
B-24 Liberator
heavy bombers used in the strategic bombardment campaign against Germany
. In addition, Twelfth Air Force tactical bombers were stationed at the airfield which were used to support Allied ground forces in the Italian Campaign
.
Known USAAF units assigned to the airfield were:
After the war ended, the airfield was turned over to local authorities.
of 215 feet (66 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 17/35 with an asphalt
surface measuring 3200 by 45 m (10,498.7 by 147.6 ).
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
and Grottaglie
Grottaglie
Grottaglie is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, Puglia, southern Italy.-Geography:Grottaglie is located in the Salento peninsula, a whole rock of limestone dividing Adriatic sea from Ionian sea. The countryside around the city is scattered with vast and deep ravines that open the ground...
, both comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
s in the province of Taranto
Province of Taranto
The Province of Taranto is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Taranto.It has an area of 2,437 km², and a total population of 580,588...
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...
. The airport is located 1.5 km (1,500,000,000,000 nm) from the city of Monteiasi
Monteiasi
Monteiasi is a town and comune in the Taranto province in the Apulia region of southeast Italy....
, 4 km (4,000,000,000,000 nm) from Grottaglie and 16 km (16,000,000,000,000 nm) from Taranto. It is named for Marcello Arlotta (1886-1918), an Italian aviator. The airport is used for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, with no commercial airline service. It is also known as Taranto-Grottaglie Airport or Grottaglie Airport.
History
During World War IIWorld 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...
, Grottaglie Airfield was a military airfield used by the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. The airfield was designed for heavy bomber use, and was a major base for Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bombers used in the strategic bombardment campaign against Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In addition, Twelfth Air Force tactical bombers were stationed at the airfield which were used to support Allied ground forces in the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
.
Known USAAF units assigned to the airfield were:
- 47th Bombardment Group, 24 Sep-15 Oct 1943, A-20 Havoc (12 AF)
- 321st Bombardment Group, 15 Oct-20 Nov 1943, B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
(12 AF) - 449th Bombardment Group, 4 Jan 1944-16 May 1945, B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
(15 AF) - 416th Night Fighter Squadron, 30 Sep 1943-28 Jan 1944, Bristol BeaufighterBristol BeaufighterThe Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
(12 AF)
After the war ended, the airfield was turned over to local authorities.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 215 feet (66 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
designated 17/35 with an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
surface measuring 3200 by 45 m (10,498.7 by 147.6 ).