RAF Lymington
Encyclopedia
RAF Station Lymington is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire
, England. The airfield is located approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Lymington
; about 80 miles (128.7 km) southwest of London
Opened in 1944, Lymington was a prototype for the type of temporary Advanced Landing Ground
type airfield which would be built in France after D-Day, when the need advanced landing fields would become urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was used by the Royal Air Force, Canadian and the United States Army Air Forces. It was closed in 1946 after two years of being utilized as a storage area for the Royal Navy.
Today the airfield is a mixture of agricultural fields with a private grass airfield using the North/South runway
required several temporary advanced landing grounds in the Avon Valley or south west Hampshire prior to the Normandy invasion to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France.
Lymington was a prototype for the type of temporary airfield which would be built in France after D-Day, when the need advanced landing fields would become urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was originally planned to support light bombers and thereby would need a bomb store near the site. However, in a review of airfield building plans, this original requirement was dropped so Lymington was of similar specification to other ALGs in the district.
The airfield was built by an RAF Airfield construction unit in winter of 1943. It was a temporary facility using wire mesh Sommerfeld Tracking, later being replaced with steel Marsden Matting
for runways. Two runways were constructed, E/W 1600 yds,N/S 1400 yds along with several blister hangar
s.
Tents were used for billeting and also 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.
, Florida
. The 50th had the following operational squadrons:
The 50th was a group of Ninth Air Force
's 84th Fighter Wing
, IX Tactical Air Command
. It flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. The group began operations by making a fighter sweep over France on 1 May. It engaged primarily in escort and dive-bombing missions for the next month.
The 50th covered the invasion beaches during the invasion of Normandy
on 6 and 7 June, and moved to its Advanced Landing Ground
at Carentan
, France (ALG A-10) on 25 June.
On the continent, the 50th attacked bridges, roads, vehicles, railways, trains, gun emplacements, and marshalling yards during the Battle of Normandy
. It bombed targets in the Saint-Lô
region in July and supported the subsequent drive across France.
The group assisted in stemming the German offensive in the Saar-Hardt area
early in January 1945, engaged in the offensive that reduced the Colmar bridgehead
in January and February and supported the drive that breached the Siegfried Line
and resulted in the movement of Allied forces into southern Germany in March and April.
The 50th Fighter Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for close cooperation with Seventh Army in March during the assault on the Siegfried Line. In spite of the hazards of enemy opposition and difficult weather conditions, the group struck enemy defenses and isolated battle areas by destroying bridges, communications, supply areas, and ammunition dumps.
The 50th received second Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 25 April 1945 when, despite intense antiaircraft fire, the group destroyed or damaged many enemy aircraft on an airfield southeast of Munich
.
The group ended operations at Giebelstadt
, Germany in May 1945, and returned to the United States in August. It was inactivated at La Junta AAF, Colorado
on 7 November 1945.
Storage Area until 1946, when the land was returned to agriculture.
One of the original blister hangars remains on the standing today adjacent to a private grass airstrip (Pylewell House) overlaid on the site of the former N/S military airfield runway, (31/13). The airfield appears to be closed, with white "X"s shown on the runway ends.
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England. The airfield is located approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
; about 80 miles (128.7 km) southwest of London
Opened in 1944, Lymington was a prototype for the type of temporary Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
type airfield which would be built in France after D-Day, when the need advanced landing fields would become urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was used by the Royal Air Force, Canadian and the United States Army Air Forces. It was closed in 1946 after two years of being utilized as a storage area for the Royal Navy.
Today the airfield is a mixture of agricultural fields with a private grass airfield using the North/South runway
Overview
Ninth Air ForceNinth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
required several temporary advanced landing grounds in the Avon Valley or south west Hampshire prior to the Normandy invasion to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France.
Lymington was a prototype for the type of temporary airfield which would be built in France after D-Day, when the need advanced landing fields would become urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was originally planned to support light bombers and thereby would need a bomb store near the site. However, in a review of airfield building plans, this original requirement was dropped so Lymington was of similar specification to other ALGs in the district.
