Airfields of the Luftwaffe

[Richard Mills]

Gentlemen

Thank you both for your incredible input in to the Luftwaffe research community, this undertaking along with the 'Luftwaffe Officers Career Summaries' is simply outstanding.

Regards Richard.

[ju55dk]

Thank's Larry for this super human affort:-)

Jörn Junker

[Nick Beale]

I'm going to make this thread sticky, so that it's available for people to contribute additions and amendments to the Officers and Airfields lists.

[Rasmussen]

1.additon/correction:
Chemnitz
The Erla factory used the airfield in Chemnitz (not in Chemnitz-Euba) and not from 1943 but from July 1944. source: hire contract between Erla and Chemnitz

Dresden-Klotzsche
From August 1944 this airfield was used by Erla Maschinenwerk GmbH as final assembly line for Bf 109. Then the Bf 109 were flown to Chemnitz.

Greetings
Rasmussen

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Thanks for making this available to all of us. Tremendous work truly appreciated.

Thanks,
Norbert

[Pesel##]

As number of airfields within German pre-1937 borders is now located in Poland – being objects of my personal interest and research – I would like to drop a few words of comment. This time letter “A”.

ALLENSTEIN-DEUTHEN – pol.=>Olsztyn Dajtki
Infrastructure: two hangars built on the Southern side, most of the personnel was accomodated locally or in Dywitten (a few miles NE of Deuthen), in barracks belonging to the first Allenstein’s airfield.
Dimensions: 600 x 600 meters reported in 1943, and again in 1945.
Operational Units: temporary base for components of I./JG 1 (with 1./JG 1 at Schippenbeil until 4th of September, while 3./JG 1 was based at Arys-Rostken simultaneously). I belive it was also used at initial stages of Barbarossa in June 1941, but could not find confirmation in available sources. Just a small note on 7.(H)/13 based at Deuthen between 9-12 June, and moved to Suwalki later on. In similar way, I don’t belive it was left forgotten during winter 1944/45. The airfield essential infrastructure survived the “liberation” (22nd January 1945) in respectively good condition, though some buildings were destroyed by retreating German troops. The original administration buildings were set into ruin, so Polish Aeroclub was intitially located in former pub building after 1947. Other remains allowed to rebuild a hangar.
Virtual visit: http://www.aeroklub.olsztyn.pl/ (in Polish only unfortunatey)

ALT ROSENBERG – pol. => Stare Olesno
General: One of a few landing grounds prepared for Fall Weiss (attack against Poland in September 1939) created in vicinity of Kreuzburg.
Operational Units: The II.(Schlacht)/LG 2 was based here between 31st August - 4th September 1939.
Note: the word “Gemina”, shall be “Gmina”, means “parish”. It’s smallest element of adminstration structure in Poland and is not a name of anything.

ALT SIEDEL – pol. => Siedlec
General: Small airfield built during late 1930s.
Operational Units: The II.(Schlacht)/LG 2 was based here during August 1939. As the unit was to take part in attacking Poland, due to short range of it’s Hs 123, it was moved some 50 kms to the East, to Alt Rosenberg. No records on further use by Luftwaffe.
Presumably, Alt Siedel was absorbed by Gross Stein airfield in post-war years.

ALT-KEMNITZ – pol. => Stara Kamienica
Note: Original German maps bring the name Alt-Kemnitz. Other forms (Altkemnitz, Alt Kemnitz or Alt-kemnitz) are used by various documents and are not correct.
History: a 72,5 hectars of flat grass in hilly area used to establish sport airfield East of the village, overtaken by NSFK Gruppe 6 in 1937, but probably not used due to insufficient infrastructure and communication. Alt-Kemnitz appeared in various German evidences anyway during entire WW2 for unknown reason as a Feldflugplatz.
Infrastructure: equipments’ main storage place organized in large barn on the airfield’s Western edge, though no more than two portable hangars are sometimes mentioned in sources too.
History: On 20th April 1945, 39 Bf-109G-10 and K-4 of I./JG 52 led by Maj. Erich Hartmann arrived form Raudnitz to Alt-Kemnitz. No more than 30 of them were ready for combat. The unit delivered supplies for besieged Breslau directly, or providing aerial cover for transport planes taking off from Königgrätz (Hradec Kralove), Pardubice and Hohenmaut (Vysoke Myto). Though Luftflotte 6’s archives say that I./JG 52 moved fist to Schweidnitz and then to Deutsch Brod on 21-22 April, a few aircraft of 1st Staffel were left at Alt-Kemnitz at least until 3rd May.
Today Stara Kamienica airfield is totally forgotten and not existing.

ANNAFELD =>Flatow

ARYS ROSTKEN – pol. => Orzysz Rostki
General: it’s history is underestimated as airfield in Rostken near Arys was built in secret and used in secret. After a few rebuildings it became to be one the biggest military airfieds in East Prussia.
History: the construction started in 1936 and lasted two years. The infertile terrain was bought from local farmers, who were happy to find new employment by construction works. They were told that an airfield is to be a sport airfield for Johannisburg.
Infrastructure: swampy terrain on the edge of Rosch See (Rosch Lake) was well drianed, three concrete runways were laid (not sooner than 1943) on existing roads, which were locally straightened, reinforced and widened. Special masking nets were covering runways’ edges, so they still looked as ordinary road when viewed from the air. In case of flying, the roads were halted for traffic. Runways were connected by well developed system of taxiways, two aprons and only one small hangar. All social, adminstration and storage buildings were built in form of ordinary village houses among dense trees. There are preserved three concrete bases for towers, one of wich could be a radio range measuring device for day fighters control. The area is dificult to enter and view today as it’s majority belongs to Polish Army (exercise area), but I don’t give up with further research.
Use: An airfield was used operationally against Poland in 1939, against Soviet Union in 1941, and in defence of East Prussia since May 1944 until January 1945 {in general, too many units to list them here}. Retreating German troops destroyed most of the Rostken airfield’s infrastructure by explosives, remaining elements were additionally set into ruin by Polish units that used spare ammo in spare time.
Caution: the Luftwaffe’s Rostken are often misguided with existing Rostken grass airfield for crop dusters. It’s not the same place however.

ASLAU – pol. => Osła
It’s better known under name KRZYWA which is in use since Russians increased the airfield’s surface adding concrete runway. In fact, the airfield moved itself closer to old Aslau, but Russians preferred to rename it for Krzywa as it’s bigger, though further. Why Russians? In 1953, an object was passed to Northern Group of Soviet Army, which modified former German airfield and used it until 1992.

Also worth of reading: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...ighlight=aslau and http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...ighlight=aslau

[Doug Stankey]

"Luftwaffe Airfields in France (including the Channel Islands and Corsica)" is now available as a downloadable pdf via the Holms website: www.ww2.dk.

Enjoy!

[Kutscha]

Great stuff, a BIG thanks.

[leonventer]

Dear Larry and Doug,

Awesome!! An invaluable resource for all Luftwaffe researchers, and pure gold for airfield enthusiasts!

Looking forward to the Eastern front postings (no pressure...)

Huge thanks,
Leon Venter

[ChrisS]

Doug that is brilliant, thank you so much!