German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hello guys

does any one have any photos of the Topolia german airfield in Greece? I`m trying to find out in which exact area of Greece it was located. I know it was near the Kopais flat land but i need the nearest village or the koordinats.

Byron

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

This what Gianfraco Matello wrote in his book on LW airfields
"Topolis (Topolis/Kastron)-75 km NW Athens

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Topolia NE of Kopais-See.

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Byron,

A.I.2.(b)/British Air Ministry list for Greece dated 7 September 1943 gives the following coordinates for Topolia: 38 29 00 N - 23 10 00 E. That places it 1.27 km SSE of the village of Kastro and 1.29 km W of the ancient Mycenaean fortress and palace of Gla. However, it is clear that Topolia was the present-day airport at Vasilis, used by the ultralight aircraft of the Daedalus Flying Club, or immediately adjacent to it.

Larry

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hello friends,

thanks for your infos and the map

Dear Larry,

you sent me some years ago this British Air Ministry list for Greece dated 7 September 1943. These coordinates 38 29 00 N - 23 10 00 E are identical with a place named "Stroma". Is that Topolia? Was it the same with village Kastron, so named after 1953?

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hi Byron,

Yes, Stroma and Topolia have the same coordinates in the British list: 38 29 00 N - 23 10 00 E. The list also gives 38 29 00 N - 23 10 00 E for "Lake Copais". So I think these coordinates were for one landing ground or emergency landing ground that had 3 different names: Lake Copais, Stroma and Topolia. My guess is that it was an emergency landing ground because it is not shown on the Aufmarsch d. fliegende Verbaende Karte dated 2.7.44.

Larry

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hi Larry,

Topolia was not an emergency landing ground at the beginning, a lot of soldiers (paratroopers and Gebirgsjäger 5. Geb.Div.) took off from there with the Jus 52 against Crete
Stab/Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 2

Stab/Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 60

Stab/Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 101
Stab/Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 102


I think, after Crete, Topolia was not used any more. The Germans, as you say, may have kept it as an emergency landing ground.
Byron

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Byron - here is all that was known by A.I.2.(b)/Air Ministry and other sources:

Topolia(GR)(c. 38 29 20 N – 23 10 15 E)
General:emergency landing ground in SE Greece approx. 75 km NW of Athens and 1.2 km ESE of Topolia (today: Kastro) at the NE corner of the drained area of Lake Copais.History:the landing ground was rapidly prepared by the Luftwaffe in April 1941, and used by large numbers of transport aircraft operating under Stab/KG z.b.V. 2 to haul paratroops and elements of the 5. Gebirgs-Div. during the invasion of Crete.Little is known of its subsequent history but it may possibly have been used by occasional transport aircraft during the summer months.Surface and Dimensions:had a peat-rich surface soil that was baked hard in summer but was quite soft in winter.Dimensions unknown.Infrastructure:none noted.
Operational Units:KGr. z.b.V. 60 (May-Jun 41); KGr. z.b.V. 101 (May-Jun 41); KGr. z.b.V. 102 (May-Jun 41).
Station Commands:none identified.
Station Units (on various dates – not complete):none identified.
[Sources:AFHRA A5262 p.387 (7 Sep 43 updated to 23 Mar 44); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Τhanks a lot Larry,

You made it very clear

regards from Salonica

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

AFHRA = Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama, USA. They have a web page. "A5262" is the microfilm roll number, which also can be purchased as a DVD disc at the same price.

L.

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Dear Larry,

i have an other question about the German airfields in Greece. Pictures of the smaller ones are very rare, for example that of Paramythia. The first pic shows how it looks today, the next is an airfield near the mountains, supposed to be the same. Any ideas? Could that be Paramythia, Sept. 1943 with planes of JG 27 ?

regards
Byron

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hi Byron,

Excellent photo.Here are the basics, but I will let you do the analyzing.At a quick glance, I think it is probably Paramythia.

