Editing Le Mans (section)

===World War II===
Just outside Le Mans city centre there used to be an [[Le Mans Airfield|airfield]], built to protect the [[Renault]] factory.

Soon after Le Mans was liberated by the U.S. [[79th Infantry Division (United States)|79th]] and [[90th Infantry Division (United States)|90th]] Infantry Divisions on 8 August 1944,<ref>Blumenson, Martin, ''Breakout and Pursuit'', Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C., 1989, pp. 436–8</ref> engineers of the [[Ninth Air Force]] Engineering Command began construction of a combat [[Advanced Landing Ground]] on a location the Germans had used a simple airfield. The airfield was declared operational on 3 September and designated as "[[Le Mans Airfield|A-35]]". It was used by several American fighter and transport units in additional offensives across France; the airfield was closed in November 1944.<ref>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.</ref><ref>Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II.'' Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}.</ref>