Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Germany

726 Pages·2014·3.15 MB·English

by  Rodney Dangerfield

Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
Germany (1937 Borders)
By Henry L. deZeng IV
Cottbus
Edition: June 2014
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
Copyright © by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress).
(1st Draft 2014)

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This information is provided on an "as is" basis without condition apart from making
an acknowledgement of authorship.
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
Airfields
Germany (1937 borders)
Introduction
Preface
Germany lost use of her aviation assets after World War I as
prescribed by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Article 198. The majority
of the existing airfields were closed by the Inter-Allied Armistice
Commission and sat vacant until 1924 when aviation activity slowly
resumed.
The initial planning for a new network of secret military airfields began
between 1924 and 1927 using the development of civil airports,
unimproved landing grounds used by civil sport flying clubs and
numerous civil emergency landing sites as cover. Gradually over the
following years, as the Versailles restrictions became less enforced and
Germany strengthened, these approximately 100 airports and roughly
150 unattended landing grounds and sites were improved into what
would become military airfields by the mid-1930’s.
The next major event affecting the country’s aviation ground
organization was in 1935 when it was decided to develop a number of
camouflaged, unoccupied airfields for the use of operational units
should the Third Reich decide to annex by force or invade neighboring
states. These were called Einsatzhafen (operational airfield) and were
classified as E-Hafen I with better and more infrastructure and E-Hafen
II with less infrastructure. From this date forward, the airfield
organization in Germany developed rapidly.
The Luftwaffe’s mobilization plan of 1 July 1939 called for the following
to be operational by 1 September 1939:1
64 Leithorste (large, well-established controlling airdromes)
119 Fliegerhorstkommandanturen A
10 Fliegerhorstkommandanturen B
1 NARA WashDC RG 242, T-321 roll 104/530-38.
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
4 Fliegerhorstkommandanturen C
81 E-Hafen I
38 E-Hafen II
19 Other Airfields (e.g., Feldflugplatz or field airstrip)
6 See-Flugstützpunkte (seaplane stations)
Total: 341 airfields of various types not including emergency landing
grounds. This number had more than doubled by 1945.
There were no or very few concrete runways in Germany at the
beginning of the war on 1 September 1939, but from then to June
1940 an urgent program commenced to lay down concrete runways
and servicing hardstands at certain airfields in NW Germany intended
for use by bombers. The program was then halted and little was done
to improve the airfields in the country for the next two years, except
for airfield construction activity in Pomerania and West and East
Prussia in conjunction with the planned attack on the Soviet Union. It
was then resumed with considerable urgency around mid-1943 as
Allied air power began building over the German homeland. Dispersal
areas were constructed for aircraft, remote dispersals set up, runway
improvements made and, from mid-1944 to the end of the war, the
lengthening and paving of numerous runways to make them
serviceable for jet aircraft.
Conventions
Germany’s borders in 1937 were chosen because this was the last year
before the Third Reich began annexing large amounts of territory from
its neighbors, i.e., Austria and Czechoslovakia. Those airfields that
meet this definition can be found below. See the General Introduction
for further information.
Airfields Listed
A total of 1,127 airfields of all types are listed plus numerous satellite
fields, dummy airfields, city garrisons and cross-reference entries. It
must be noted that for various reasons many of these airfields
belonged to the Luftwaffe but were not actively used during the war or
used only occasionally.
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
A
Aachen-Merzbrück (GER) (50 49 20 N – 06 11 15 E)
General: airfield 9 km NE of Aachen in North Rhine – Westphalia and
1.6 km E of Weiden. History: 1932 listed as a secondary civil airport
(Flughafen II). Taken over by the Luftwaffe in the late 1930’s, and in
1940 used as an operational airfield (Einsatzhafen) for the campaign in
the West, then little used until Oct 43. Taken over by the USSAF on
14 March 1945. Surface and Dimensions: grass with no paved
runway. Measured approx. 640 x 685 meters (700 x 750 yards) and
roughly square in shape.
Operational Units: 1.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 23 (Apr-May 40); IV.(Stuka)/LG 1
(May 40); Stab, I., II./St.G. 77 (May 40).
