Zutendaal military airfield
Zutendaal Air Base |
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Characteristics | ||
ICAO code | EBSL | |
Coordinates | ||
Height above MSL | 95 m (312 ft )
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Start-and runway | ||
24/06 | 2980 m × 45 m asphalt |
The Zutendaal Air Base is a military airport of the Belgian Air Force in Genk , Belgium .
Second World War
In 1944, the airfield was a 1,500 m long United States Air Force grass runway . This was in operation from October 15, 1944 to July 16, 1945 and was designated with the code name Y-29.
On January 1, 1945, one of the last major air battles of World War II took place over this airport when the Wehrmacht attacked Allied airfields in France and Belgium during Operation Bodenplatte . At the level of the airfield, the units of the German Air Force were involved in battles with formations of American P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts. The German Air Force lost about 24 planes while one American plane was devastated. 20 pilots were killed.