JG 51 airfields around Orel

[Jochen Prien]

Gentlemen,

this is a request aimed at the experts in Eastern Front matters; I'm looking for the exact location of a number of airfields parts of JG 51 operated from in 1943. In the records concerning JG 51 there is considerable confusion with respect to the namens and locations of the following airfields:

Orel-West
Orel-Nord
Orel-Sloboda
Orel-Sjablowo
Orel-Sjablowo Nord
Optucha ( Platz 438 )
Pankow ( Platz 470 )
Platz 472

Could anyone out there enlighten me and tell me which is what and where it was located ? Any input would be much appreciated.

Regards

Jochen Prien

[Larry deZeng]

Orel airfields - a real mess!

Orel (RUSS) (e. Orel or Orël) (52 58 N – 36 04 E). 6 airfields identified: Orel I, Orel II, Orel-North, Orel-Optukha, Orel-Sloboda and Orel-Slovitski.
General: on 25 Jan 42 total strength of all Lw. personnel in Orel and at its airfields: 68 officers, 2,261 NCOs and men. 19 Mar 43: total strength of all Lw. personnel in Orel and at its airfields: 82 officers and 2,606 NCOs and men. April 43: Operation Zitadelle plans called for an increase in the number of airfields in the vicinity of Orel from 3 to 15 and additional Luftwaffe construction battalions and technical services be brought up to build and staff them.

The problem is that the majority of those additional airfields built between April and July 1943 were actually satellite strips adjacent to one of the already existing airfields. I have been trying to sort them out for years regarding their exact location around Orel and the various names they were known by, but the absence of reliable data just leads to more confusion. Most of the Orel airfields were known by 2 and 3 different names. I have examined all of the Pz.AOK 2 Ia and O.Qu. records for that period hoping to find definitive information, but came up empty handed.

Larry

[Larry deZeng]

Some additional details:

Orel-Konewka (RUSS) (e. Orel-Konevka or Orël) (53 02 N – 36 07 E)
General: landing ground in W Russia 8 km NNE of Orel. This is one of several airfields constructed in spring 1943 in preparation for the Kursk offensive.
Orel-Kusnezy (RUSS) (e. Orel-Kusnetsy or Orël) (52 52 N – 35 59 E)
General: landing ground in W Russia 12 km SSW of Orel near the village of Malaya Fominka. This is one of several airfields constructed in spring 1943 in preparation for the Kursk offensive.
Orel-Ledna (RUSS) (e. Orel-Ledna; a.k.a. Orel-Ledna/East? or Orël) (52 57 N – 35 47 E)
General: landing ground in W Russia c. 18 km W of Orel. This is one of several airfields constructed in spring 1943 in preparation for the Kursk offensive.
Orel/Nord (RUSS) (e. Orel/North or Orël) (53 00 N – 36 02 E?)
General: airfield at Orel 117 km ESE of Bryansk in C Russia; airfield probably 4.5 km NNW of Orel. First Lw. use 19 Oct 41.
Orel/Ost (RUSS) (e. Orel/East or Orël, Orel-Domnino?) ( ? )
General: landing ground in W Russia to the east of Orel. This is one of several airfields constructed in spring 1943 in preparation for the Kursk offensive. Domnino is sometimes mentioned and it is located c. 15 km E of Orel.
Orel/West (RUSS) (e. Orel/West or Orël) (52 55 N – 36 01 E?)
General: airfield at Orel 117 km ESE of Bryansk in C Russia. First Lw. use 10 Oct 41.

L.

[Rasmussen]

The exact position of the village Domnino: 52° 55' 34'' N, 36° 17' 14'' E near Znamenskoye.

Greetings
Rasmussen