Furstenau/Handrup Airfield

[Brian Bines]

Trying to locate the site of the above airfield on the Google Map, can anyone give its location. To me it looks like a triangular area approx 1800m south of Vechtel (as shown on the Hybrid Map) and 3000m southeast of Kloster Handrup ( if I have got the scale right).

Thanks

Brian Bines

[John Manrho]

Brian,

try

52 33 10 N, 07 37 30 E

cheers,

John

[Brian Bines]

John,

Thanks the arrow on this is about 300m north of the position I thought,

Regards

Brian

[schwarze-man]

Hi! Using Google earth, I think you are in the right area, Furstenau town is at N52*31'00 E007*40'30 or so. These North German WW2 airfields are a historic treasure trove for the future!
Best wishes,SM
PS, try searching for "fliegerhorst --------" on google, some good airfield write-ups,eg Achmer etc.

[jvmasset]

Hello!

I found this photo of a bomb strike on Furstenau airfield on the excellent site of the 303rd BG.
Considering this mission was deemed a success, with the airfield "blanketed with bombs", your positioning of the airfield on GoogleEarth is quite consistent with the main impact group on the bombing photo.

I am once again baffled by the capability of the post-war Germany to make entire airfields utterly disappear to a degree I have never seen elsewhere in Europe...look at Rheine-Hopsten for example which was a very large airbase in 1945: you will be lucky if you find even a shadowy trace somewhere in a wheat field.
The modern airbase (just closed) has a lot smaller footprint than the 1945 one and bore no correspondence whatsoever with the old one.
If one wants to visit the repository of old German airbases of WWII, go to France: from Battle of Britain forward fields to recce Ar-234 airbases in 1944 everything is still there...

[John Manrho]

Hi,

not all German airbases are as bad as Hopsten, just search for Hesepe, Vörden or Achmer and you will see what I mean.

cheers,

John.

[schwarze-man]

John, you are right that many things survive-if you know where to look. I have personally flown the "circuit" at dozens of ex-Luftwaffe bases. Many places can be found, Gutersloh, I have lived in the original (single) airman's and the officer's accomodation, got drunk in Goering's room (with the bending-beam and used his "Honkatorium"!!!!), worked in the (original) hangars and, flown (myself) from the airfield. Hanover (Langenhaven)- you can still visit the original techsite and the control tower (all to the rear of the modern airport). If you get to use the southerly runway, you are on the same ground that was used to test FW190's and Ta152's!
Best wishes, SM

[jvmasset]

Achmer is barely recognizable, Hesepe is disappearing (nice bunch of open craters in the middle of the triangle by the way: that is a rarity!).
Only Vören survives better because of its former status as a Nike base...Handorf is now almost only identifiable as a Nike base until you notice the runways now replaced with ruway-shaped copses (other such examples at Marx or Bad Zwischenahn...it seems it is done on purpose to repel visitors because of too many UXD)...
I would say the outcome is not good for future interested parties (try to find what is left of Döberitz...it is appaling).

Better going to Persan-Beaumont, Vitry-en-Artois, Abbeville, Achiet, Audembert, Rely and so many others...in France!

Cordially (and too much chauvinistic I am sure)

JV

[Brian Bines]

Thanks to all for your help,

Regards

Brian Bines

[John Manrho]

JV,

well, I must say that indeed I was amazed how much can be seen of these (and other, a.o. Juvincourt) bases. However, paradise is still to be found in East Anglia. I did a tour in 1989 of dozens of bases and that is really great. Unfortunately since then several have been destroyed further. Especially Lavenham was at that time very good and almost intact. I remember clearly having my (little and old...) car at the beginning of the W-E runway preparing for take off.....

cheers,

John.

Ps. do you have coordinates of Herpy-l'Arlesienne?