Station Commands: none identified.
Lw. Garrison and Station Units (on the airfield, in the city or nearby –
not complete): schw.Flak-Abt. 212(v) (Apr 41 – 1942);
Stab/schw.Flak-Abt. 514(o) (as Flakgruppe Aachen) (1943 – Sep 44);
schw.Flak-Abt. 525 (Eisb.) (Apr-Jun 44); schw.Flak-Abt. 535 (Eisb.)
(May-Jul 44); le.Flak-Abt. 889 (mid-43 – Sep 44).
[Sources: AFHRA A5257A pp.584-638 (10 Sep 44); chronologies; BA-
MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]
Achern (GER) (c. 38 48 04 N – 08 03 51 E)
General: tactical landing ground (Gefechtslandeplatz) in Baden-
Württemberg 18 km SSW of Baden-Baden in SW Germany. History:
1940 listed as a Gefechtslandeplatz. 1941 listing upgraded to
operational airfield (Einsatzhafen). No further information or mention
of wartime use by the Luftwaffe found.
[Sources: Ries/Dierich; chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web
site ww2.dk]
Achmer (GER) (a.k.a. Achmer-Bramsche) (52 22 30 N – 07 55 15
E)
General: Fliegerhorst (air station or air base) 15 km NW of
Osnabrück in Lower Saxony in NW Germany, 5.2 km SW of Bramsche,
2.8 km S of Achmer village and just a few kilometers from the airfields
at Hesepe and Vörden.
History: construction began in 1936 and was completed in 1939, with
additions and improvements continuing to 1944. First use by a flying
unit dates from August 1940 (10.(Erg.)/KG 2 with Do 17s). Achmer
was essentially a bomber base until 1943 and then a fighter base after
that.
Dimensions: approx. 2380 x 1370 meters (2600 x 1500 yards).
Surface and Runways: three camouflaged concrete runways in the
form of a triangle measuring 1,800 meters plus a 550 meter prepared
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
strip at one end, 1,700 meters and 1,550 meters. Along the center of
the S boundary were 14 ladder-type paved servicing hardstands with
refueling points. Equipped with runway, perimeter and obstruction
lighting as well as a visual Lorenz system for night landings.
Fuel and Ammunition: munitions dumps to the S and N sides of the
field.
Infrastructure: compass swing and machine gun registration range
were available, 1 medium and 1 small workshop hangar and buildings
along the NE boundary, station HQ, admin buildings and some
barracks along the S boundary, flying control (Flugleitung) at the
center of the S boundary, motor pool and garages at the NE corner, a
barracks camp on the outskirts of Achmer village, and in 1941 a camp
for Russian POWs was built on the NW side of the airfield. Additional
barrack blocks were under construction 8 km NW of the airfield and in
a woods 4.8 km to the N of the field. A branch rail line served the
building area, the fuel dump and the munitions dump.
Dispersal: there were 52 open aircraft shelters and 6 additional
parking sites along the perimeter and in a remote dispersal area S of
the airfield in December 1944.
Defenses: a heavy Flak position with 4 x 12.8-cm guns was set up on
the Bramscher Berg in fall 1943 and there were at least 12 light Flak
positions surrounding the airfield, including some in specially built Flak
towers.
Satellites and Decoys:
Achmer-Wallenbrock (GER) (52 21 45 N – 07 49 50 E).
Dummy 6.5 km WSW of Achmer airfield and 2.5 km NW of
Wallenbrock. Had a large mock landing area, 1 mock hangar and
several fake buildings at SW corner. Phony aircraft were parked at
the NW and SW corners. [Sources: AFHRA A5257A p.602 (15 Aug
44)]
Remarks:
18 Aug 42: bombed – 1 x Bü 131 from IV./KG 2 destroyed.
28 Nov 43: Fl.H.Kdtr. reported total enlisted strength as 438 NCOs and
742 men.
21 Feb 44: heavily bombed by B-17 Fortresses and B-24 Liberators – 1
x Ju 188 E-1 from 1./KG 2 destroyed on the ground and 1 x Fw 190A
from II./JG 1 damaged.
