Le Molay Airfield 1.33

Le Molay Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Le Molay-Littry in the Normandy region of northern France.Located approximately north of Le Molay-Littry, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield after D-Day on 21 June 1944, shortly after the Allied landings in France The airfield was one of the first established in the liberated area of Normandy, constructed by the IX Engineering Command, 834th Engineer Aviation Battalion.HistoryKnown as Advanced Landing Ground "A-9", the airfield consisted of a single Square-Mesh Track runway. Tents were used for billeting and for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.The 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group based F-4/P-38 Lightnings and F6/P-51 Mustang photo-reconnaissance aircraft at Le Molay from July though August 1944. The units based on A-9 were all reconnaissance units and this for two likely reasons. First the use of cameras, loading and retrieval of films and finally demanded their development know-how and equipment that were there, A 9 is a deposit. In addition, the 17th Signal Operation Battalion (communications and photographic service) had taken up residence on July 1 and must spend the photos taken by the Signal Service.