Tarquinia

42°12'41"N 011°44'03"E

runway: ../.. - ...x..m - dirt/PHS

Air field Tarquinia was an airfield about 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Rome, Italy.
The airfield was built around the outbreak of World War II. It became home to the First Carabinieri Parachute Batallion in July 1940. The battallion set up a parachute training center at the airfield.
In June 1941 the unit (minus a small traning unit to provide replacement training) left for operations in Northern Africa (todays Lybia). Under German command, the Battallion served with distiction.


I could not locate a contemporary map op the airstrip


Carabinieri parachutists on their way to a Caproni 133 (nicknamed 'la vacca' or 'the cow') at Targuinia airfield in 1940 (carabinieriparacadutisti.it)


The 65m/17 story parachute tower used to train Carabinieri parachutists (carabinieriparacadutisti.it).


A Carabinieri parachutist exits his aircraft over Targuinia airfield in 1940 (carabinieriparacadutisti.it)

Tarquinia was bombed and strafed by Allied fighters, fighterbombers and bombers from 1943. Around that time the 1° Scuola Paracadutisti d'Italia seized to exist. In May 1944 it was attacked for the last time, by B-17s and B-24s of 12th Air Force.
Somewhere between that attack and 25 June the airfield was conquered by the Allies, because on 25 Jun 1944 P-47s of 345FS (350FG) moved onto the airfield from Pomigliano. In the days prior to 25 June combat engineers of XXII Engineer Command had repaired the damaged airfield using a graded earth compacted surface, with a prefabricated hessian burlap surfacing known as PHS. PHS was an asphalt-impregnated jute, rolled out over the compacted surface over a square mesh track SMT grid of wire joined in 3-inch squares.
Tarquinia hosted an Army parade on 7 July, when 351 Combat Team of 88th Infantry Division stood at attention for Sec. of War Henry L. Stinson and Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark.
The P-47s of 345FS were joined by a detachment of 416 Night Fighter Squadron (Beaufighters) on 8 July. On 20 July 1944 75, 76 and 78TCS C-47s (435TCW) began operating from the airfield. Another P-47 squadron landed on the airfield on 24 August when 346FS arrived. The detachment of 416 Night Fighter Squadron transferred to Mosquitos while operating from the base about that time, and they returned to their unit at Rosignano on 4 September.
On 8 September 1944 circumstances at the base had stabilised enough to allow HQ-350FG to join the squadrons at Tarquinia. A week later they were followed by 347FS, flying in from Sardinia. 350FG was joined by another Group on 2 October 1944, with the arrival of the full 27FG (522, 523 and 524FS, all with P-47s). Their cohabitation did not last long however: 350FG began moving out to Pisa on 16 November. Two weeks later 27FG began moving out to Pontedera airfield. C-47s of 7TCS (62TCG) began moving from Tarquinia to Brindisi on 4 December 1944.


Sec. of War Henry L. Stimson, Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark and Maj. Gen. John S. Sloan inspect the 351st at Tarquinia.


A glider pilot (standing at extreme right) and the troops that he will fly to southern France - Tarquinia Airport, 14 August 1944 (source).

Living conditions at the airfield were spartan, tents were used for billeting and support facilities.
From Tarquina operations were supported over northern Italy and southern France. C-47 cargo aircraft and Waco glider aircraft operated from the base during the invasion of southern France (Operation Dragoon). From late October 1944 the airfield also hosted the Brazilian 1°GAvCA (1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron, callsign 'Jambock') under the umbrella of 350FG. With the exception of the aircraft of the commander and his operations officer, their P-47s were finished in standard US fighter colours, olive-drab (top surfaces) and neutral grey (undersurfaces). The aircraft carried a large squadron badge just after the engine cowling, with their aircraft code in white on the cowling itself. 1°GAvCA consisted of over 300 highly motivated men who as a result of their motivation had a high rate of serviceability. Although the Brazilian pilots were trained in the US for fighter operations there were virtually no German aircraft left in Italy. As a result the unit began its fighting carreer as a fighter bomber unit in support of the US 5th Army (to which the Brazilian Expeditionary Force was attached). The unit served with distinction at Tarquinia and later at Pisa, and thus formed the basis of todays Brazilian Air Force.


A P-47 as flown by the 1°GAvCA from Tarquinia Airport in late 1944 (Photo USAF, via Wikipedia).


Senta a Pua!
'Waldorf Astoria' was the name given by the Brazilian pilots to their tent in Tarquinia, Italy in the final months of 1944.
The pilots are, from left to right, Lt Coelho, Lt. Meira, Lt Assis, Capt. Lagares, Lt. Rui and Lt. Perdigeo.(Flickr).


This P-47 was flown by the 1°GAvCA commander (hence the large '1' on the cowling) from Tarquinia airfield in late 1944 (Flickr).


The Brazilian flag flying proudly over Tarquinia airfield in late 1944 (source).

After the war the airfield was returned to the Italian authorities. While it remains unsure what happened to the airfield over the past 60 years, it does still remain. Its runway, although deteriorated, is readily visible from the air. Photographs taken locally show that one of the airfield buildings also still exists, as does the main gate.


Tarquinia airfield (upper right corner) was still recognisable from the air in 2008 (aviazionecivile.it).