FW 190 production at Aslau (?)

[Larry deZeng]

Aslau (GER) (51 18 24 N – 15 43 08 E)
General: operational airfield (Einsatzhafen) (today Osla) in Silesia in SE Germany, 32 km SSE of Sprottau, 32 km WNW of Liegnitz (Legnica), 12 km ENE of Bunzlau and 1.6 km SW of the village of Aslau (Osla). History: constructed between 1935 and 1938 as an Einsatzhafen I. Ordnung; first in use 1938-39. Used by school units throughout the war, but operational units not based there after September 1939 until October 1944. Dimensions: 1,100 x 825 meters. Runway: good grass surface with a perimeter taxiway encircling the landing area. Probably equipped for night landings. Infrastructure: had 1 very large assembly hangar (233 x 41 meters), 4 more very large hangars and 1 large repair hangar, all of which were fronted by concrete aprons and connected to the taxiway. A group of workshop and stores buildings were located in the hangar area, and there was a further group of workshops at the SE corner of the landing area. A small barracks complex was situated to the rear of the assembly hangar, and a block of admin buildings was along the airfield’s SW boundary. The Berlin-Breslau Autobahn paralleled the S boundry of the landing area at a distance of less than 1 kilometer and a branch rail line served the hangar area. Dispersal: none noted (8 Apr 44). Defenses: none noted (8 Apr 44). Remarks: major development and building construction during the war for use as a factory and repair airfield. Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 and A-9 production there by Weser Flugzeugbau GmbH beginning in 1943 to January 1945. Sub-camp Aslau of Koncentrationslager Gross-Rosen may have provided inmate labor at the airfield.
Air Units: (go to Google and enter: Aslau site:ww2.dk ). Also: III./KG z.b.V. 1 (Sep 39); KGr. z.b.V. 9 (Sep 39).
School Units: Arbeitsplatz for FFS C Sprottau, FFS C 4 then FFS B 4 (Nov 39 – Jan 45).
Erg./Ers. Units: 4./Erg.JG 1 (Nov 44 – Jan 45).
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. (E) 38 then Fl.H.Kdtr. E Aslau (Aug 39 – c. Feb 40); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 18/IV (c. Feb – Apr 40); Fl.Pl.Kdo. A 8/IV (1941 – Mar 44); Flugplatzkdo. of Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) 8/VIII Liegnitz (Apr 44 – Apr 45).
Station Units (on various dates): none identified.

L.