Airstripes in south tuscany

[Nibele]

Between 43 and 45 in south tuscany there were 2 air stripes where several airplanes, german first and english later, took off and landed for operatinal missions. We were able to locate them ( I add a google map), but there is not a lot written about them. Is here any friends who know something about these airfields? I know that flew here JG 77 with Bf109 and NSGr. 9 with Ju87 and Fw190 and several squadrons from South African Air with Hurricane and Spitfire after the german retreat.
Thanks a lot for any suggestion you can give
Andrea

[Larry deZeng]

Here all I found:

Foiano della Chiana (ITAL) (43 14 40 N – 11 50 55 E)
General: landing ground 22 km S of Arezzo, 5 km S of Brolio landing ground and 2.5 km ESE of the town of Foiano della Chiana. History: Surface and Dimensions: agricultural land which had been leveled and artificially drained and measured approx. 1100 x 137 meters (1200 x 150 yards). No paved runways. Fuel and Ammunition: brought in as needed. Infrastructure: no hangars, workshops or other buildings identified. There were several farm buildings in the vicinity that were probably used for accommodations. The nearest rail connection was a La Selce, 3.25 km W of the landing area. Dispersal: there were 3 small open aircraft shelters in Apr 44 with 3 more being completed along the SW boundary and sites for 4 more prepared along the W boundary.
Remarks:
13 Apr 44: Allied intelligence noted that this was a recently prepared landing ground and that no aircraft had yet been seen there. Work was continuing at the time to improve the landing area.
1 Nov 44: abandoned by the Allies this date.
Operational Units: 1., 2./NSGr. 9 (Jun 44).
Station Commands: none identified.
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): none identified.
[Sources: AFHRA A5262 pp.1425, 1757-58 (9 May 44 and Feb 45); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]

[veltro]

Great info!

[Nibele]

Thank you Larry...good startpoint to try to get more info and may be pictures. The local administration is very interested about the story of these two airstripes.

[Larry deZeng]

Thanks Ferdinando and Andrea for your kind comments!

Foiano della Chiana (ITAL)

Here is the identity of the Allied MAAF unit that moved into Foiano della Chiana in July 1944 just after the Germans had departed. I do not know how long they remained, but I would guess they were only there for a few months at the most because Foiano della Chiana was ordered abandoned by 1 November 1944. If you need more information, there are a number of published unit histories on the South African Air Force.

7 Wing (SAAF)
1 SAAF (16 x Spitfire IX) Foiano della Chiana
2 SAAF (16 x Spitfire IX) Foiano della Chiana
4 SAAF (16 x Spitfire IX) Foiano della Chiana
7 SAAF (16 x Spitfire IX) Foiano della Chiana
3 SAAF (16 x Spitfire VC) Foiano della Chiana

[Source: MAAF (S.1643/ORG.3 – SECRET): Order of Battle (of) Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (and) Royal Air Force as at 31st July, 1944. Copy 1. 27 pages (mimeographed). Page 13.

Larry

[veltro]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

Here is the identity of the Allied MAAF unit that moved into Foiano della Chiana in July 1944 just after the Germans had departed. I do not know how long they remained, but I would guess they were only there for a few months at the most because Foiano della Chiana was ordered abandoned by 1 November 1944. If you need more information, there are a number of published unit histories on the South African Air Force.

7 Wing (SAAF)
1 SAAF (16 x Spitfire IX) Foiano della Chiana
2 SAAF (16 x Spitfire IX) Foiano della Chiana
4 SAAF (16 x Spitfire IX) Foiano della Chiana
7 SAAF (16 x Spitfire IX) Foiano della Chiana
3 SAAF (16 x Spitfire VC) Foiano della Chiana

From the thread here: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...t=28191&page=5 ...

Originally Posted by veltro

(...)the UK National Archives have just released in free downloadable form all the units diaries and ORBs of the SAAF units in WW2.

These can be found among the material made available free of charge here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...-microfilm.asp, then going at "What's available" and selecting AIR 54.

To be precise, the title "South Africa Air Force: Operations Record Books" has to be clicked to have access to the list of downloadable ORBs...
In more details:
7 Wing SAAF = 54/106 & 54/107
1 Sqn. SAAF = 54/30, 54/31 & 54/189
2 Sqn. SAAF = 54/35 & 54/189
3 Sqn. SAAF = 54/37, 54/189 & 54/190
4 Sqn. SAAF = 54/39, 54/40, 54/41 & 54/190
7 Sqn. SAAF = 54/48, 54/49 & 54/190

P.S. Just checked 1 Sqn. SAAF Diary and it reported the arrive at Foiano LG on 17 July 1944 with departure for Rimini on 10 October 1944 via Perugia.

[Nick Beale]

There is this from 29 April 1944 (Ultra KV 2503): "Two Bf 109s of III./JG 53 surveyed Brolio and Foiano."

NSG 9 definitely did use Brolio but I never found anything to suggest that 2./NSG 9 was at Foiano.

[Nibele]

The two air stripes are just 4 kilometers far...probably it is easy to get confused. In a recent talk with a researcher he supposed that in Brolio there was JG 77 in Brolio and NSGr. 9 with Ju87 and Fw190 in foiano. Witness living near brolio says that at that time there were 4 or 5 Nardi recce, that were recovered in a villa close the airfield. No way to confirm this info. He also remember that a 2 engine allied bomber crashed during a bellylanding...next week I'll go to try to find any report about this event in the archives of the town hall and in archives of churches
Here the only picture I have of the stripe, given from a friend in the forum "archeologi dell'aria"...I don't know the source.
thank you again for help and we'll keep in touch.
Andrea

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Nibele

In a recent talk with a researcher he supposed that in Brolio there was JG 77 in Brolio and NSGr. 9 with Ju87 and Fw190 in foiano.
Andrea

NSG 9 was never there with the Fw 190, they had none before January 1945. Their Fw 190s operated from Villafranca di Verona.

On 12.02.44, II./JG 77 had 21 aircraft at Brolio with 14 serviceable and 9 at Castiglione del Lago with 6 serviceable.

[Nibele]

Thank you for the info...I'll tell my friend about it, not to writing something wrong.
Do you have any idea where is possible to find some images, if they exist?
If interest, I can post a english map of the Brolio airfield...nothing exciting, but it is the only thing I have...
Regards, Andrea