8 Mar 44: low-level attack by U.S. fighters - 6 x Do 217s from III./KG
2 destroyed (4) or damaged (2).
23 Mar 44: bombed by 21 B-24s.
8 Apr 44: bombed by 60 B-17s - 9 x Do 217s from III./KG 2 destroyed
(8) or damaged (1).
15 Apr 44: low-level attack – 1 x Do 217M from III./KG 2 destroyed.
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
26 Sep 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-51s – claimed
1 x Fw 190 and 1 x He 177 destroyed, plus 2 x Fw 190s and 1 x
unidentified aircraft damaged.
16 Feb 45: bombed – 1 x Me 262 and 1 x Fw 190 damaged, several
barracks and airfield installations hit, and several munitions bunkers
also hit. (German report)
24 Feb 45: strafed by 8 P-47s – 1 x Bf 109 destroyed. (German
reports)
20/21 Mar 45: bombed by 180 B-24s and 12 B-17s and strafed by VIII
Fighter Command P-51s – 18 x Ar 234s from III./KG 76 destroyed
(10) or damaged (8), 19 x Bf 109s and 1 x He 111 destroyed, 2 x Me
262s, 18 x Bf 109s and 1 x Fw 190 damaged (according to German
sources). The VIII Fighter Command P-51s claimed 9 x Bf 109s, 19 x
Fw 190s, 11 x Ar 234s, 3 x He 111s, 2 x Ju 88s, 3 x Do 217s and 1 x
unidentified aircraft destroyed, plus 6 x Bf 109s, 6 x Fw 190s, 10 x Ar
234s, 1 x Me 410, 1 x Ju 88, 3 x Ju 188s, 2 x Do 217s and 5 x
unidentified aircraft damaged. Additionally, the runways and landing
area were hard hit and 2 hangars burned down.
24 Mar 45: bombed by 73 B-17s – no significant new damage.
(German report)
11 Apr 45: RAF units began operating from Achmer.
Airfield Units:
Operational Units: II./KG 27 (Feb-Mar, Apr-May 40); Stab/KG 2 (Nov
41); 6./KG 2 (Apr-Jun 41); 7., 8./KG 2 (Jun 41 – Jan 42); 3.
(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 100 (Jun 43); Stab, 1.(F), 2.(F)/FAGr. 5 (Jun/Jul – Dec
43); Sturmstaffel 1 (Oct-Dec 43); III./KG 2 (01.44 – 06.44),
Erprobungskdo. 25 (Sep 43 – Mar 44); III./KG 3 (Apr-May 44); Stab,
II./KG 30 (Aug-Oct 44); III./JG 11 (Sep-Oct 44); Sonderstaffel
Einhorn (Sep-Oct 44); Erprobungskdo. 262 (Sep 44); Kommando
Nowotny (Sep-Nov 44); 12./JG 54 (Oct-Dec 44); IV./JG 27 (Nov 44 –
Mar 45); Stab/Aufkl.Gr. 123 (Dec 44 – Mar 45); II./KG 51 (Jan 45);
Stab, III./KG 76 (Jan-Mar 45); Gefechtsverband Kowalewski (26 Feb –
5 Apr 45).
Reserve Training & Replacement Units: IV./KG 2 (Aug 40 – Aug 42).
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) 19/XI (Apr 44 – Apr 45).
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): Werft-Abt.d.Lw.(o)
19/XI (spring 44 – Apr 45); le.Flak-Abt. 743 (1943-44); 3./le.Flak-Abt.
871 (1943-44); le.Hei.Flak-Bttr. 75/XI (1943-45); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw.
110/IV (Feb 44)?
[Sources: AFHRA A5257 pp.1004-05 (15 Oct 43) and A5257A pp.28-
30 (3 Dec 44); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site
fliegerhorste.de]
Adlershof (GER): see Berlin-Johannisthal.
Adlholz (GER) (49 34 40 N – 11 51 30 E)
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
General: field airstrip (Feldflugplatz) in Bavaria 15 km N of Amberg in
S Germany, 9.7 km SE of Vilseck airfield and 1 km E of Adlholz village.
