Illustration of Engineers from the Ninth Air Force Laying Out Mesh for Runways
Title
Illustration of Engineers from the Ninth Air Force Laying Out Mesh for Runways
Subject
A special group within the Ninth Air Force was responsible for building new and temporary airfields for fighters, medium bombers, and light bombers closer to the front lines
Description
After D-Day, engineers from the Ninth Air Force were tasked with setting up temporary runways in France for the fighters, light bombers, and medium bombers to be able to support the First Army. Steel planks, which were used elsewhere in the war, were too heavy and cumbersome to be used. Instead, engineers would use a heavy truck called a "wobbly" to flatten and firm the ground. Then they would lay down mesh and secure it. It took less than a week to build, but it was very dusty to fly on. Mesh was replaced by Hessian strip a few weeks after D-Day.
This illustration can be found in The Commemorative History of the Ninth Air Force book.
This illustration can be found in The Commemorative History of the Ninth Air Force book.
Creator
United States Army Air Corps
Source
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
Publisher
United States Air Force
Date
1945-1946
Files
Collection
Citation
United States Army Air Corps, “Illustration of Engineers from the Ninth Air Force Laying Out Mesh for Runways,” A Look At United States Air Force Colonel Joseph Laughlin, accessed May 13, 2024, https://coloneljoelaughlin.omeka.net/items/show/12.