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55-578: Download coordinates as: Advanced landing grounds ( ALGs ) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 1944 to V-E Day , 7 May 1945. Unlike the permanent airfields built in the United Kingdom and designed for the strategic bombardment of Germany ,

110-412: A battle. The advantages of using advance airfields are various. Air raids can penetrate deeper into enemy-held territory, surprising the enemy with unexpected range. Air units stationed nearer the front can respond more quickly to the needs of friendly land and naval units. Damaged aircraft can land at the advance airfield to save those aboard, and possibly the aircraft. Wounded personnel can be brought to

165-503: A carpet in about one week. After the initial batch of airfields was completed using SMT, the Army aviation engineers switched almost exclusively to another surfacing material known as prefabricated hessian (burlap) surfacing (PBS). Light and easily transportable, PBS did not create the dust problem encountered with SMT fields. Made of an asphalt-impregnated jute delivered in rolls 300 feet in length and 36 inches or 43 inches in width, PBS

220-633: A dozen D9 bulldozers went into action, razing the center of the refugee camp and forcing the Palestinian militants inside to surrender. In the Israel–Hamas war , Israel's use of pagers and walkie-talkies detonations to target the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that killed 42 people and injured 3,500 more, was condemned by some as illegal. Booby traps have been applied as defensive weapons against non-military trespassers , but most jurisdictions consider

275-499: A metre of the victim's body, this is adequate to kill or severely wound. Booby traps are indiscriminate weapons. Like anti-personnel mines , they can harm civilians and noncombatants during and after the conflict. The use against civilians is prohibited by the Protocol on Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices , and the protocol also prohibits boobytrapping e.g. the wounded or dead, medical equipment, food, and drink. A type of booby trap

330-558: A number of examples. Israel occupied southern Lebanon between 1982 and 2000 and during that period planted hundreds of thousands of landmines and bomblets. A report by the UK Foreign Affairs Committee in 2000 warned of the dangers of unexploded bombs in southern Lebanon, mentioning the use of "booby-trapped toys, allegedly dropped by the Israeli air force near Lebanese villages adjacent to the so-called security zone". During

385-416: A popular form of practical joke . The Spanish word bobo translates to "stupid, daft, naïve, simple, fool, idiot, clown, funny man, one who is easily cheated" and similar pejorative terms. The slang of bobo , bubie , translates to "dunce". Variations of this word exist in other languages (such as Latin), with their meaning being "to stammer". In approximately 1590, the word began appearing in

440-548: A priority. Bringing in ammunition of all types and especially gasoline on the trip to the ALGs on the continent, the C-47s on the return trip evacuated wounded to the rear. By 15 September 1944, IX Engineer Command had placed over eighty ALG airfields in operation, while British engineers had constructed 76 airfields in their zone. In Southern France , another twenty or so fields had been built by American engineers from Twelfth Air Force from

495-467: A relatively primitive ad-hoc airfield used for refueling and re-arming air units as part of forward operations near the enemy. Also called advanced airfield for its advanced position, not advanced facilities, such an airfield typically does not carry full aircraft maintenance and service units, and lacks the comfort and security of a major air base . Advance airfields may be subject to enemy observation and attack. They may be expected to change hands after

550-521: A requirement by the allies to station short-range fighters close to the English Channel coast so missions could be undertaken to attack enemy coastal fortifications; road and rail networks and other military targets in Occupied France prior to the invasion of Normandy . Also construction of the ALGs provided necessary engineering and construction training as well as providing practical experience in

605-437: A rifle magazine or machine–gun belt and left on the body of a dead NLF soldier, in anticipation that the deceased's ammo would be picked up and used by his comrades. No more than one sabotaged round would be planted in any case, magazine, or belt of ammunition, to reduce the chances of the enemy finding it no matter how diligently they inspected their supplies. False rumors and forged documents were circulated to make it appear that

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660-452: A simple solution to a problem, for example, leaving only one door open in an otherwise secure building, luring them straight toward the firing mechanism. An example that exploits an instinct for self–preservation was used in the Vietnam War . Spikes known as punji sticks were hidden in grassy areas. When fired upon, soldiers instinctively sought to take cover by throwing themselves down on

