Katterbach airfield, Ansbach Germany

[Jeepasaurusrex]

During the early 90s, I was stationed at Katterbach Army Airfield, just south of Ansbach, Germany. From what I have been able to gather, this airfield was a Luftwaffe fighter base in WW2. Our old hanger had been built before WW2 and had many interesting features (including multiple levels underground). Rumor was that there was an underground hanger under the runway area that still held aircraft, but had been flooded at the end of the war due to booby traps. There was several stair cases that led down to that area, but you were stopped by water. Our motorpool was located on the remains of a hanger, that also had passages leading underground, but were blocked. Other rumors said that the airfield could be flooded during the day, drained in the evening, and flown from at night. I found all of this very interesting.

Does anyone have any information, pictures, etc., about this airfield? What units were assigned and their mission? I regret not taking more pictures and exploring the area more while I was there, as I will probably never get back over there. Any information on this site would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Clarence Gilbert

[DIRKIO]

Hi,
I'm the airfield historian of Coleman Army Airfield at mannheim, Germany.
It is so interresting that you mention those rumors because it seems that those underground hangars etc have been supposely at every Luftwaffe airfield. Also at mine I heard those. Mostly it is only a rumor and nothing else, think of it - fooding the runway is not easy. Where should the water go it wont stay up there and those undergound areas with aircraft - I was searching for those too but after asking old eyewitnesses it was clear it is only a rumor. It made it more interresting for the intellegince agencys to find the Nazi gold. Even here at Sandhofen the CIA spend several millions of $ to search for it.
But on the other hand, the is always a spark of truth in any rumor.
They are expanding Ansbach Airfield at this time and we will have a meeting there soon. I will ask the other ATC Controllers if they know anything more.
Hope I couls help
Dirk
3/58th AVN
www.fliegerhorst-sandhofen-coleman.de

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Dirk, thanks for the reply. Expanding Katterbach? Last I heard, they were going to shut it down! LOL. Like I said, I wish I could have explored the post more while I was there (was to busy doing other young GI stuff, like doing my part to keep the local beer joints in business)! I remember a stairwell in our barracks across the street (Bismark Kassern), you went down to the basement, and it kept going, but was bricked over. Makes ya wonder where it went. I also remember exploring many tunnels in the area surrounding post. One of which headed strait for the barracks, but was bricked over. We found the other end of it in a room we used for storage in the basement, it too was bricked over.

I have only seen a couple of pictures of the airfield from WW2. One of which showed the runway, and an overlay of the picture showed that we only used 1/2 of the width, and about 1000' of the original runway. What I did find interesting, was that most of the airfield was surrounded by what looked like a dike, which I attributed to the rumor of them flooding it during the day. Any pictures of Katterbach back in WW2? I don't know why, but that place sticks in my mind. 8)

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Found out this airfield was coded R-45, if that helps. 8)

[Romantic Technofreak]

Hello,

from 1992 to 2000 I was driving every day to and from work to Ansbach, passing Katterbach. Of course I never knew what was stationed there before end of WWII. But I made a request on luftarchiv.de and got the following list (for you added some remarks and translations):

Staff/KG 155 01.04. 1936 01.04.1937 drawn up from 3./KG 252

II./KG 155 01.04.1936 01.04.1937 drawn up from 3./KG 252

Staff/KG 355 01.04.1937 01.05.1939 renamed Stab/KG 155

I./KG 355 01.04.1937 01.05.1939 renamed II./KG 155

I./KG 53 01.05.1939 01.09.1939 renamed I./KG 355

Stab/KG 53 01.05.1939 03.02.1940 renamed Stab/KG 355

1.(F)/123 01.09.1939 Do-17 P (*F = Fernaufklärer, far range reconnoisater*)

I./KG 53 13.09.1939 07.02.1940 He-111 H

Staff/KG 2 __.02.1940 10.05.1940 Do-17 Z

II./KG 2 __.02.1940 19.04.1940 Do-17 Z

II./KG 2 03.04.1940 10.05.1940 Do-17 Z

Stabsstaffel/KG 2 10.05.1940 10.05.1940 (*only one day?*)
(*Stabsstaffel = staff squadron *)

Arbeitsplatz Flugzeugführerschule C 15 28.09.1940 14.01.1943
(*working place aviator school* ??)

II./KG 76 __.10.1940 __.01.1941 Auffrischung

Ergänzungsstaffel/Kampfgeschwader 6 14.10.1941 __.__.1942
(*Ergänzungsstaffel = completion squadron*)

II./KG 77 __.11.1941 __.01.1942 Ju-88 A

I./KG 53 __.12.1941 __.01.1942 He-111 H

Staff IV./Kampfgeschwader 53 __.__.1942 __.__.1942

10./Kampfgeschwader 53 __.__.1942 __.__.1942

11./Kampfgeschwader 53 __.__.1942 21.11.1942

12./Kampfgeschwader 53 __.__.1942 __.__.1942

III./KG 53 __.01.1942 15.07.1942 He-111 H

I./KG 76 17.03.1943 16.07.1943

II./KG 76 26.04.1943 16.07.1943

Staff/ZG 76 __.08.1943 25.04.1944 Bf-110

I./ZG 76 02.08.1943 25.04.1944 drawn up for the second time

III./ZG 76 12.03.1944 24.03.1944 Bf-110

II./ZG 76 11.04.1944 25.04.1944 Bf-110

Staff/Verbandsführerschule KG 101 __.05.1944 27.08.1944
(* Verbandsführerschule = formation leader school*)

1./Verbandsführerschule KG 101 __.05.1944 27.08.1944

2./Verbandsführerschule KG 101 __.05.1944 27.08.1944

III./JG 3 20.05.1944 06.06.1944 Bf-109 G

Staff/JG 4 20.05.1944 10.06.1944 Fw-190 A

Staff/Jagdgruppe Süd __.06.1944 20.06.1944

Ergänzungsjagdgruppe Süd 16.06.1944 20.06.1944

IV.(St)/JG 3 21.06.1944 06.07.1944 Fw-190 A

Staff/JG 4 28.06.1944 08.07.1944 Fw-190 A

Staff/JG 300 10.07.1944 12.07.1944 Fw-190 A

Stab/Verbandsführerschule KG G.d.K. 28.08.1944 28.04.1945
(*KG G.d.K. = Kommandierender General General der Kampfflieger
= Commanding General General of Bombers*)

1./Verbandsführerschule KG G.d.K. 28.08.1944 28.04.1945

2./Verbandsführerschule KG G.d.K. 28.08.1944 28.04.1945

6./Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (J) 23.01.1945 29.03.1945
(* Ergänzungskampfgeschwader = completing bomber group*)

7./Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (J) 23.01.1945 29.03.1945

Staff I./Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (J) __.02.1945 __.03.1945

2./Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (J) __.02.1945 __.03.1945

5./Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (J) __.02.1945 02.02.1945 (*?*)

3.Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (J) 06.02.1945 27.02.1945
(*slightly contradictory to last line*)

1./Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (J) __.02.1945 __.03.1945

3./Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (J) __.02.1945__.03.1945

I have also seen a book about Ansbach, regarding Katterbach too, and including some pictures, e.g. a formation of Ju 52s over the town. Maybe you can get it via www.ansbach.de.

Regards, RT

[Jeepasaurusrex]

RT, thanks for the great info!

[Romantic Technofreak]

Your welcome, Jeepasaurus! One very little correction: Katterbach is east of Ansbach, south must be Barton Barracks, if I remember correctly.

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Heh, maybe thats why I always got lost when I was drunk! Thank god for the rotating "drunk light" on top of the hill for the airfield. I would have never found my way home!