Zara airfield

[CJE]

Hello,

Luftflotte 1 HQ was based at Zara in 1945.
I have not been able to locate this place: googling "Zara" led me to the numerous shops of the well-known chain store!
Can you help me?

Thanks.

Chris

[AndreasB]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zadar

All the best

Andreas

[sidney]

Yup, Zara is the Italian name of the Croatian city of Zadar. I am just not sure what the Luftflotte 1 HQ was doing there at that time. Any further info on the subject?

[Larry deZeng]

Zadar (Zara)/Dalmatia was in the hands of Tito's Partisans during 1945.

Luftflottenkommando 1
(FpNs: L 29218, L 52039)
.......................
Aug 44 – Sep 44: defensive operations in Latvia and Estonia to early October, then withdrew into Courland {Kurland), which is the western part of Latvia, still in support of Heeresgruppe Nord.
27 Sep 44: Stab briefly at Riga-Spilve.
3 Oct 44: Stab withdrew to Kazdanka/W Latvia.
1 Mar 45: Stab still in Kazdanka.
Mar 45: Stab or elements thereof reportedly moved from Kazdanka to Aizpute (Hasenpoth) in Courland with its rear party (2. Staffel) at the Flakkaserne in Wismar/N Germany.
16 Apr 45: renamed Luftwaffenkommando Kurland.

L.

[sidney]

Post No.1: Can you please tell us the references for the Luftflotte 1 HQ - Zara airfield connection?

[Nick Beale]

Is there any chance that this was an error for Cirava, Latvia, where I./JG 54 was based at the end of the war?

[sidney]

There is also place in Latvia called Cēre. Could be that one, although I suspect that there should be an airfield nearby for the place to qualify as the potential location for Luftflottenkommando 1 HQ?

[Larry deZeng]

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 (Liepäja) 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.

[CJE]

Many thanks to all.

Chris