History: 1939 as a Gefechtslandeplatz. 1940 as a Feldflugplatz.
Wartime use unknown. Surface and Dimensions: grass surface
measuring approx. 1280 x 410 meters (1400 x 450 yards).
Infrastructure: buildings in the tiny hamlet of Ölhof off the W
boundary and linked to the landing area by taxi tracks were probably
used as workshops. The nearest rail connection was at Vilseck on the
line to Nürnberg. Dispersal: surrounding woods provided excellent
cover for parking and concealing aircraft.
Operational Units: none identified.
Station Commands: Flugplatzkdo. of Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) 16/XII Fürth
(Apr-Jun 44); Flugplatzkdo. of Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) 32/VII Fürth (1944);
Flugplatzkdo. of Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) 30/VII Bayreuth-Bindlach (1944-45).
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): none identified.
[Sources: AFHRA A5258 p.19 (5 Apr 45); chronologies; BA-MA;
NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]
Aebeltoft (See) (GER): see Ebeltoft.
Ahlhorn (GER) (52 53 20 N – 08 13 20 E)
General: operational airfield (Einsatzhafen) in Lower Saxony 44 km
WSW of Bremen in NW Germany, 27.2 km S of Oldenburg and 1.6 km
SW of Ahlhorn village.
History: built in 1915-16 as a naval airship (Zeppelin) station with 6
huge hangars for the dirigibles. Eventually, 25 dirigibles were based
there with a station complement of 2,500. The hangars were
destroyed or damaged in a gas explosion in January 1918 and what
remained was dismantled after WWI. The land was acquired by the
Luftwaffe in 1938 and rebuilt as an airfield. Had very little use until
1944.
Dimensions: approx. 1160 x 1510 meters (1,270 x 1,650 yards).
Runways: 3 concrete runways in the form of a triangle, each
illuminated, equipped with a beam approach system and measuring
approx. 1160 meters (1,270 yards). Two long rows of ladder-type,
paved servicing hardstands with refueling points extended along the N
and SW boundaries with a third but shorter row at the SE corner.
Infrastructure: full servicing and support facilities available including a
compass swing, machine gun registration range. One large hangar
with paved apron was off the SW corner. A long rectangular building
off the NW corner may have been a workshop or a garage. Barracks
and airfield buildings were in two main groups off the SW corner and
off the center of the N boundary. There were two munitions dumps
including one in a woods 2.4 km to the E of the landing area. Railway
connection at the W boundary with a branch line running to the NE
corner of the airfield.
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
Dispersal: an estimated 25 open aircraft shelters along the edge of a
woods off the NW boundary, and a second area with 16 parking spaces
through a woods off the S corner in July 1944.
Defenses: undetermined number of light Flak positions.
Satellites and Decoys:
Wildeshausen (GER) (52 55 15 N – 08 21 00 E). Dummy 19.5
km SW of Delmenhorst airfield, 9.7 km E of Ahlhorn airfield and 14 km
ESE of Bissel airfield. Mock-up included a decoy landing area
measuring approx. 825 x 460 meters (900 x 500 yards), 4 dummy
hangars and decoy aircraft parked in the hangar area and off the W
boundary. The field was probably illuminated. [Sources: AFHRA
A5257A p.622 (1944)]
Remarks:
21 Feb 44: bombed by B-17 Fortresses – servicing hardstands,
barracks and buildings off the SW corner hard hit with heavy
destruction and damage, and the NW/SE runway cratered and
unserviceable.
5 Aug 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-51s – claimed 1
x Do 217 destroyed and 2 x Me 163 Komet rocket-propelled fighters
damaged.
16 Sep 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47s – 1 x He
177 A-3 from Erprobungskommando 25 destroyed or damaged on the
ground.
21 Mar 45:heavily bombed by 61 B-24 Liberators and the next day by
99 B-17s with damage so great, especially to the runways, that further
use of the airfield was impossible. Further, 2 x Ju 88s were slightly
damaged and 25 were KIA.
