ALG B-8 – Sommervieu
Battle of Normandy
This page presents the history of ALG (Advanced Landing Groud) B-8, used by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Normandy.
Location: Sommervieu, Calvados (14)
Code: B-8
Coordinates: 49°18’00”N – 000°40’16”W
Construction: from June 14 to June 22, 1944 by Royal Engineers 24th Airfield Construction Group
Operational period: from June 22, 1944 to early August 1945
Length: 1 200 m
Width: 40 m
Azimuth: 279°
Number of airstrips: 2
Airstrip 1: compacted earth
Airstrip 2: Square-Mesh Track (SMT)
Units:
– 39 Recce Wing (400 squadron using Spitfire IX, 414 squadron & 430 squadron using Mustang aircraft.
– 123/136 Wing (164 squadron) using Typhoon aircraft.
– 145 Wing (74 squadron, 329 squadron “Cigognes”, 340 squadron “Ile-de-France”, 341 squadron “Alsace” – Free France) using Spitfire IX aircraft.
ALG B-8 history:
ALG B-8 is located between the communes of Vaux-sur-Aure (in the west), Magny-en-Bessin (in the northeast), Sommervieu (in the east) and Saint-Vigor-le- Great (south). Two parallel tracks are installed, one compacted earth, the other covered with SMT.
ALG B-8 serves as a base for the 39th Recce Wing on June 14, 1944 and on the 145 Wing from August 9 to September 1944.
Remains:
– Memorial stele at the Petit Magny manor.
– Memorial stele northeast of Saint-Sulpice.