715-515: A single tactical fighter or bomb group unit. ALGs were selected in two ways. First, existing enemy military or civilian airfields which were captured as the ground forces advanced were noted by engineers assigned to ground units. Second, engineers noted areas in grid locations where an airfield was desired, that had flat terrain, good land drainage, and where an airfield could be constructed quickly. Captured airfields could be restored for use as advanced landing field in one to three days depending upon

770-456: A wide variety of runways, most commonly asphalt; concrete; macadam or tar-penetrated macadam. There were five main types of airfields built by the USAAF combat engineers on the continent. These were: Consisted of a rough, graded runway approximately 2000 feet long to provide a place for emergency belly-landings of damaged aircraft. Usually a rough graded runway near the front line or an airfield in

825-401: Is designed to kill or injure a person who activates its trigger, or employed to reveal the location of an enemy by setting off a signalling device. Most, but not all, military booby traps involve explosives. Part of the skill in placing booby traps lies in exploiting natural human behaviors such as habit, self–preservation, curiosity or acquisitiveness. A common trick is to provide victims with

880-641: The Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000—2005), some Arab–Palestinian groups made wide use of booby traps to prevent the Israeli army from entering their cities on Palestinian territories . The largest use of booby traps was in the Battle of Jenin during Operation Defensive Shield where a large number (1000–2000 bombs and booby traps according to a Palestinian militant who surrendered to Israeli forces in Jenin ) of explosive devices were planted by insurgents. Booby traps had been laid in

935-517: The Battle of the Bulge , was supported in earnest by the building of tactical airfields in occupied Germany. Trier (Y-57), became the first operational tactical American airfield on German soil on 10 March 1945. When a crossing over the Rhine River was spearheaded at Remagen , Germany, a supply and evacuation strip was quickly set up to support the bridgehead. As Allied tank columns struck out rapidly into

990-606: The Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). In October these uncoded airfields were assigned to the ETO and given ALG code numbers. The stabilisation of the front lines in the Netherlands, Belgium, and eastern France in mid-September 1944, which would last into the new year, allowed aviation engineers a chance to reorganise and prepare for the upcoming winter season. As expected, they could not build new PHS and SMI airstrips during

1045-510: The Normandy invasion was known as square-mesh track (SMT). SMT, a British development, was material composed of heavy wire joined in three-inch squares. It was chosen over other surfacing materials because it was very lightweight, allowing sufficient quantities to be transported across the English channel on over-tasked landing craft . Easily workable, a SMT landing mat for fighters could be laid like

1100-566: The Sutton Index of Deaths , 180 people were killed during the Troubles as the result of booby trap bombs, the vast majority of them laid by the IRA. A common type of booby trap was the car bomb , which involved attaching a bomb to a car so that starting or driving it would detonate the explosive. Lebanese media reported on the phenomenon of intentionally concealed bombs in children's toys in 1997, citing

1155-552: The line of flight . Long used in other theatres, PSP would have been ideal for all airfields on the continent, but its limited availability and greater weight made this impractical. Moreover, because of supply problems, construction of even a PSP fighter-bomber field could take a month or longer, while similar PBS and SMT fields could be constructed in two weeks and one week, respectively. In addition, sod and earth runways were built for emergency landing strips (ELS) and refuelling and rearming strips (R&R). Captured airfields contained

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1210-564: The Allies invaded Normandy on D-Day , Royal Air Force Airfield Construction Service engineers were among those in the initial assault waves. Their mission was to rapidly construct forward operating airfields, known as advanced landing grounds (ALGs) , on the European continent . As the Allied armies advanced across France and into Germany , several hundred airfields were built or rehabilitated for use by

1265-585: The Communist Chinese were supplying the NLF with defective weapons and ammunition. During the Troubles , an ethnonationalist conflict in Northern Ireland , booby traps were used by Irish republican and Ulster loyalist paramilitaries to target British security forces and civilians. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) was the most prolific user of the booby traps during the conflict; according to

