Olbia

40°55'33"N 009°30'29"E

runway: n/a - ...x..m - water
flying field: E/W - ca.600x200m - grass

Olbia airfield (Italian: l'Idroscalo Olbia, also known as Terranova) was an airfield on the north side of Sardinia
The airfield was built in 1927 as an intermediate between Ostia and Cagliari. It served both civilian and military aircraft.


The Idroscalo before World War II, with three aircraft floating in front of the hangar. In the upper right corner the land airfield is visible (olbianascosta.blogspot.com).

In the second half of World War II the airfield grew in importance. Due to the constant and relentless bombing by Allied bombers of airfields in the south of Sardinia those had become unusable. To keep a line of communication and supply to Italy, many of the aircraft were moved to the north of the island. All of a sudden Olbia became of strategic importance, military and commercial.
Of course this also attracted attention from the Allied strategic bombers. The first bombing occurred in Olbia on the afternoon of 14 May 1943. The city was the target of American bombers and the raid turned out to be violent and precise. Olbia was also targeted by Anglo-American fighter-units until 1 July 1943.


Olbia during an Allied air raid. Bombs can be seen falling and exploding, but the airfield seems to excape this raid (olbianascosta.blogspot.com).

Olbia/Terranova aerodrome and its land based substation were surveyed by USAAF engineers in September 1943. They reported the land based portion as 600x1800ft (200x600meters) with a soggy grass floor due to poor drainage. The report lists two smal hangars, one at the seaplane port, the other at the airfield. It reported the airfield as large enough for a about one squadron of aircraft with proper expansions.


Map from an Allied engineering report, Sept. 1943 (AFHRC, via Reid Waltman)

Today, nothing remains of the former airfield. The seaplane base was built over with a ferry landing, roads and a marina. The land based part was built over with a park and sportsfields, although its shape is still recognisable.


Overview of the former airfield in 2008 (Google Earth)