Martuba Airbase is a Libyan Air Force (, Berber: Adwas Alibyan Ujnna) base in the Derna District of Libya, located approximately south-southeast of Derna, and east-northeast of Benghazi.
History During World War II the airfield, then known as Martuba Airfield, was used as a military airfield by the United States Army Air Force 57th Fighter Group, during the North African Campaign against Axis forces. The 57th flew P-40 Warhawks from the airfield 16 November-3 December 1942. Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. .
Following the British victory at El Alamein during the Second World War, the airfield at MaturbaRoy Conyers Nesbit, The Armed Rovers: Beauforts and Beaufighters Over the Mediterranean p45-46.Frederick Grice, War's Nomads: A Mobile Radar Unit in Pursuit of Rommel during the Western (Casemate, 2015). p11. saw heavy fighting in 1942,Christopher Shores, Giovanni Massimello, A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945: Volume 2: North African Desert, February 1942 - March 1943(Grub Street Publishing, 19 Jul. 2014).Ken Delve Delve, The Desert Air Force in World War II: Air Power in the Western Desert, 1940-1942 (Pen and Sword, 31 Mar. 2017). as Rommel's Afrika Korps was pushed back from the Egyptian border.
Military use The airbase's primary use is by the Libyan Air Force, which has two sections at the base. The first section contains the main buildings and the hangars that house Mil Mi-2 and Mil Mi-8 helicopters. The second section is the flight-line containing taxiways, a ramp, and a single runway. The runway has an additional paved overrun on each end.
An Aeritalia G.222 is stored on the ramp, but this section of the base appears to be a reserve facility.
Civilian use The site is also used for the transportation of oil field workers from production facilities in the area.
See also Transport in Libya List of airports in Libya
References
External links OurAirports - Martubah Airport