1320-549: The English language as booby , meaning "stupid person, slow bird". The seabird in question was the genus Sula , with their common name being boobies . These birds have large flat feet and wide wingspans for marine habitats but are clumsy and slow on shore making them easy to catch. The birds are also known for landing aboard seagoing vessels, whereupon they have been eaten by the crew. The phrase booby trap originally applied to schoolboy pranks, but took on its more serious connotation during World War I . A military booby trap

1375-491: The IX Engineering command engineers. They would be used for perhaps a few days to a week, to several months, depending on the location, use, and operational requirements. Once the combat units moved up to the next assigned ALG, they could be utilised as S&E Fields, or deconstructed quickly and abandoned, with the land being released back to the landowners or civil authorities in the area. The mission for constructing ALGs

1430-878: The MTO, a significant number were developed into permanent, civilian airports or NATO military bases after the war. The airfield coding system remained in effect until after the Japanese surrender in the Pacific, when, on 14 September 1945, the system was officially discontinued. Thereafter, airfields were referenced by their geographic name. Only active combat ALGs are shown. Dedicated S&E, Liaison, Transport, and other non-combat airfields are not listed. Runway types are listed as follows: Runway dimensions are in feet. Download coordinates as: Advanced landing grounds were built in Kent during 1943 and 1944 for several reasons. The first being

1485-488: The Netherlands , Belgium and occupied areas of Germany. "R" coded fields were usually located in occupied Germany . British airfields on the continent were also consecutively numbered, but with a B-prefix. The numbering system for airfields was sequentially assigned as airfields were allocated, not by location or by date of operational use. A-1, Saint Pierre du Mont , was declared operational on 13 June 1944; A-3 Cardonville on 14 June. However A-2, Cricqueville-en-Bessin ,

1540-491: The Rhine river were strictly supply and evacuation fields. USAAF Engineers constructed or rehabilitated over 280 continental airfields in the ETO from D-Day to V-E Day. In the summer months that followed, a few new airfields were constructed, but the vast majority were abandoned and turned over to local landowners or civil governments. Throughout Western Europe , as well as the airfields built by Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces in

1595-752: The advance airfield to be evacuated for more complete hospital care at the rear. Shorter-range aircraft such as fighters can stage from an advance airfield to escort longer-range bombers in formation. This military aviation article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Booby trap Booby traps should not be confused with mantraps which are designed to catch a person. Lethal booby traps are often used in warfare, particularly guerrilla warfare , and traps designed to cause injury or pain are also sometimes used by criminals wanting to protect drugs or other illicit property, and by some owners of legal property who wish to protect it from theft. Booby traps which merely cause discomfort or embarrassment are

1650-419: The aircraft and as a measure of insurance against the wet weather. Airfields were initially single runway landing strips which were laid down east–west (09/27) unless local conditions dictated a different runway direction. ALGs laid in the UK were of Sommerfeld Tracking, a form of stiffened steel wire mesh. The surfacing material selected for the building of advanced landing grounds during the first weeks after

1705-479: The airfield to be picked up by C-47s and taken to hospitals in England or other rear areas. Also supplies would be airlifted to the fields and unloaded, to be quickly transported to the front line units. These were normally known as S&E Fields (Supply and Evacuation). Once completed, airfields were usually utilised by the combat groups or squadrons within a day or so of being declared operational for military use by

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1760-661: The allied air forces. For security reasons, the airstrips were referred to by a coded number instead of location. In the United Kingdom , USAAF installations were identified by three digit (AAF) numbers ranging from AAF-101 to AAF-925. After D-Day, continental airfields in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) were also assigned coded numbers. American airfields were given A-, Y-, or R-, prefixes and numbered consecutively from 1 to 99. Both "A" and "Y" designated airfields could be found in France, however many "Y" fields would also be in

1815-474: The amount of damage and the number of mines and booby traps encountered. Dry-weather advanced landing fields were constructed by a single battalion at a favourable site in flat terrain in one to three days, including time for reconnaissance. At less favourable sites, where more clearing and grading were required, or all-weather fields which also needed additional infrastructure, the time varied from three to ten days. ALGs were equipped with an access road that