2 Apr 45: strafed by RAF Tempests – claimed 2 x Ju 88s damaged.
Early Apr 45: air attack – 6 x Ju 88 A-4s from II./LG 1 destroyed on
the ground (these were probably unserviceable and abandoned when
the Gruppe transferred from Ahlhorn to Brandis on 6 March).
Operational Units: III./KG 6 (Jul-Sep 44); 8./KG 3 (Sep-Oct 44);
2./KG 53 (Oct 44 – Jan 45); Stab, II./LG 1 (Dec 44 – Mar 45);
1./NAGr. 6 (Mar-Apr 45).
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. (E) Ahlhorn/Süd (1940); Fl.H.Kdtr. E
23/XI (spring 40); Fl.Pl.Kdo. A 85/XI (1943 – Mar 44); Flugplatzkdo.
Ahlhorn of Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) 17/XI Vechta (1944-45).
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): Werft-Abt.(v)
104/XI (Sep 44 – 1945); elements of 101. Flugh.Betr.Kp. (Qu) (Oct
44); one half of 131. Flugh.Betr.Kp. (Qu) ( ? – Oct 44); 142.
Flugh.Betr.Kp. (Qu) ( ? – Oct 44); Luftminen-Zug 14 (Feb-Mar 45);
elements of schw.Flak-Abt. 572 (c.Jan-Mar 44); 5./le.Flak-Abt. 922
(1943-44); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 64/VI (Oct 44 - ?); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw.
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Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45
185/VI (Oct 44 - ?); Feld-Ausb.Rgt. d.Lw. 2 (1943); Feldersatz-Btl.
d.Lw. 2 (1943-44).
[Sources: AFHRA A5257A pp.31-35 (5 Jan 44 updated to 21 Jul 44);
chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk; web site
fliegerhorste.de]
Ahlimbsmühle (GER) (a.k.a. Gollin) (53 04 31 N – 13 37 17 E)
General: airfield (Flugplatz) 66 km N of Berlin in Brandenburg in NE
Germany, 9.5 km SE of Templin and adjacent to the hamlet of
Ahlimbsmühle. History: list as operational in Feb 44 and in Feb 45.
No further information or mention of wartime use by the Luftwaffe
found.
[Sources: Mattiello; chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site
ww2.dk]
Aibling (GER): see Bad Aibling.
Ailertchen (GER) (50 35 30 N – 07 57 00 E)
General: operational airfield (Einsatzhafen) 36 km NE of Koblenz in
the Westerwald area of Rhineland-Pfalz in W Germany and .8 km SSE
of Ailertchen village.
History: built in the second half of the 1930s along with the other
Einsatzhafen and operational by May 1940.
Dimensions: approx. 1000 x 1000 meters (1,100 x 1,100 yards).
Runway: undulating grass surface.
Infrastructure: no hangars – had a group of workshops sited around a
paved square off the E boundary and other workshop buildings along
the same boundary and off the N corner. Munitions dump off the SW
corner accessed by a perimeter road. No barracks – personnel
billeted in the surrounding villages. Airfield served by a branch rail
line that was connected to the Erbach-Limburg line.
Dispersal: none – aircraft parted along the perimeter.
Defenses: unknown.
Operational Units: Stab/NAGr. 1 (Mar 45).
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. (E) Ailertchen (Aug 39 – Mar 40);
Fl.H.Kdtr. E 22/XII (Mar 40); Flugplatzkdo. of Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 212/XII
(c.Oct 44 – Apr 45).
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): Werftkdo. (o)
104/XII (1 Jan 45); Werkstattwagenzug (Fl) 4/XIV (1 Jan 45).
[Sources: AFHRA A5257A pp.36-37 (14 Jun 44); chronologies; BA-
MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]
Ainring (GER) (47 48 55 N – 12 57 30 E)
General: factory airfield (Industriehafen - Deutsches
Forschungsinstitut für Segelflugwesen – DFS) 7.5 km WNW of
Salzburg in north-central Austria just across the border from
Germany; airfield located .8 km E of Ainring village.
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