Sainte Marie du Zit Airfield.png)  | |
|---|---|
| Site information | |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
| Location | |
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| Coordinates | 36°26′26.76″N010°19′55.77″E / 36.4407667°N 10.3321583°E /36.4407667; 10.3321583 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1943 |
| In use | 1943 |
Sainte Marie du Zit Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Zaghwan province,Tunisia, located about 3 km northeast ofSainte-Marie du Zit, 17 km east-northeast ofZaghouan, and 50 km south ofTunis.
The airfield was built by the GermanLuftwaffe duringWorld War II. It was attacked byNinth Air ForceB-25 Mitchells on 3 April 1943, and seized by theUnited States Army on 9 May during theBattle of Tunisia.
It was repaired by Army engineers and improved for use by theUnited States Army Air ForceTwelfth Air Force. The existing facility was expanded earth dispersal hardstands. Six-man tents were used for billeting, lined up in rows with the orderly room and the mess hall at one end. On 25 July, the14th Fighter Group with three squadrons ofP-38 Lightnings arrived.
After the Axis defeat in Tunisia, the 14th Fighter Group flew dive-bombing missions during the Allied assault on Pantelleria and helped prepare for and support the invasions of Sicily andItaly. Lieut H. T. Hanna made ace in one day by destroying fiveJunkers Ju 87 dive bombers on October 9, 1943. In November the group was assigned toFifteenth Air Force and moved toTriolo Airfield,Italy on 12 December. The facilities at Sainte Marie du Zit were dismantled and the airfield was abandoned.
The land is now an agricultural area, the remains of the main runway being visible on aerial photography. A large disturbed area around the runway is still in evidence.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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