Airfields of the Luftwaffe

[Larry deZeng]

George -

Thanks for the clarification.

The Fliegerhorstkommandantur (Airfield Command) had an allowance of 6 x Fla-MG 08 and 4 x 2cm Flak guns that were manned as needed by a few men from the Horst-Kp. (see KStN L 1304a, b, c, d and e; British Air Ministry Document S.D. 431 of January 1943, p.17). The manning of the guns was usually an extra duty performed when the airfield was under threat of air attack.

For the small, improvised fighter airstrips in France that were usually vacant until a fighter unit arrived, additional Flak assets could be brought up to reinforce those provided by the Fliegerhorstkommandantur. Depending on the perceived threat and the nature of that threat, these assets could consist of one or two batteries of light Flak or one battery of light and one battery of medium for protecting a fighter airstrip. Fortunately for the Luftwaffe, France was flush with Flak units in 1944 so a battery or two or parts thereof could usually be provided. USAAF and RAF fighters and fighter-bombers treated Luftwaffe airfields in France with great respect unless, (1) the airfield had just been bombed by heavies, and/or (2) aerial reconnaissance and/or ULTRA had just reported a great number of aircraft there and it was decided that this was an opportunity that could not be passed up. Otherwise, strafing a Luftwaffe airfield in northern France was risky business.

Leichte Flakbatterie (KStN L 2201 or 2202) with 12 x 2cm Flak guns.
Mittlerer Flakbatterie (KStN L 2401 or 2402) with 9 x 3.7cm Flak guns.

For information on specific field fighter strips in NW France, go here:

http://www.ww2.dk/ - Click on the Contents menu, then click on France.
Here are a few of the 100+ field airstrips, satellite strips, dispersal airfields, etc., that the Luftwaffe constructed in France between December 1943 and August 1944:

Beillé
Connantre
Lonrai
Manancourt
Semallé

L.