Rheine-Bentlage Army Airfield

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Rheine-Bentlage Airport
Aerial photo 2018
Characteristics
ICAO code ETHE
IATA code ZPQ
Coordinates

52 ° 17 '28 "  N , 7 ° 23' 13"  E Coordinates: 52 ° 17 '28 "  N , 7 ° 23' 13"  E

Height above MSL 39 m (128  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center 2 km northwest of Rheine
Basic data
opening 1940
operator German Federal Armed Forces
Start-and runway
08/26 516 m × 30 m asphalt

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The Rheine-Bentlage airfield , an army airfield until 2012 , was most recently a military airfield of the German Air Force in the North Rhine-Westphalian Rheine , district of Bentlage.

Is located on the grounds of the Theodor Blank - barracks , which for decades the medium transport helicopter regiment 15 of the German Army Aviation -based.

The barracks were reactivated in 2019 for the stationing of the 4th medical regiment.

history

In 1939, the construction of an air force base in Bentlage began and was completed in 1940. During the Second World War, many day and night missions were flown from here. One of the main users was the III from December 1940 to March 1944 . Group of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 and from May to September 1942 the II. Group of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 was also stationed here.

On May 1, 1947, two members of the airfield staff in Osnabrück were sentenced to death by a British military tribunal in the so-called “Rheine Airfield Case” for the murder of an American and a British prisoner-of-war member of the Air Force, and another was sentenced to long imprisonment. There was no conviction for the murder of seven other Allied airmen due to lack of evidence.

After a short further use of the area designated by the Allies as Airfield B.108 after its conquest in spring 1945, the military airfield was initially taken out of service.

A few years after the Bundeswehr was founded in 1955, the decision was made to resume flight operations . In 1960 the corresponding construction work was initiated and part of the Army Aviation Troops were stationed at the significantly reduced Rheine-Bentlage airfield.

Over time, the following troops were stationed at the airfield:

Transport helicopter regiment 15

The transport helicopter regiment 15 had 5 light liaison helicopters BO 105 VBH and 37 medium transport helicopters CH-53 . As of the end of 2011, there were no more BO 105s available. The regiment surrendered its aircraft to the Air Force on January 1, 2013 as part of the helicopter capability transfer and was disbanded on June 30, 2013.

From 2013 onwards, flight operations at the field were ensured by the Rheine area of ​​the system center 21. The operational flight operations were discontinued at the end of 2013, from the beginning of 2014 to 2017 only technical inspection flights took place if necessary. The last CH-53GA left Rheine in mid-August 2017 and Weapons System Support Center 2 then left Rheine at the end of 2017. On September 10, 2018, the previously deactivated control zone was finally lifted.

Sikorsky S-58s were also used in the past . A Sikorsky S-58 also stood as a memorial in the entrance area of ​​the barracks.

Transport Battalion 170

The 170 transport battalion was stationed in the barracks. Transport battalion 170 had class 10 t trucks with a flatbed body (MAN 22.240DF) and a tank body (Faun L 908 ATW, STW 15,000 l).

Army Aviation Squadron 101

The Army Aviation Squadron 101 was an independent squadron , it was not subordinate to a regiment , but directly to the 1st Corps , aircraft Alouette II .

"On November 1st, 1961 incorporated into the newly established Army Aviation Battalion 100. From April 1st 1971 independent squadron 101 and on October 1st 1979 merged with the Army Aviation Command 1. "

Todays use

Since more medical personnel is required due to changed European cooperation structures, the newly established Medical Regiment 4 has been created at the site since 2019 . This unit is expected to be operational in 2020.

In addition to the Bundeswehr, there is also a civil joint use:

  • The Rheine branch of the technical relief organization uses space on the barracks area as a temporary solution during the new construction of the accommodation
  • The airfield is used by the Aero Club Rheine

gallery

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b Paramedics come to Rheine. Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
  2. Kew British National Archives, File WO 235/339 bis / 344
  3. ^ The era of military aviation in Rheine is over, Grafschafter Nachrichten, August 18, 2017
  4. Zapfenstreich in Rheine: Last military leaves, Grafschafter Nachrichten, December 28, 2017
  5. : EMS Köppken newspaper Fifty years garrison Rheine page. 8
  6. Light at the end of the tunnel. Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
  7. ^ AeroClub. Retrieved November 23, 2019 (pl-PL).