1870-568: The assigned units were moved forward onto French ALGs after the invasion of Normandy. From July used by No. 133 Wing RAF for operations against V-1 flying bombs Download coordinates as: Airfields in France used in support of the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy , France, during Operation Overlord and the immediate aftermath, 6 June – 24 July 1944 Runway: 5000x120, SMT, (09/27) Used by: Download coordinates as: Advance airfield Advance airfield and forward airfield are military terms for

1925-412: The beginning or by development from an R&R Strip by the addition of dispersal facilities, expansion of the road network and other additions to the station and technical area in order for it to be used over an extended period of time. A number of ALGs were expanded into tactical air depots by the addition of hangars, shops, more dispersal hardstands, roads, and other facilities. Some were developed from

1980-553: The beginning. Four main designations were given to ALGs on the European Continent: An unforeseen development was the extraordinary demand for transport, supply, and evacuation fields as the Allied armies pushed past Paris toward the German frontier. In late 1944, supplies could not keep pace with U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower 's forces, and to help lessen the supply shortage airfields for C-47 Skytrain cargo planes became

2035-446: The development of forward airfields which would be necessary on the continent after the invasion. The ALGs laid down in Kent had two runways, while the ones laid down in France after the invasion generally had only one strip laid down east–west for speed of construction Due to their temporary nature, the airfields were torn up and salvageable components were re-used on new ALGs in France after

2090-558: The enemy's ammunition supplies, in an operation code–named " Project Eldest Son ". The propellant in a rifle or machine–gun cartridge was replaced with high explosive. Upon being fired, the sabotaged round would destroy the gun and kill or injure the shooter. Mortar shells were similarly rigged to explode when dropped down the tube, instead of launching properly. This ammunition was then carefully re–packed to eliminate any evidence of tampering, and planted in enemy munitions dumps by covert insertion teams. A sabotaged round might also be planted in

2145-460: The experience obtained in the North African and Italian campaigns , fighter groups required an airfield 120 feet x 3600 feet long, and fighter-bomber groups required fields 120 feet x 5000 feet long. Medium bomb groups required 120 feet x 6000 feet runways. Instead of using rough, unimproved dirt strips, engineers used surfacing material necessary to strengthen the soil to support the weight of

2200-891: The fall rain and winter snow seasons because of the moist ground. Besides concrete, the American-made PSP was the only available surfacing material that could be laid down during this inclement weather in Europe. To keep the supply lines open, selected airfields in Belgium and France were therefore "winterized" with PSP. Because of the limited supply of PSP, however, only a limited number of airfields could be winterised, making it necessary to base two group sized units per airfield. But sufficient fighter-bomber and medium bomber airfields were completed that winter to ensure 2TAF and Ninth Air Force aircraft could continue flying combat missions . The major problem affecting airfield construction in early 1945

2255-666: The ground, impaling themselves on the spikes. Many purpose–built booby–trap firing devices exist such as the highly versatile M142 universal firing device (identical to the British L5A1 or Australian F1A1 ), or Yugoslavian UMNOP-1 which allow a variety of different ways of triggering explosives e.g. via trip wire (either pulling it or releasing the tension on it), direct pressure on an object (e.g. standing on it), or pressure release (lift/shift something) etc. Most explosive booby traps use between 250 g and 1 kg of explosive. Since most booby traps are rigged to detonate within

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2310-593: The heartland of Germany, the airfield "clutches" of the Ninth Air Force's tactical air commands moved east of the Rhine river within range of virtually any target in Germany. Scores of former Luftwaffe sod and hard surfaced airfields were captured in the lightning advance through Central Germany, virtually undamaged, lessening the requirement for SMT, PHS, and PSP prefabricated surfacing. The relative lack of German military opposition in late March, April and May 1945 lessened

2365-409: The need for close air support and produced a greater demand for supply airstrips to keep the offensive moving. Every opportunity was used to clear captured German airfields for use along the armies' route, allowing C-47s and other transports to land with food, gas, and ammunition. The supply effort received top airfield priority. By V-E Day , 9 May 1945, 76 of the 126 airfields made operational east of

