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RAF Gambut

Abandoned military airfields in Libya

Summary

Abandoned military airfields in Libya

Field	Value
name	RAF Gambut
ensign	[[File:Balkenkreuz fuselage underwing.svg	67px]] [[File:Roundel of Italy.svg	67px]] [[File:Roundel of the United Kingdom.svg	67px]] [[File:US Army Air Corps Hap Arnold Wings.svg	67px]]
location	Kambut
country	Libya
image	Wrecked Me 110s at Gambut 1941.jpg
image_size	275px
caption	Abandoned German aircraft at Gambut after its recapture by the Allies (December 1941)
pushpin_map	Libya#Mediterranean
pushpin_label	RAF Gambut
pushpin_mapsize	200
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Libya
coordinates
operator	Luftwaffe (1941–1942)
Regia Aeronautica (1939-1942)
Royal Air Force (1942–1944)
United States Army Air Forces
controlledby	Ninth Air Force (1942–43)
used	1941–1944
battles	World War II

Regia Aeronautica (1939-1942) Royal Air Force (1942–1944) United States Army Air Forces

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RAF Gambut (or RAF Kambut) is a complex of six abandoned military airfields in Libya, located about 5 km north-northeast of the village of Kambut, and 50 km east-south-east of Tobruk. During World War II, the complex was an important facility, used by the Royal Air Force and many RAF squadrons were temporarily based there.

History

Gambiut was an airfield of Regia Aeronautica. Axis forces re-captured Gambut on 17 June 1941, after the Battle of Tobruk. This was a significant blow to the Allies as the airfield had been used to provide air-support to the Allied forces in the Siege of Tobruk. The airfield saw use by the Luftwaffe until its recapture by the New Zealand 4th Infantry Brigade on 25 November.

Today the remains of the airfields – deteriorating under the desert sands – are no longer visible on aerial photographs.

Airfields at Gambut

This station consisted of six airfields known as Gambut 1 (LG139), this being the main airfield, Gambut 2 (LG142), Gambut 3 (LG143), Gambut West/Gambut 4 (LG156), Gambut 5 (LG159) and Gambut 6 (LG158). http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-G.htm

Captured 1942 German Luftwaffe map of the airfield complex

RAF Designation	No. Designation	Location	Gambut Main (No.1)	Gambut No. 2	Gambut No. 3	Gambut Comms No. 4	Gambut No. 5	Gambut No. 6
LG-139
LG-142
LG-143
LG-156
LG-159
LG-158

Major units assigned

; Commonwealth air forces (RAF except where stated.) Gambut Main (No.1) ;Units

Squadrons : 6, 11, 14, 33, 38, 45, 46, 47 55, 73, 80, 84 108, 112, 113, 145, 148, 162, 203, 208, 227, 229, 237, 238, 250, 252, 274, 294, 450 (RAAF), 454 (RAAF)
HQ, 239 Wing (1 Mar – 17 Jun 1942, 14–15 Nov 1942)
HQ, 243 Wing (May – 20 Jun 1942)
HQ, 233 Wing (14–18 Nov 1942)
HO, 223 Wing (SAAF) Gambut (No.2) ;Units
Squadrons : 73, 112, 250, 274, 450 (RAAF)
HQ, 233 Wing (22 May – 28 Jun 1942) Gambut (No.3) ;Units
Squadrons : 14, 73, 117, 250, 294, 454 (RAAF), 459 (RAAF), 603
HQ, 235 Wing (3 Dec 1942 – 29 Feb 1944) Gambut West ;Units
Squadrons : 73, 92, 145, 208, 213, 238, 601
HQ, 285 Wing (14–20 Nov 1942)

; United States Army Air Forces

12th Bombardment Group (North American B-25 Mitchell)
- 434th Bombardment Squadron 17 December 1942 – 16 February 1943
93d Bombardment Group 16–25 February 1943 (Consolidated B-24 Liberator)
- 409th Bombardment Squadron 16 Dec 1942 – 25 February 1943
376th Bombardment Group 10–25 February 1943 (B-24 Liberator)
57th Fighter Group 13–20 November 1942 (Curtiss P-40 Warhawk)

References

;Citations ;Bibliography

References

Mitcham, Samuel W.. (2007). "Rommel's Desert War: The Life and Death of the Afrika Korps". Stackpole Books.
Mitcham, Samuel W.. (2007). "Rommel's Desert Commanders: The Men Who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941–1942". Greenwood Publishing Group.
"RAF Gambut". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
(1983). "Air Force Combat Units of World War II". Office of Air Force History.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

airfields-of-the-united-states-army-air-forces-in-libya royal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-africa defunct-airports world-war-ii-airfields-in-libya airfield-complexes military-airbases-established-in-1941 military-airbases-closed-in-1946

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