Perleberg Airfield

Perleberg Airfield
Characteristics
Coordinates	53 ° 3 '30 "  N , 11 ° 49' 30"  E Coordinates: 53 ° 3 '30 "  N , 11 ° 49' 30"  E
Height above MSL	32 m (105  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	2.5 km southwest of Perleberg
Basic data
opening	1935 (closed)
Runways
West-Northwest / East-Southeast	1500 m × 800 m grass (1945)
10/28	2500 m × 350 m grass (1989)

The airfield Perleberg is erected in the 1930s, former military airfield in Prignitz . Part of the area is currently used as a glider flying site.

history

The use of the site began in the First World War between 1914 and 1918 with the construction of an air station. After its termination, the station was dissolved in accordance with the provisions of the Versailles Treaty and the airfield closed. The first hesitant further use took place in the 1920s with the construction of a landing pad for the developing civil aviation.

After the takeover by the Nazis of the square was as from 1934, the expansion airbase of the Wehrmacht promoted continuously; A total of six aircraft hangars were built on the southern and southeastern edge of the field, including an asphalt apron, and a barracks complex in the southern part, and a siding to the Perleberg-Wittenberge railway line was laid. Through the state purchase of parts of the Tonkithal and the "Alte Eichen" area belonging to the Perleberg city forest , the area was enlarged to around 1700 × 1200 m. As early as June 1935, training for members of the Luftwaffe began in Perleberg, and in the following period the school was to remain the main function of the site until shortly before the end of the war. From 1940 to 1943 the North German Dornier-Werke Perleberg used the aircraft that were produced in their branch located not far from the field to fly in. In the course of 1944, Anglo-American air raids took place, including one of the hangars on April 18. In January 1945, parts of the 9th battle squadron began to be retrained to the ground combat version of the Fw 190 fighter aircraft equipped with the “Panzerblitz” air-to-surface missile . In April 1945 the air base was already in the combat range of Western Allied troops and on May 3rd it was finally taken by soldiers of the Red Army , especially the 2nd Belarusian Front .

The following occupancies by air force units are documented:

From	To	unit	equipment	Remarks
June 1935	November 1, 1939	Aviation pilot school C Perleberg		until October 1, 1936 Perleberg pilot training center
November 1, 1939	October 31, 1940	School / trainee flight regiment 22
March 1940	April 1940	Destroyer Squadron Kampfgeschwader 30	Ju 88 C
March 27, 1940	May 4th 1940	I. / Combat Squadron 4	He 111 P	School operations with relocations as part of the Weser Exercise company (April 20-25 to Aalborg-West , April 30-2 May to Oslo-Fornebu)
May 16, 1940	July 1940	II./Kampfgeschwader 30	Ju 88 A	Conversion to Ju 88 A with intermediate relocation to Le Culot (June 15-18 )
November 1, 1940	May 31, 1941	Staff, 1st, 2nd and 3rd / Supplementary Combat Group 6 (reorganization)		formerly III./KG 30
February 20, 1941	April 16, 1941	Staff and 1st / Coastal Aviation Group 506	Ju 88 A	Conversion to Ju 88 A
May 1942	March 10, 1945 (dissolved)	Reconnaissance Aviation School 3		from October 1942 long- distance reconnaissance flight school 3 from February 15, 1943 II./Fernaufklärungsgeschwader 101 from February 4, 1945 I. (F) / reconnaissance wing 103
February 15, 1943	March 10, 1945 (dissolved)	Staff / Remote Reconnaissance Squadron 101		Positioning as a result of restructuring of the reconnaissance training
October 1944	December 1944	Staff and I. / Jagdgeschwader 6		stationed for the purpose of refreshment
January 1945	Late February 1945	13. (Pz) / Battle Squadron 9	Fw 190 F	Conversion to Fw 190 F
January 1945	April 1945	Staff and IV. (Pz) / Battle Squadron 9	Hs 129 B
Late January 1945	March 1945	3rd (Pz) Battle Squadron 9	Fw 190 F	Conversion to Fw 190 F
Late January 1945	April 1945	Staff I. (Pz) / battle squadron 9	Fw 190 F	Conversion to Fw 190 F
April 13, 1945	April 1945	I. and II./ Jagdgeschwader 27		Intermediate occupancy with destination Schwerin-Görries

After the occupation, the airfield was taken over by the Soviet air forces and used by various fighter units until 1949. Two of the hangars were demolished after the end of the war. In 1949 the regular aviation associations were withdrawn and the area was handed over to the land forces , but three years later in 1952 it was expanded to a reserve airfield in the "Prepared Natural Airfield" category of the Air Force, a so-called "sleeper", which also increased the turf to 2500 × 350 m and the creation of flak positions . Surface-to-air missiles of the type S-75 "Dwina" and 2K11 "Krug" followed later . Since then, there have been no more stationing of air formations, only between 1957 and 1961 some flight movements of Mi-1 and Mi-4 helicopters were registered. In the course of its use, the Soviet troops expanded the living area several times, as happened at the end of the 1950s and in 1970/1971 and 1988/1989, with five-storey prefabricated buildings also being built in the latter . Until the 1960s, the GST of the GDR was also allowed to glider on the field. After the agreed withdrawal of the Soviet Army , the airfield was handed over to the German authorities, which him to conversion area declared and early 2000s prompted the demolition of the buildings and technical facilities.

Deployments by Soviet air forces:

From	To	unit	equipment	Remarks
1945	1947	64th, 65th and 66th Guard Fighter Pilot Regiment	Jak-3 and Jak-9	Units of the 4th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, stationed in Perleberg with staff, within the 1st Guards Fighter Aviator Corps
1947	1949	20th Guard Fighter Pilot Regiment, 165th Fighter Pilot Regiment, 739th Fighter Pilot Regiment (occupancy not guaranteed)	Jak-9, possibly also P-63 and La-9	1949 Relocation of the 20th Gw IAP to Parchim , unit of the 16th Air Army

Todays use

Classic car meeting Perleberg: 2K11 Krug and ZIL-131

The greater part of the space is not used and the infrastructure that still exists, including a historic aircraft hangar dating from the 1930s, is falling into disrepair. The Aero-Club Perleberg e. V. operated with gliders and ultralight aircraft . The Oldtimerfreunde Perleberg e. V. holds an annual land and military vehicle meeting in July.

literature

• Jürgen Zapf: Airfields of the Air Force 1934–1945 - and what was left of them. Volume 1 - Berlin & Brandenburg. VDM, Zweibrücken 2001 ISBN 3-925480-52-8 , p. 246ff.
• Stefan Büttner: Red places. Russian military airfields Germany 1945–1994. Air bases – aerodromes – military fallow areas. AeroLit, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-935525-11-4 , p. 94.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Internet presence of Oldtimerfreunde Perleberg eV. Accessed on July 14, 2019 .