2420-431: The practice illegal. Instead of being used to kill, maim or injure people, booby traps can also be used for entertainment. Practical joke booby traps are typically disguised as everyday items such as cigars or packets of chewing gum, nuts or other snack items. When the victims attempts to use the item, the trap is triggered. Two of the best known examples of this are the exploding cigar and dribble glass ; others include

2475-431: The rear that was used by C-47s for transport of casualties to the rear, or delivery of supplies and munitions to the front line. Consisted of a runway and an aircraft marshalling area on each end of the runway. It was designed to provide an airfield near the front lines upon which aircraft based in rear areas could land, be refuelled and rearmed, and take off again on a mission without having to return to their home field in

2530-425: The rear. Also could be used for dispersal or for when services other than refuelling or rearming was required. These airfields could be expanded into advance landing grounds by the addition of dispersal and other station facilities. Generally if an R&R strip was built, it would be sited wherever possible with a view to further expand it later into an ALG. An advanced landing ground could be constructed as such from

2585-473: The streets of both the camp and the town, ready to be triggered if a foot snagged a tripwire or a vehicle rolled over a mine. Some of the bombs were huge, containing as much as 250 lb (110 kg) of explosives. To counter the booby traps, anti–tank and anti–personnel mines the Israeli army sent armored Caterpillar D9 bulldozers to clear the area out of any explosive device and booby trap planted. Eventually,

2640-420: The tactical combat airfields on the continent were temporary, often improvised airfields to be used by the tactical air forces to support the advancing ground armies engaged on the battlefield. Once the front line moved out of range for the aircraft, the groups and squadrons moved up to newly built ALGs closer to the ground forces and left the ones in the rear for other support uses, or simply abandoned them. When

2695-549: Was connected to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and a minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting. Tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities. Time was the all-important factor and ALGs serve its purpose if available for only a few days. As the forward area became the rear area, an advanced landing field could be improved for medium bomber use, but initially they primarily served fighter and transport groups. Based on

2750-408: Was declared operational a few days later on 19 June. Also many of these airfields had no combat air group or squadron attached to them. They were designed for casualty evacuation and supply transport and consisted of a quickly built runway manned only by a small complement of station personnel with little or no infrastructure other than tents. As the ground forces moved east, wounded would be sent to

2805-758: Was laid in overlapping layers to produce a dust-free fair weather surface. It was also common to build airstrips using both SMT and PBS, laying SMT on top. To provide an all season durable airfield for the RAF's 2TAF and the USAF Ninth Air Force's medium and light bombers , a third type of surfacing material known as pierced steel plank (PSP), or Marsden Matting was introduced on the Normandy bridgehead in July 1944. It consisted of 10-foot-long (3.0 m), 15-inch-wide (380 mm) steel planks joined together and laid perpendicular to

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2860-417: Was not the surprise German Ardennes counteroffensive (which caused the abandonment of only one airfield – Y-39, Haguenau ). Rather, an early February thaw threatened to make airfields inoperable due to the mud and water. Using local civilian labour, engineers performed extensive maintenance on the threatened airfields and successfully resolved the crisis. The renewed allied offensive in early 1945, following

2915-686: Was placed in the hands of the Airfield Construction Service of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force , whilst the USAAF's Ninth Air Force and its specially created engineering arm, the IX Engineer Command, were responsible for ALG's in the US sector of operations. Each aviation engineer battalion in the command (of a total of sixteen) was composed of sufficient men and equipment to quickly construct an airfield or landing ground for

2970-523: Was referred to in an 1839 news story in The Times . During the Vietnam War , motorcycles were rigged with explosives by the National Liberation Front and abandoned. U.S. soldiers would be tempted to ride the motorcycle and thus trigger the explosives. In addition, NLF soldiers would rig rubber band grenades and place them in huts that US soldiers would likely burn. Another popular booby trap

3025-401: Was the " Grenade in a Can ", a grenade with the safety pin removed in a container and a string attached, sometimes with the grenade's fuse mechanism modified to give a much shorter delay than the four to seven seconds typical with grenade fuses. The NLF soldiers primarily used these on doors and attached them to tripwires on jungle paths. The CIA and Green Berets countered by booby trapping

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