Milazzo Airfield
Milazzo Airfield.png) | |
|---|---|
| Part of Twelfth Air Force | |
| Coordinates | 38°13′00.68″N 015°14′16.64″E / 38.2168556°N 15.2379556°E |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1943 |
| In use | 1943 |
Milazzo Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield on Sicily, located in the southern suburbs of Milazzo, on the northern tip of the island.
Built as a temporary wartime field by Army Engineers, using Pierced Steel Planking for runways and parking and dispersal areas, and support structures being quickly constructed out of wood or tents. The following units were stationed at the base taking part in the Allied invasion of Italy from the field.
- HQ, 64th Fighter Wing, 1 September-7 October 1943
- 31st Fighter Group, 2–21 September 1943, Supermarine Spitfire
- 57th Fighter Group, 12–16 September 1943, P-40 Warhawk
With the Americans pulling out and moving onto the mainland of Italy in October, engineers dismantled the airfield. Today, there are no remaining traces of the airfield as the area around Milazzo has grown over the years, which have obliterated any trace of the airfield. It is unknown precisely where the airfield was actually located due to the changed landscape.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
