Airfields of the Luftwaffe

[egbert]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

Thank you, Egbert. Sometimes it is necessary to bend the "rules" a bit in the interest of clarity. While many Europeans who might have occasion to look up Nordhorn would have at least some idea of where the German states (Länder) are located, very, very few have committed the NS Gäue and their locations to memory. Accordingly, I used the present day Länder to better help researchers locate the airfields. I make no apologies.

L.

No need for apologies. I also use the present day state names for identification purposes. Much easier. I just wanted to tease your fighting for Oldenburg and Niedersachsen vs Weser-Ems

[Larry deZeng]

[TigerTimon]

Hello Mr. deZeng,

in a book I found the mention of Anholt airfield. I can't find it in the 'Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Germany (1937 Borders)' document...
It was used by Messerschmitts of the 2./NJG 1 in 1940.

Kind regards,
Timon

[Larry deZeng]

Hello Timon,

Although Anholt was/is the name of towns in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, there was no airfield there between 1935 and 1945, according to all of the wartime and postwar German and Allied directories I have. The one in Germany is very close to the border, just 12.25 km E of Emmerich. There may have been a nice, level pasture or farm field there that could be used by a few Bf 109s at a time for take-offs and landings but had no facilities. A field like that would probably not get listed in the airfield directories.

L.

[sidney]

Hello Larry,

Not sure whether of any interest, but just found a reference on eBay here https://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-Fot...YAAOSwLMZfZ6Qe to a forward air strip, Feldflugplatz, Wereteni (Vereteni), apparently in Pskov region.

The photo shows Stab/JG 54 aircraft getting ready for a mission in July 1941.

Regards,
Sinisa

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by sidney

Hello Larry,

Not sure whether of any interest, but just found a reference on eBay here https://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-Fot...YAAOSwLMZfZ6Qe to a forward air strip, Feldflugplatz, Wereteni (Vereteni), apparently in Pskov region.

The photo shows Stab/JG 54 aircraft getting ready for a mission in July 1941.

Regards,
Sinisa

Help always welcome, but I could not find this one in my files and piles of maps, gazetteers, lists, etc. I suspect it was a pasture or farm field that was pressed into service for a few days during the July 1941 advance toward Pskov and then abandoned. I also think it may be misspelled and the "teni" ending makes it more likely to have been in Estonia or Latvia.

Thanks,

Larry de Zeng

[sidney]

Hello again Larry,

You are very welcome. For your ready reference, here is the Lat/Long (dec) of the place: 57.69505,29.38859.

The Germans misspelled it as Wereteni, and it is not that far from Estonia, but according to the present map at least, it is situated in Russia.

Otherwise, I believe that is the case that the airfield was likely a pasture or farm field that was pressed into service for a few days during the July 1941 advance toward Pskov and then abandoned.

Regards,
Sinisa

[Larry deZeng]

1. Your coordinates are for an unidentified village c. 64.35 km ESE of Pskov. The satellite view of this one shows what might have been an airstrip aligned SE/NW that passed right through the center of the village. "Veretenye" is also listed in TsAMO documents dated 22.06.41 as an "Operative Airfield Under Construction" on this date.

2. If we go to Google Earth and enter "Veretene" we get 58 03 07, 29 43 34, a small village labeled "Veret'e", c. 86 km ENE of Pskov. Although surrounded by cultivated land to the east and south of the village, there is no evidence of an airstrip ever having been there nor is a "Veret'e" mentioned in the TsAMO documentation.

Although the spelling differences make it impossible to tell with certainty, I think Nr. 1 is the correct location.

Cheers,

Larry de Zeng

[sidney]

Thank you for your insight.

My better half confirmed the correct pronunciation of the locality as "Vereteny", which is close to "Veretenye", which you suggested was listed in TsAMO documents for location No.1.


Regards,
Sinisa

[TigerTimon]

Recently I somewhere saw a contemporary document listing several (night fighter) airfields which were sorted by surface area in square metres.
I remember seeing Powunden being a Fliegerhorst having the same dimensions as the Fliegerhorsten Twente and Deelen.
However, in the document 'Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Germany (1937 Borders)' Powunden is listed as an Einsatzhafen I. Maybe the airfield was upgraded later on?