El Bathan Airfield.png) | |
|---|---|
| Part ofTwelfth Air Force | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 36°41′10.69″N009°50′20.25″E / 36.6863028°N 9.8389583°E /36.6863028; 9.8389583 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1943 |
| In use | 1943 |
El Bathan Airfield is an abandonedWorld War II military airfield in Ariana province,Tunisia, located approximately 15 km south of El Battan, and 30 km west ofTunis. It is now an agricultural area, with little or no visible remains. A light scar on the landscape indicates where its main runway was located. DuringWorld War II it was used by theUnited States Army Air ForceTwelfth Air Force during theNorth African Campaign.
The airfield was a temporary facility, constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in June and July 1943. It consisted of aPierced Steel Planking runway and parking apron, with hard 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. The airfield was called the "Dust Bowl" by the men stationed there, given the hot, dry winds that would constantly blow airborne dust into the tents, aircraft and the support facilities.
By late October 1943 the front had advanced to the point where the 320th found itself almost out of range of targets, and its squadrons were ordered to move to new airfields onSardinia. Afterward, the airfield was dismantled and the land returned to its owners.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
