Sele Airfield
Encyclopedia
Sele Airfield is an abandoned World War II
military airfield in southeast Italy
, which is located approximately
15 km northwest of Capaccio
in the province of Salerno
in the Campania
region of south-western Italy
. It was a temporary field built by the Army Corps of Engineers used as part of the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche).
The airfield was primarily used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force 86th Bombardment Group from 22 September though 12 October 1943, flying combat operations with A-36 Apaches. As the airfield was very close to the battle lines, for the first week of operations, the group's aircraft were flown to Sicily overnights, then operated from the airfield during the day.
When the 86th moved out the airfield was closed and dismantled. Today, the location of the airfield is visible in aerial photography, with its runway visible. However the remainder of the airfield has been obliterated by agricultural use of the land.
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 southeast 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...
, which is located approximately
15 km northwest of Capaccio
Capaccio
Capaccio is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. The ruins of the ancient city of Paestum lie within borders of the comune.-Airport:...
in the province of Salerno
Province of Salerno
The Province of Salerno is a province in the Campania region of Italy.-Geography:The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 139,579; Cava de' Tirreni with a population of 53,488; Battipaglia with a population of 51,115; and Nocera Inferiore which has a...
in the 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...
region of south-western 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...
. It was a temporary field built by the Army Corps of Engineers used as part of the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche).
The airfield was primarily used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force 86th Bombardment Group from 22 September though 12 October 1943, flying combat operations with A-36 Apaches. As the airfield was very close to the battle lines, for the first week of operations, the group's aircraft were flown to Sicily overnights, then operated from the airfield during the day.
When the 86th moved out the airfield was closed and dismantled. Today, the location of the airfield is visible in aerial photography, with its runway visible. However the remainder of the airfield has been obliterated by agricultural use of the land.