Azeville

Azeville is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Azeville
Commune
Azeville bunker
Location of Azeville
Azeville
Azeville
Coordinates: 49°27′33″N 1°18′48″W
CountryFrance
RegionNormandy
DepartmentManche
ArrondissementCherbourg
CantonValognes
IntercommunalityCotentin
Government
 • Mayor (2014-2020) Nicolas Poisson
Area
1
3.00 km2 (1.16 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
85
 • Density28/km2 (73/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
50026 /50310
Elevation6–34 m (20–112 ft)
(avg. 20 m or 66 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

World War II

Some of the first German fortifications built on the French coast were started at Azeville battery in 1941. The Germans installed four First World War 105mm guns in concrete casements. The guns at the battery fired upon Utah Beach on D-Day (6 June 1944) and the battery fell into American hands on the morning of 9 June 1944. The battery is now a museum.

After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in early June 1944, engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground to the south of the town. Declared operational on 24 June, the airfield was designated as "A-7", it was initially used by the 365th Fighter Group which flew P-47 Thunderbolts until mid-August when the unit moved into Central France. Afterward, the airfield was used by the 363d Fighter Group with P-51 Mustangs until mid-September when it was closed.[2][3]

Population
Historical population
YearPop.±%
200678—    
200778+0.0%
200878+0.0%
200977−1.3%
201077+0.0%
201182+6.5%
201287+6.1%
201392+5.7%
201493+1.1%
201595+2.2%
201690−5.3%

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
  3. Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.


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