Gioia del Colle Air Base

Gioia del Colle Air Base
Italian Eurofighter Typhoon
IATA:none ICAO:LIBV
Summary
Airport type	Military
Location	Gioia del Colle, Italy
ElevationAMSL	1,186 ft / 361 m
Coordinates	40°45′51″N016°56′00″E
Map
Gioia del Colle AB Location of Gioia del Colle Air Base, Italy
Source:World Aero Data

Gioia del Colle Air Base(ICAO:LIBV) is an Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) base located in theprovince of Bari,Apulia,Italy,located approximately 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) south-southeast ofGioia del Colle.

World War II

DuringWorld War IIthe air base was captured by theBritish Eighth Armyin October 1943 and subsequently used by theUnited States Army Air ForcesTwelfth Air ForceandFifteenth Air Force.It was known asGioia del Colle Airfieldby the Americans. Known combat units operating from the airfield were:

• 1st Fighter Group,8 December 1943 – 8 January 1944,P-38 Lightning
• 57th Fighter Group,25–30 September 1943,P-40 Warhawk
• 451st Bombardment Group,10 January-5 March 1944B-24 Liberator
• 464th Bombardment Group,21 April 1944 - 1 June 1944B-24 Liberator

The airfield was also used by troop carrier units working with British paratroopers (8th Troop Carrier Squadron) as well as byAir Technical Service Commandas a maintenance and supply depot. (41st/38th Air Depot). It was turned over to the AlliedItalian Co-Belligerent Air Force(Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana, or ACI) in September 1945.

Present

The base is an Italian military facility, presently home of the 36th Stormo, flying theEurofighter Typhoon.

If necessary, the base can host personnel and aircraft of both theItalian Air Force,as well as other nations inNATO.

As part of theCoalition intervention in Libya,resulting from the2011 Libyan civil warand the subsequent enforcement ofUnited Nations Security CouncilResolution 1973,it became the forward operating base for units of theRoyal Air Force,operating both thePanavia Tornado GR4andEurofighter Typhoonaircraft.

See also

• Italy portal
• Aviation portal
• List of airports in Italy

References

This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer.Air Force Combat Units of World War II.Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983.ISBN0-89201-092-4.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF)(reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN0-405-12194-6.LCCN70605402.OCLC72556.
• USAFHRA document search Gioia del Colle Airfield

External links

• Airport information for LIBVat Great Circle Mapper.