Illustration of Engineers from the Ninth Air Force Laying Out Hessian Strips For Runways

Illustration of Engineers from the Ninth Air Force Laying Out Hessian Strips For Runways

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

After D-Day, and in preparation for the breakout into France, engineers from the Ninth Air Force needed to set up temporary runways for the fighters, light bombers, and medium bombers to be able to support the First Army. Hessian strips were a lightweight and effective alternative compared to the steel planks that were being used in the other theaters of war, and less dusty than their mesh counterparts that were used during the first few weeks of the Invasion at Normandy.
This illustration can be found in The Commemorative History of the Ninth Air Force book.

United States Army Air Corps

National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division

United States Air Force

1945-1946