Paramythia(GR)(a.k.a. Paramithiá)(39 25 40 N – 20 31 00 E)
General:landing ground (Landeplatz) in NW Greece 36 km SW of Jannina (Ioäa), 4 km S of Paramythia and 2 km W of Prodromi.“The landing ground lies near the N end of a narrow valley running N/S.Mountains ruse sharply to 5000 feet within 4.86 km E and rather less sharply to 2000 ft. within 4.86 km W.The valley extends for approximately 4.86 km N of the landing ground but beyond that distance there are other steep mountain slopes.The only clear take-off is southward down the valley.”History:a pre-war landing ground established by the Greek Air Force.Surface and Dimensions:naturally drained grass covering a stony foundation soil with 2 airstrips – (1) 1190 x 275 meters (1300 x 300 yards) aligned NNW/SSE, and (2) 1005 x 275 meters (1100 x 300 yards) aligned ENE/WSW.Fuel and Ammunition:both brought in as needed.Infrastructure:no hangars, workshops or other infrastructure identified or reported in mid-1943.Dispersal:no organized dispersals.Defenses: no information found.
Remarks:
1943: no record of use by Axis forces until early 1943 when some work was started on it.
27 Sep 43: landing ground now in use – present there this date were 2 Ju 52s, 1 medium and 3 small aircraft.
Operational Units:detachment of III./JG 27 (Sep 43).
Station Commands:Fl.Pl.Kdo. B 5/VII (Aug-Dec 43).
Station Units (on various dates – not complete):11. Staffel/Feldwerftverband 70 (Oct 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 58/XII (1942/43 – 1944).
[Sources:AFHRA A5262 p.359 (4 Aug 43 updated to 27 Sep 43); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/BNA; web site ww2.dk; (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=30830)]

Larry

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Thanks Larry,

as always very helpful information

Byron

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Dear Byron,

With high possibility its a landing ground at Belica Bulgaria ( Strumatal) with the planes belonging to JG 27 while attacking Greece at the early days of the campaign.

Regards,

Aviator

Ps: Thanks Larry for the info!

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Thanks Aviator,
nice picture

here another photo of the airfield Paramythia with a British plane in Marz 1941

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Byron,

This pic is really exceptional and Paramythia for sure,thx. The link: http://www.211squadron.org/across_the_styx.html contains lot of pics of that aerodrome.
Any 1941 pics & Info from Kalambaka-Vassiliki or Florina airfields available?These are the most difficult to find because the airfields were used mainly by the greeks. But maybe there is some possibility.

Regards,

Aviator

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Aviator: it would be a tremendous help if you could direct us to the photos of the airfield that you say are on that website. I just spent 15 minutes trying to find them but without success.

Thank you.

Larry

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Sure Larry,

It's a very detailed site,that's true.The pics are scattered under different topics like in the menu side bar : "CFR Clark": http://www.211squadron.org/cfr_clark.html#Paramythia. and "Across the Styx":http://www.211squadron.org/across_the_styx.html and " The Sphere":http://www.211squadron.org/the_sphere___.html and "EL Cooper": http://www.211squadron.org/el_cooper.html and "RJ Dudman" http://www.211squadron.org/rj_dudman.html.

Regards,

Aviator

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hi,

i don`t have any pics of Florina or Vassiliki, but here an unusual one of Servia

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Thanks, Aviator! No wonder I couldn't find them on my own.

Larry

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Thanks Byron,

As far as i know, there is no airfield at Servia directly..strange.To the west there is Yanina and to the east more far away is Katerini. I would say its rather Yanina.

Regards,

Aviator

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Larry,

I got in contact about that microfilm and its available. Is the content only about the airfields in Greece?

Thanks!

Ps: I am sure there are even more Pics about Paramythia and the RAF in the website, i dont remember by myself the exact position.Its one of the best sites of its class!

Regards,

Aviator

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hi Aviator,
i would say Kosani, Ioannina is to far

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Byron,

thx for the Do 17. Well, i think that its a belly landed aircraft at Dadion (Amfiklia). Could you pls check a loss near this area about Mid April 41?
By the way where can i fing the QM loss list of the LW?

