Contents of The National Archives AIR26/505?

[Marcel van Heijkop]

Dear all,

Does anybody know the contents of file AIR26/505 at The National Archives? Is it about German airfields (and Dedelstorf in particular) as I have been told? What's the amount of pages?

Thanks in advance,

Marcel

[Larry deZeng]

This information is mainly from accumulated Air Ministry Directorate of Intelligence information of the airfield:

Dedelstorf (GER) (52 42 45 N – 10 30 20 E)
General: operational airfield (Einsatzhafen) in Lower Saxony 50 km N of Braunschweig and 5.2 km N of the village of Dedelstorf.
History: construction began in 1935 and was carried out in two phases, the second of which ended in March 1939. Wartime use to October 1943 was primarily by combat units engaged in training, especially those making used of the bombing range at Ehra-Lessin/25 km S of Dedelstorf, paratroops (Fallschirmjäger) training and as an NSFK glider school.
Dimensions: approx. 915 x 1370 meters (1,000 x 1,500 yards).
Runway: grass surface on clay soil.
Infrastructure: fuel, oil, water and communications were available. 1 medium hangar with a paved apron, separate workshops near the hangar, motor pool 1 km to the NE in the area occupied by the station barracks, messes, dispensary, supply and admin buildings. The flying control building (Flugleitung) was a few meters NW of the hangar and there was a small group of huts off the SW corner of the landing area. A munitions dump was sited off the NW boundary. Rail access along the E and N boundaries.
Dispersal: a total of 33 open concrete-walled blast bays had been built in the woods off the NW and SW corners of the airfield as of April 1944.
Defenses: unknown.
Remarks:
4 Aug 44: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-51s – claimed 5 x Ju 88s and 1 x Me 410 destroyed, plus 1 x Ju 88 damaged.
1945: a concrete runway was under construction using Yugoslav and Italian POWs from Stalag X D at Wietzendorf, this intended for use by jet fighters.
4 Apr 45: bombed by 13 B-17 Fortresses as a secondary target.
Apr 45: airfield partially demolished by German troops at the beginning of April prior to being abandoned.
14 Apr 45: Dedelstorf taken by U.S. forces.
Operational Units: I./KG 55 (Aug-Sep 39); II./KG 200 (Mar-Nov 44); I./JG 11 (Nov-Dec 44).
Reserve Training & Replacement Units: Stab and 1.St. Erg.Gr./Flugzeugüberführungsgeschwader 1 (Oct 43 – 1944); Stab and 15./SG 151 (Mar 45).
Station Commands: Fl.Pl.Kdo. B 87/XI (1943 – Mar 44); Flugplatzkdo. Dedelstorf of Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) 22/XI Wesendorf (1944-45).
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): 4. Flugh.Betr.Kp. KG 77 (Nov 44 - ? ); Frontfliegersammelgruppe Dedelstorf (Feb 44)?
[Sources: AFHRA A5257A pp.106-08 (6 Jul 44); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk; web site fliegerhorste.de]

If you can add anything of interest to the above, Marcel, it would be most appreciated!

L.

[Andy Mitchell]

Marcel,

See also

http://www.geschichtsspuren.de/artik...edelstorf.html

[Marcel van Heijkop]

@ Larry: Thanks for your sharing your knowledge. Regarding adding something of interest: I'll have a look!

@ Andy: That's where I got my inspiration from! (See "Quellen" at the bottom of the page ) I joined this very interesting site a couple of weeks ago.

Regards,

Marcel