The airfield was built by an RAF Airfield construction unit in winter of 1943. It was a temporary facility using wire mesh Sommerfeld Tracking, later being replaced with steel Marsden Matting
Marsden Matting
Marsden Matting is standardized, perforated steel matting material originally developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the rapid construction of temporary runways and landing strips...
for runways. Two runways were constructed, E/W 1600 yds,N/S 1400 yds along with several blister hangar
Blister hangar
A blister hangar is an arched, portable aircraft hangar patented by Miskins and Sons in 1939. It is made of wooden or steel ribs that are generally covered in steel sheets. It does not require a foundation and can be anchored with iron stakes.-References:*...
s.
Tents were used for billeting and also 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.
USAAF use
Lymington was known as USAAF Station AAF-551 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "LY".50th Fighter Group
RAF Lymington saw the arrival of the USAAF 50th Fighter Group on 5 April 1944, the group arriving from Orlando AAFOrlando Executive Airport
Orlando Executive Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The 50th had the following operational squadrons:
- 10th Fighter Squadron (T5)
- 81st Fighter Squadron81st Fighter SquadronThe 81st Fighter Squadron is part of the 52d Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It operates the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions.-Mission:...
(2N) - 313th Fighter Squadron (W3)
The 50th was a group of Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
's 84th Fighter Wing
84th Fighter Wing (World War II)
The 84th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the IX Tactical Air Command, based at Brunswick, Germany...
, IX Tactical Air Command
IX Tactical Air Command
The IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
. It flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. The group began operations by making a fighter sweep over France on 1 May. It engaged primarily in escort and dive-bombing missions for the next month.
The 50th covered the invasion beaches during the invasion of Normandy
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
on 6 and 7 June, and moved to its Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
at Carentan
Carentan
Carentan is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France near the port city of Cherbourg-Octeville. Carentan has a population somewhat over 6,000 and is now administratively organized as a commune in the Manche department...
, France (ALG A-10) on 25 June.
On the continent, the 50th attacked bridges, roads, vehicles, railways, trains, gun emplacements, and marshalling yards during the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. It bombed targets in the Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
region in July and supported the subsequent drive across France.
The group assisted in stemming the German offensive in the Saar-Hardt area
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
early in January 1945, engaged in the offensive that reduced the Colmar bridgehead
Colmar Pocket
The Colmar Pocket ; in Alsace, France, was the site of an operation during the Second World War, between 20 January and 9 February 1945, where the French First Army and the U.S...
in January and February and supported the drive that breached the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
and resulted in the movement of Allied forces into southern Germany in March and April.
The 50th Fighter Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for close cooperation with Seventh Army in March during the assault on the Siegfried Line. In spite of the hazards of enemy opposition and difficult weather conditions, the group struck enemy defenses and isolated battle areas by destroying bridges, communications, supply areas, and ammunition dumps.
The 50th received second Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 25 April 1945 when, despite intense antiaircraft fire, the group destroyed or damaged many enemy aircraft on an airfield southeast of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
The group ended operations at Giebelstadt
Giebelstadt
Giebelstadt is a municipality in the district of Würzburg in Bavaria in Germany.History of GiebelstadtThe town is the birthplace of Florian Geyer , also known as "Florian Geier from Giebelstadt", a Franconian nobleman who led the Black Company during the Peasants War resulting from the Protestant...
, Germany in May 1945, and returned to the United States in August. It was inactivated at La Junta AAF, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
on 7 November 1945.
Postwar use
After the 50th moved to France in late June 1944, the airfield was used as an AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
Storage Area until 1946, when the land was returned to agriculture.
Civil use
With the facility released from military control in 1946, almost all traces of the former airfield were removed.One of the original blister hangars remains on the standing today adjacent to a private grass airstrip (Pylewell House) overlaid on the site of the former N/S military airfield runway, (31/13). The airfield appears to be closed, with white "X"s shown on the runway ends.