Mondolfo Airfield
Encyclopedia
Mondolfo Airfield is an abandoned World War II
military airfield in Italy
, located about 6 km southeast of Fano
and 4 km east of Mondolfo in the Marche
region.
The airfield had two 4000' (2000m) parallel runways aligned approximately NW/SE, with two adjacent taxiways of about 40 hardstands each, and large areas of Pierced Steel Planking (PSP) for aircraft parking ramps (total 180-200 aircraft capacity). A blister-type hangar, a temporary steel control tower and a rudimentary tent containment area northwest of the operational airfield was also constructed. Its last known use was by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
in 1945 during the Italian campaign
Known USAAF units stationed at Mondolfo were:
Ground support units assigned were the 65th Ordinance Ammunition Company (munitions supply), and the 543d Air Service Group (ground station operations).
The airfield was turned over to the Italian government in late September 1945, and today there is little or no remains of the airfield in evidence. Remains of the northwest end of both the eastern and western runways are visible in aerial photography, along with traces of the east taxiway. The station was dismantled after the war, and the land used by the station as well as the airfield has largely been returned to agricultural use.
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 about 6 km southeast of Fano
Fano
Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
and 4 km east of Mondolfo in the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
region.
The airfield had two 4000' (2000m) parallel runways aligned approximately NW/SE, with two adjacent taxiways of about 40 hardstands each, and large areas of Pierced Steel Planking (PSP) for aircraft parking ramps (total 180-200 aircraft capacity). A blister-type hangar, a temporary steel control tower and a rudimentary tent containment area northwest of the operational airfield was also constructed. Its last known use was by the United States Army Air Force 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....
in 1945 during 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 stationed at Mondolfo were:
- 31st Fighter Group, 3 March-15 July 1945
- 307th; 308th; 309th Fighter Squadrons, P-51D/K Mustang
- Primary mission was to escort B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers on missions into Northern Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia and Austria.
- 325th Fighter Group, April-July 1945
- 317th; 319th Fighter Squadrons, P-51D/K Mustang
- Primary mission was to fly ground air support missions for advancing Allied ground forces in Italy.
Ground support units assigned were the 65th Ordinance Ammunition Company (munitions supply), and the 543d Air Service Group (ground station operations).
The airfield was turned over to the Italian government in late September 1945, and today there is little or no remains of the airfield in evidence. Remains of the northwest end of both the eastern and western runways are visible in aerial photography, along with traces of the east taxiway. The station was dismantled after the war, and the land used by the station as well as the airfield has largely been returned to agricultural use.
External links
- Mondolfo history 1943-1945 (in Italian, In Italiano)