Innsbruck Hötting Airfield Aerial View

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hello,

I am looking for a wartime aerial photo of Innsbruck Hötting airfield. Does anybody have such a photo or does know which archive might have one?

Kind regards
Roger Gaemperle

[Dan O'Connell]

I've never seen one Roger, but I would be quite excited to see one.

[Nick Beale]

There definitely was a photo since I have a description of the Innsbruck airfields in a report from Kew (reference not to hand) and that refers to photos. Innsbruck (i.e. Innsbruck-Ost) was photographed on 31 January 1944, -West on 3 October 1943. Maybe Keele University has them?

The description of -West says (dated 12 April 1944) there were no organised dispersal facilities and that accommodation was "2 small huts on the N. boundary."

CO-ORDINATES: 47º 15' 35" N, 11º 21' 00" E.

Location: 2½ miles W. INNSBRÜCK [sic], immediately S. of the INNSBRÜCK/TELFS road. The River INN, flowing ½ mile S. of the Landing Ground, should afford good landmark.

Dimensions: Levelling work has progressed since 3.10.43, the approx. dimensions being 1,000 yds. E/W, 300 yds. N/S.

Surface: Appears rough and unserviceable.

… An overhead H/T line [visible in the photos of those boring old Me 262s] skirts the S. boundary and passes the SW. corner allowing a clear E/W. run only on the N. side of the L/G.

West is now the site of the international airport.

[Dan O'Connell]

TY Neal, great info. I know that the two small huts were actually hangers for civilian aircraft. The 262's were scattered through the area, and I'd love to eventually map their locations.
I vaguely recall seeing a website once on the history of the small airport there.

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hi Dan and Nick,

Interesting! Thanks a lot for that information.

I have attached a google-map photo with some rough indications where some Me 262 were. I haven't studied this in detail, so Dan, you probably have a much more accurate idea where these Me 262 were.

Regards
Roger

[Roger Gaemperle]

PS: I count 11 different Me 262. The photos of the group at the SW of the airfield was probably taken later as some of these Me 262 were photographed at a different location (e.g. 111712, White 12, etc.).

Roger

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Dan O'Connell

TY Neal, great info. I know that the two small huts were actually hangers for civilian aircraft. The 262's were scattered through the area, and I'd love to eventually map their locations.

1. Who's Neal?

2. I did once start a rough sketch the locations of the Ju 87s and Fw 190s (from NSG 9, a unit that actually contributed something to the German war effort!). Step 1, buy a large scale map of the Innsbruck area - mine was aimed at hikers. The river bend is a fixed point of reference; the Innsbruck-Telfs road seems to follow its old line and can be seen on some of the old photos; there is a church on a hill top in the background (across the river) which gives another reference point. Better yet, the power line is still marked on the map, although surely it can't still be overhead, can it?

[Chris Going]

There will be images of this airfield preserved in the US National Archives, and probably in the former Royal Air Force Overseas Print Library (once at Keele, but now under -one hopes- effective management at RCAHMS in Scotland. There will also probably be something in the L section reports in AIR34, or AIR 29. Prints may well be attached to the relevant report.
I will be in the US National Archives next week and if I have a spare moment I will have a look.

The cover will have been in stereo.


best


ChrisG

[Nick Beale]

AIR23/8289: MASAF Intops Summaries March–April 1945 & 1st–4th May 1945

The daily reports often have a page or two summarising results of PR cover of enemy airfields.

According to this, there were 10 Me 262 at Innsbruck-West on 29 April 1945.

So ... another date, another photo to look for.

[Dan O'Connell]

[quote=Nick Beale;65602]1. Who's Neal?

quote]

Ooops! Sorry Nick, it was quite late, and perhaps a few too many "research enhancing" beers!