Advanced Landing Ground A-1 2024-04-28

This scenery package attempts to represent Advanced Landing Ground A-1 of the US 9th AAF. ALG A-1 was one of 29 Advanced Landing Grounds that dotted the Cotentin Peninsula. Construction of this airfield was started 3 days after D-Day on June 9th, 1944 by the 834th Engineer Aviation Battalion. At first it was in service as “ELS A-1,“ an Emergency Landing Strip. It had a 3400 x 120ft un-tracked (grass/dirt) runway and was used mainly by small observation aircraft. There after it was expanded and enhanced with a 5000x150 foot SMT/PSP runway and 50 dispersal points. The 366th Fighter Group (P-47’s) of the 9th USAAF occupied the airfield on June 17th, 1944. From here the 366th FG (389th FS, 390th FS and 391st FS) mounted close air support to allied troops advancing thorough the bocage country and beyond. The runway was large enough to handle aircraft such as the C-47 and B-26. It can be seen from the picture above that it was also used by P-38’s, also crucial to the close air support role. The rapid advance of the Allies through the Cotentin Peninsula resulted in the landing ground being released back to the local population on September 5th, 1944.