09.09.1940 - Wetterkungdunsstaffel Kdo Flughafenbereich Morlaix

[Henofred]

Hello John,

I know Flughafen, Flugplatz, Feldflugplatz, Einsatz-Hafen (E-Hafen), Fliegerhorst...

Best regards,
Frederic

[Larry deZeng]

These could prove useful to some. The definitions come from German documents and from the wartime British Air Ministry.

Classifications (Airfield Types)
Abholplatz: airfield used for the collection and delivery of aircraft.
Absprunghafen: advanced landing ground.
Abstellplatz: parking area (for aircraft not it use).
Arbeitsplatz: practice airfield (almost always associated with flight school training).
Aussenliegeplatz: remote dispersal or outlying parking area.
Ausweichflugplatz (or Ausweichplatz): satellite, dispersal strip or alternate landing ground (minor – usually no services).
Behelfsflugplatz: auxiliary airfield.
Einsatzhafen: operational airfield (minor – limited services; used mainly for fighters, dive-bombers and ground attack aircraft). Ranked I for 1st Class and II for 2d Class.
Feldflugplatz: field airstrip, advanced airfield or satellite airfield (minor – limited services; used mainly by single-engine aircraft). The Allies called this an advanced landing ground (ALG).
Fliegerhorst: air station, aerodrome, airdrome or air base (major – full services).
Flughafen: airport (major – full services).
Flughafen (See): seaplane station (major – full services).
Flugplatz: airfield (major – full services).
Gefechtslandeplatz: tactical landing ground (minor – limited services or no services).
Hilfsflugplatz: auxiliary airfield.
Industriehafen: factory airfield.
Landeplatz: landing field or landing ground (minor – limited services or no services).
Leithorst: controlling air base (major – full services).
Liegeplatz: parking point; in the case of seaplanes, anchorage.
Nebenplatz: satellite airfield or landing ground (minor – limited services or no services).
Notlandeplatz: emergency landing field or emergency landing ground (minor – no services).
Rückhaltehorst: airfield used as a support base for a particular area or sector.
Schattenplatz: satellite airfield or landing ground (minor – limited services or no services).
Scheinflugplatz: dummy airfield used to deceive the enemy.
Seefliegerhorst: seaplane station.
Seeflugstützpunkt: seaplane base or anchorage.
Seeflugstützpunktkommando: seaplane base detachment.
Segelflugplatz: glider field.
Sportplatz: sports field for civil aircraft, sports ground/playing field.
Teilkommandantur: branch component of a Fliegerhorstkommandantur.
Übungsflugplatz: practice or training airfield (minor – limited services or no services).
Verhehrsflughafen: civil airfield (ranked I for 1st Class and II for 2d Class).
Verkehrslandeplatz: civil landing ground.
Werkflugplatz: factory or depot-level repairs airfield.
Winterflugplatz: winter airfield (airfield on packed snow or on a frozen lake).
Zivilflughafen: civil airport.
Zwischenlandeplatz: transit airfield.
[Note: on 1 April 1944, the Fl.H.Kdtr. designations A and E and the Fl.Pl.Kdo. designations A, B and C were terminated and replaced with Fl.H.Kdtr. A(o) and Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v).]

L.

[Henofred]

Hello Larry,

I never imagined that there were so many words, so many designations! Very useful answer.

Best regards,
Frederic

[Stig Jarlevik]

Larry

A very useful list indeed. Quite a few as Frederic already noticed...

My own interpretation of the important ones, I guess based both on what I have read and the similarity between some German and Swedish words, are

Fliegerhorst - a major military airfield - not supposed to be used by civil aircraft
Flughafen - a major civil airfield - not supposed to be used by military aircraft
Flugplatz - major field - used in more general terms and could be either of the above and perhaps a combination of both.

The addition of See of course identifies a place where basically only water landing capable aircraft were handled.

Cheers
Stig

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Stig,

Your interpretations are correct except on one point, I think: some of the larger civilian airports (Flughafen) were used by both civil and military, or were divided into a civil side and a military side. Otherwise, your additional information is very useful in better understanding the purpose of some of these.

L.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Larry

I suppose every term can be a bit, should we say, "floating"?
Perhaps not even Hermann knew the exact answer??

Cheers
Stig