[Larry deZeng]

An obscure airfield we don't hear much about.............

Otrokowitz (CZECH) (a.k.a. Otrokovice, Zlin, Gottwaldau, Gottwaldov) (49 12 00 N – 17 31 30 E)
General: factory airfield (Industriehafen) in Czechoslovakia 67 km E of Brünn (Brno), 48.5 km SSE of Olmütz (Olmouc) and 1.5 km SW of Otrokowitz (Otrokovice).
History: built in the mid-1920’s and pre-war assembly plant for Zlin-Flugzeugwerke located in the adjacent Bata buildings and an emergency landing ground for the Czech Air Force. The Germans took it over in March 1939 and turned it into a Stuka dive bomber school during 1939-40 and then a practice field for the elementary flight school at Brünn. The factory license-built trainers during the war years, including the Bücker 181.
Dimensions: approx. 915 x 825 meters (1000 x 900 yards) and roughly “L”-shaped.
Surface and Runways: grass surface. No paved runway.
Fuel and Ammunition: believed to have underground fuel storage.
Infrastructure: had 6 small hangars in two separate groups of 3 each in the SE corner area with an adjacent admin building and 3 smaller buildings. Just S of the hangars were 4 oblong buildings said to have belonged to the Bata factory. The nearest rail connections were in Otrokowitz (Otrokovice) and at sidings serving the Bata factory.
Dispersal: no organized dispersal areas in mid-1944.
Operational Units: none identified.
School Units: Stukaschule Otrokowitz (Dec 39 – Jan 40); Stab and I./Stukaschule 2 (Jan – Jul 40); Arbeitsplatz for FFS A/B 113 (Brünn) (1940-43); 6./SG 101 (May – Jul 44).
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. Otrokowitz (1939 - ?); Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 251/III (1945).
Station Units (on various dates - not complete): schw.Feldwerft-Abt. 2/VII (Feb 45 - ? ).
[Sources: AFHRA A5258 pp.1148-49 (2 Aug 44); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]