El Djem Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which is located approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west-northwest of El Djem; about 170 kilometres (110 mi) south-southeast of Tunis. It was a pre-1942 military airfield used by the German Luftwaffe which was attacked and seized by Allied forces in April 1943. Once in Allied hands, it was repaired and used by the United States Army Air Force during the Tunisian Campaign.
El Djem Airfield  | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°19′02.17″N 010°40′40.97″E / 35.3172694°N 10.6780472°E (Approximate) |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1943 |
| In use | 1943-1944 |
El Djem Airfield
Location of El Djem, Tunisia
Known USAAF units assigned were:
- 57th Fighter Group, 14–21 April 1943, P-40 Warhawk (9th AF)
- 64th Troop Carrier Group, 26 July-29 August 1943, C-47 Skytrain, (12th AF)
- 60th Troop Carrier Group, 30 June-31 August 1943, C-47 Skytrain, (12th AF)
Today, the airfield runway and dispersal pads are faintly visible in aerial photography.
References
edit This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Further reading
edit- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. 521 p, ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.