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Re: Zara airfield
Cirava airfield was 23.5 km W of Kazdanga.
Cirava (LAT) (56 44 25 N 21 21 20 E)
General: field airstrip (Feldflugplatz) in W Latvia 31 km NE of Libau (Liepδja) and 1.5 km NW of the village of Cirava. History: one of the 2 or 3 most important Luftwaffe airfields during the Oct 44 May 45 defense of the Kurland (Courland) Pocket. Surface and Dimensions: grass surface but no additional information. Infrastructure: unknown.
Remarks:
17 Oct 44: construction underway with a planned operational date for the airfield in 4 or 5 days.
22 Nov 44: airfield reported it was serviceable for Bf 109s and Fw 190s, and then on 28 Nov that it was now serviceable for all types.
24 Nov 44: 16 x Fw 190s from III./SG 3 at Cirava, one of which was under repair.
26-27 Feb 45: air attack 1 x Fi 156 C-3 from 1./NAGr. 5, plus 1 x Bf 109 G-6 and 1 x Fw 189 from Stab/NAGr. 5 badly damaged on the ground.
6 Mar 45: reported that it had at least 2 runways and that one of these could handle Ju 188s provided they were unloaded.
8 Mar 45: air attack 1 x Bf 109 G-6 from 2./NAGr. 5 damaged on the ground.
Operational Units: 7./SG 3 (Nov-Dec 44); Stab/JG 54 (Dec 44 Mar 45); 5., 8./JG 54 (Jan-Mar 45); Stab, 1., 2./NAGr. 5 (Dec 44 Apr 45).
Station Commands: none identified (airfield probably managed directly by Koflug 4/I).
Station Units (on various dates not complete): Koflug 4/I (Oct 44 May 45); Werftzug III./SG 3 (Nov-Dec 44).
[Sources: British National Archives, AIR 40/1967; chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]
L.
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