- Oran Tafraoui Airport
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Oran Tafaraoui Airport IATA: TAF – ICAO: DAOL Summary Airport type Public/Military Location Algeria Elevation AMSL 367 ft / 112 m Coordinates 35°32′27.85″N 000°32′02.02″W / 35.5410694°N 0.5338944°W Runways Direction Length Surface ft m 26/08 9,037 2,738 Asphalt Source:World Aero Data [1] Oran Tafaraoui Airport is a joint civil/military airport in Oran Province, Algeria (IATA: TAF, ICAO: DAOL).
Contents
World War II
During World War II, it was a primary mission objective of the United States Army 34th Infantry Division during the Allied Operation Torch landings on 8 November 1942, and became a major Twelfth Air Force base of operations during the North African Campaign against the German Afrika Korps.
Tafaraoui became a staging and transit point for many units:
- 11 November -20 November 1942 - 1st Fighter Group HQ and the 27th, 71st and 94th Fighter Squadrons, flying P-38 Lightnings, arrived then departed Tafaraoui.
- 14 November 1942 - HQ 14th Fighter Group, HQ 62d Troop Carrier Group, and the 4th and 7th Troop Carrier Squadrons arrive at Tafaraoui with C-47 Skytrains
- 16 November 1942 - 8th Troop Carrier Squadron, 62d Troop Carrier Group, arrive at Tafaraoui from the UK with C-47s; the 111th and 154th Observation Squadrons, 68th Observation Group, moves from St Leu to Tafaraoui with A-20s
- 17 November 1942 - 437th and 438th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 319th Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Saint-Leu to Tafaraoui with B-26s.
- November 42 - HQ 319th Bombardment Group (Medium) and the 439th, and 440th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) move from St Leu to Tafaraoui with B-26 Marauders; "A" flight of the air echelon of the 15th Photographic Mapping Squadron, 3d Photographic Group, arrives at Tafaraoui with B-17 Flying Fortresses and F-4s (B-17 photo reconnaissance aircraft).
The new desert Spitfires of the 31st Fighter Group were also assigned to Tafaraoui. Other aircraft at the field included P-38s of the 14th, B-26s, B-25 Mitchells, A-20 Havocs, Gen. Doolittle's B-17-G, some {Amiat} French bombers around, and some old wrecks fixed up as dummies.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
External links
- Accident history for TAF at Aviation Safety Network
- Airport information for DAOL at Great Circle Mapper.
- Current weather for DAOL at NOAA/NWS
References
Airport information for DAOL at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
USAAF Twelfth Air Force in World War II Stations French Morocco Berguent · Berrechid · Casablanca · Guercif · Louis Gentil · Marnia · Médiouna · Port Lyautey · Oujda · Rabat Sale · Ras el Ma
Algeria Ain M'lila · Berteaux · Biskra · Canrobert · Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel · Constantine · Es Sénia (Oran) · Maison Blanche (Algiers) · Matemore · Montesquieu · Nouvion · Orleansville · Philippeville · Relizane · Rerhaia · Saint-Donat · Saint-Leu · Sedrata · Sainte-Barbe du Tlélat · Tafaraoui (Oran) · Tébessa · Telergma · Thiersville · Youks-les-Bains
Tunisia Bizerte · Dar el Koudia · Depienne · Djedeida · Djilma · Ebba Ksour · El Djem · El Bathan · Enfidaville · Goubrine · Grombalia · Hergla · Kairouan · Korba · La Marsa · La Sebala · Le Sers · Massicault · Mateur · Menzel Temime · Monastir · Oudna · Pont du Fahs · Protville · Sainte Marie du Zit · Souk-el-Arba · Souk-el-Khemis · Soliman · Sousse · Thelepte
Italy Agrigento (Sicily) · Bagnoli · Barcelona LG (Sicily) · Bari · Boccadifalco (Sicily) · Borizzo (Sicily) · Capodichino (Naples) · Castel Volturno · Castelvetrano (Sicily) · Cassibile (Sicily) · Cattolica · Catania (Sicily) · Cercola · Ciampino (Rome) · Cesenatico · Decimomannu (Sardinia) · Elmas (Sardinia) · Falconara · Fano · Florence · Foggia · Follonica · Gerbini (Sicily) · Gioia · Grosseto · Grottaglie · Iesi · Le Banca · Lecce · Licata (Sicily) · Manduria · Marcianise · Malignano · Mazzara (Sicily) · Milazzo (Sicily) · Messina (Sicily) · Montalto Di Castro · Nettuno · Montecorvino · Ombrene · Orbetello · Paestum · Pisa · Pantelleria · Pignataro Maggiore · Piombino · Pomigliano · Ponte Galeria · Pontedera · Pompeii · Ponte Olivo (Sicily) · Reggio Calabria · Rocca Bernardo · Rosia · San Pancrazio · Santa Maria · Scordia (Sicily) · Sele · Serretella · Tarquinia · Termini (Sicily) · Tortorella · Torrente Comunelli · Tre Cancello · Voltone · Vesuvius
France Aghione (Corsica) · Amberieu (Y-5) · Amiens (B-48) · Clastres (A-71) · Dijon (Y-9) · Dôle-Tavaux (Y-7) · Ghisonaccia (Corsica) · Gisonochia (Corsica) · Istres (Y-17) · La Vallon (Y-18) · Le Luc · Luneville (Y-2) · Loyettes (Y-25) · Poretta (Corsica) · Saint-Dizier (A-64) · Salon de Provence (Y-16) · Serragia (Corsica) · Solonzara (Corsica) · Tantonville (Y-1) · Toul-Ochey (A-96)
Units CommandsXII Bomber · XII Tactical Air · XXII Tactical Air
Wings5th Bombardment · 42d Bombardment · 47th Bombardment (7th Fighter) · 51st Troop Carrier · 52d Troop Carrier · 57th Bombardment · 62d Fighter · 63d Fighter · 64th Fighter · 87th Fighter · 90th Photographic
GroupsBombardment2d Bombardment · 12th Bombardment · 17th Bombardment · 47th Bombardment · 97th Bombardment · 98th Bombardment · 99th Bombardment · 301st Bombardment · 310th Bombardment · 319th Bombardment · 320th Bombardment · 321st Bombardment · 340th Bombardment · 376th Bombardment
Fighter1st Fighter · 14th Fighter · 27th Fighter · 31st Fighter · 33d Fighter · 52d Fighter · 57th Fighter · 79th Fighter · 81st Fighter · 82d Fighter · 86th Fighter · 324th Fighter · 325th Fighter · 332d Fighter · 350th Fighter
Reconnaissance3d Reconnaissance · 5th Reconnaissance · 68th Reconnaissance
Troop carrier60th Troop Carrier · 61st Troop Carrier · 62d Troop Carrier · 64th Troop Carrier · 313th Troop Carrier · 314th Troop Carrier · 316th Troop Carrier
Squadrons15th Bombardment · 414th Night Fighter · 415th Night Fighter · 416th Night Fighter · 417th Night Fighter · 427th Night Fighter
Categories:- Airports in Algeria
- Military of Algeria
- Aviation in Algeria
- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Algeria
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