Regads,

Aviator

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Greece is just c. 200 frames of the 2,089 frames on the reel/disc:


AFHRA Reel/Disc A5262 (2,089 frames)
0004 - Airfields in French Morocco, to 1945.
0092 - Air Bases in Germany, to 1942. Abbreviated format.
0267 - Airfields in Greece, to 1944.
0392 - Airfields in Greece, to 1943. Duplicate material.
0476 - Airfields in Holland, to 1945. Lightly updated.
0626 - Airfields in Holland, to 1945. Heavily updated.
0764 - Airfields in Holland, to 1942. Abbreviated format.
0797 - Airfields in Hungary, to 1945.
0926 - Airfields in Indian Ocean Islands, to 1944.
0983 - Airfields in Dutch East Indies, to 1944.
1098 - Airfields in Italy, to 1945. Details prior to fall 1944 lacking for many of them.
1435 - Airfields in Italy, to 1945. Details prior to fall 1944 lacking for many of them.
2087 - Index.

Larry

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hi Aviator,

That`s what i found (regarding german losses)

26.04.41 Do 17 Z (W.Nr. 2831) 50% Bruchlandung Fl.Pl. Dadion,
26.04.41 Do 17 Z (W.Nr. 1163) 40% Bruchlandung Fl.Pl. Dadion,
26.04.41 Do 17 Z (W.Nr. 3344) 60% Bruchlandung Fl.Pl. Dadion,
26.04.41 Do 17 Z (W.Nr. 3477) 100% Bruchlandung Fl.Pl. Dadion,
26.04.41 Hs 123 (W.Nr…… ) 12% Bruchlandung Fl.Pl. Dadion,
26.05.41 Ju 52 (W.Nr. 3027) 25%, (7147) 10%, Bruchlandung Dadion,


I don`t think the pic shows Amfiklia where one can see mountains at the horizon

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hello Aviator,
here a photo of Dadion (Collection Dimitris Skartsilakis)

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Thank you Byron,

Nice pic with the airfield! I think, you just uploded a pic showing Topolia you asked for.Typical the dust coming up. Also pls have a look from attached street view, showing a similar mountain, i checked all. About the Do 17 i found in my archive , i think, the same plane but opposite view and behind the pic i can clearly recognize the word "Dadion".If you have a look you will see mountains in the background and i can see a "+G" on the fuselage.Maybe its of help.Street view (3 surround pics) show the landscape.

Unfortunately i dont have a archive of aircraft signs on the fuselages.

Regards,

Aviator

Ps: Which is the QM List microfilm Nr, i think Bundesarchiv must have it?

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Thank you Larry for the listing!

Aviator

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hi Aviator,
I am now on holidays, we`ll talk again about the airfields later

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

kales diakopes!

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

thanks a lot

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Dear Aviator,
I am coming back to "Feldflugplatz bei Servia". It really existed, unknown to me as well.
Hello Larry, is there anything about it in your archives?

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Servia

Not mentioned in the Allied airfield data for Greece, Byron, and I have nothing on it in my records either.

Servia is at 40 11 09 N - 22 00 09 E. If there was some sort of an improvised landing ground (Feldflugplatz) there during the war, it was probably between the town and the large lake 4 to 5 km NW of it.

Larry

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Thanks Larry,

It`s any way useful threw this picture to know that this provisional airfield existed.

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Dear Byron,

I am not home this weekend, so when back i will check my collection of aviation maps of Greece and other references. From the soil i assume its an airfield in northern or central Greece.
Regards

Aviation

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Dear Byron,

here I am again. Well, disappointing, Servia airfield is nowhere mentioned on a map of mine (Kozani airfield is a black circle). In the Luftwaffe Book "Luftgeographische Beobachtung der Balkanländer" where you can find a listing of airfields its also not mentioned.
I attach also another Do 17 pic I found from my collection. The mountains on the pic are quite characteristic, so there is a hope to locate the actual site.

Regards,

Aviator

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

Hi Aviator,

It`s exactly the same picture. I think, we can add in our lists this provisional airfield of SERVIA. Send me your email via PM, we can exchange our airfield lists in GR.

Re: German airfield Topolia in Greece
 

The color photos showing the Amfikleia (or in ''local name'' Dadion0 area.