▁and ▁st raf ing ▁and ▁d ive - b omb ing ▁miss ions . ▁It ▁attacked ▁such ▁targets ▁as ▁a ird rom es , ▁mar sh aling ▁yards , ▁miss ile ▁sites , ▁industrial ▁areas , ▁ord n ance ▁dep ots , ▁oil ▁ref iner ies , ▁trains , ▁and ▁high ways . ▁It ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁assault ▁against ▁the ▁German ▁Air ▁Force ▁and ▁aircraft ▁industry ▁during ▁Big ▁Week , ▁ 2 0 – 2 5 ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 4 ; ▁the ▁Norm andy ▁invasion , ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and ▁the ▁Saint - L ô ▁break through ▁in ▁July . ▁ ▁The ▁weight ▁of ▁the ▁heavy ▁P - 4 7 ▁f igh ters ▁soon ▁began ▁to ▁tell ▁on ▁the ▁wet ▁surface ▁making ▁take - offs ▁tricky . ▁A ▁team ▁of ▁American ▁engine ers ▁were ▁called ▁in ▁during ▁ ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and , ▁in ▁three ▁days , ▁they ▁constructed ▁a ▁ 1 , 4 7 0 - yard - long ▁run way ▁with ▁pier ced - ste el ▁pl ank ing . ▁This ▁fe at ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁record ▁for ▁lay ing ▁this ▁type ▁of ▁pre fab ric ated ▁sur f acing . ▁The ▁run way , ▁which ▁was ▁aligned ▁NE - SW , ▁became ▁the ▁main ▁at ▁B ott ish am ▁the ▁other ▁also ▁being ▁constructed ▁of ▁P SP . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁the ▁ 3 6 1 st ▁F G ▁moved ▁to ▁R AF ▁Little ▁Wal den ▁when