Saint-Lambert Airfield

Military Obsolescence. The airfield was a temporary forward base built for a specific military campaign. As the Allied front line advanced rapidly eastward across France following the breakout from Normandy (Operation Cobra), the airfield was no longer needed and was abandoned. The land was then returned to its original agricultural use.

The site has been fully returned to agricultural land. There are no remaining buildings or permanent runway structures. However, the faint outline of the main runway (oriented roughly 06/24) and some taxiways can still be seen from the air or in satellite imagery due to differences in soil compaction and vegetation. A memorial stele has been erected on the D54 road near the former airfield entrance to commemorate ALG A-12 and the American units that served there.

The site was known as Advanced Landing Ground A-12, a temporary but critically important World War II airfield. It was constructed by the United States Army Air Forces' IX Engineer Command (specifically the 834th Engineer Aviation Battalion) starting around June 25, 1944, just weeks after the D-Day landings. The runway was made of Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing (Burlap) laid over graded earth.

Its primary role was to support the Ninth Air Force by providing a forward base for fighter-bombers. This allowed for rapid response times and close air support for Allied ground troops during the intense fighting of the Battle of Normandy. The airfield was home to two main units flying the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt:

1. **365th Fighter Group ('Hell Hawks')**: Operated from A-12 from late June to mid-August 1944.
2. **405th Fighter Group**: Operated from A-12 from mid-August until the beginning of September 1944.

These units flew hundreds of missions from A-12, playing a vital role in attacking German positions, armor, and supply lines, particularly during the decisive Operation Cobra which led to the Allied breakout from the Normandy beachhead.

None. There are no plans or prospects for reopening the site as an airfield. Its historical significance is as a temporary WWII installation, and the land is privately owned farmland. Its value lies in its history and the memorial that honors it, not in any potential for future aviation use.