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RAF Ahlhorn

Summary

Royal Air Force Ahlhorn or more simply RAF Ahlhorn, is a former Royal Air Force station located 1 mile (1.6 km) south east of the centre of Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony and 11 miles (18 km) north of Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany.

RAF Ahlhorn
(Advanced Landing Ground B-111)
Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony in Germany
Former RAF Ahlhorn in 2010
RAF Ahlhorn is located in Lower Saxony
RAF Ahlhorn
RAF Ahlhorn
Shown within Lower Saxony, Germany
Coordinates52°53′06″N 008°13′57″E / 52.88500°N 8.23250°E / 52.88500; 8.23250
TypeRoyal Air Force station
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry (UK)
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Second Tactical Air Force
Site history
Built1944 (1944)
In use1945-1958 (1958)
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: ETNA
Elevation49 metres (161 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
09/27 2,106 metres (6,909 ft) Asphalt

Originally, it was a German airbase for Zeppelins. The Royal Air Force (RAF) disestablished the station and it was closed down in the autumn of 1958 and was transferred to the Bundeswehr. It was a private airport before being converted to a solar park in 2011.

History edit

First World War edit

Built during the First World War in the summer of 1915 for Zeppelins four large hangars were built. In two pairs, the hangars measured 240 metres (790 ft) in length, 60 metres (200 ft) in width and 35 metres (115 ft) in height. The hangars were named "Albrecht" and "Aladin" (northern pair), and "Alrun" and "Alix" (southern pair).[1] On 5 January 1918 Ahlhorn hangars explosion that destroyed the LZ 87 (L 47), LZ 94 (L 46), LZ 97 (L 51), LZ 105 (L 58), and SL 20. Fifteen killed, 134 injured.[2]

Ahlhorn Hangar explosion edit

Production number Class Tactical numbering First flight Remarks Image
Zeppelin LZ 87 R L 47 11 May
1917 		18 reconnaissance missions and three attacks dropping 3,240 kg (7,140 lb) of bombs around the North Sea and England. On 5 January 1918, a giant explosion in the air base in Ahlhorn destroyed four Zeppelins (including L 47) and one non-Zeppelin built airship, housed in one adjacent hangar and two 0.5 mi (0.80 km) away.[3]
Zeppelin LZ 94 T L 46 24 April
1917 		19 reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; 3 raids on England dropping 5,700 kg (12,600 lb) of bombs [3]
Zeppelin LZ 97 U L 51 6 June
1917 		3 reconnaissance missions; one raid on the English coast, dropping 280 kg bombs [3]
Zeppelin LZ 105 V L 58 29 October
1917 		Two reconnaissance missions [3]
S.L.20 (Type 'f') L 58 9 September 1917 Two missions [3]

Second World War and beyond edit

During the Second World War the airfield was used as an Advanced Landing Ground before becoming a permanent RAF station.

Squadron Aircraft From To To Notes
No. 14 Squadron RAF Hawker Hunter F.4/F.6 26 September 1957 15 September 1958 RAF Gütersloh [4]
No. 16 Squadron RAF Hawker Tempest F.2 8 May 1947 20 May 1947 RAF Fassberg [5]
No. 20 Squadron RAF Hawker Hunter F.6 23 September 1957 30 August 1958 RAF Gütersloh [6]
No. 26 Squadron RAF Hawker Tempest F.2 8 May 1947 20 May 1947 RAF Fassberg [7]
No. 26 Squadron RAF Hawker Hunter F.6 7 June 1958 8 September 1958 RAF Gütersloh [7]
No. 33 Squadron RAF Hawker Tempest F.2 8 May 1947 20 May 1947 RAF Fassberg [8]
No. 96 Squadron RAF Gloster Meteor NF.11 17 November 1952 12 February 1958 RAF Geilenkirchen Reformed here[9]
No. 149 Squadron RAF English Electric Canberra B.2 24 August 1954 17 September 1954 RAF Gütersloh [10]
No. 193 Squadron RAF Hawker Typhoon Ib 30 April 1945 8 January 1945 RAF Hildesheim [11]
No. 197 Squadron RAF Hawker Typhoon Ib 30 April 1945 8 June 1945 RAF Hildesheim [11]
No. 213 Squadron RAF English Electric Canberra B(I).6 1 September 1955 22 August 1957 RAF Bruggen Reformed here.[12]
No. 256 Squadron RAF Gloster Meteor NF.11 17 November 1952 12 February 1958 RAF Geilenkirchen [13]
No. 263 Squadron RAF Hawker Typhoon Ib 30 April 1945 8 June 1945 RAF Hildesheim [14]
No. 266 Squadron RAF Hawker Typhoon Ib 4 June 1945 8 June 1945 RAF Hildesheim [15]
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire XVI 16 September 1945 27 August 1946 RAF Sylt [16]
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire XVI 31 August 1946 7 October 1946 RAF Hethel [16]
No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire XVI 16 September 1945 22 January 1946 RAF Sylt [17]
No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire XVI 9 February 1946 7 October 1946 RAF Hethel [17]
No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire XVI 15 September 1945 July 1946 RAF Sylt [18]
No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire XVI 16 August 1946 7 October 1946 RAF Hethel [18]

Units:

  • No. 418 Air Stores Park between 5 and 7 May 1945[19]
  • No. 8 Section of No. 422 Aviation Fuel and Ammunition Park from 29 June 1945[20]
  • No. 6014 Servicing Echelon between 26 September 1957 and 15 September 1958 supporting 14 Squadron[21]
  • No. 6193 Servicing Echelon between 30 April and 8 June 1945 supporting 193 Squadron[22]
  • No. 6197 Servicing Echelon between 5 May and 8 June 1945 supporting 197 Squadron[22]
  • No. 6263 Servicing Echelon between 30 April and June 1945 supporting 263 Squadron[23]
  • No. 6266 Servicing Echelon between 4 and 6 June 1945 supporting 266 Squadron[23]
  • No. 6302 (Polish) Servicing Echelon between 16 September 1945 and 16 October 1946 supporting 302 Squadron[23]
  • No. 6308 (Polish) Servicing Echelon between 16 September 1945 and 7 October 1946 supporting 308 Squadron[23]
  • Ahlhorn Station Flight used Prentice T.1, Canberra T.4, Vampire T.11 & Chipmunk T.10[24]
  • 2nd Tactical Air Force Tactical Development Unit between 18 February and 19 October 1953[25]
  • No. 131 (Polish) (Fighter) Wing RAF between 12 September 1945 and 15 October 1946[26]
  • No. 146 Wing RAF between 30 April and 6 June 1945[27]

Current use edit

 
A number of solar panels are now visible on the site

Jagdgeschwader 73 was formed at Ahlhorn and Oldenburg on 1 April 1959. Jagdgeschwader 71 of the German Air Force were to take residence from June 1959 with 50 Canadair Sabres, Germany's first operational jet fighter unit. They remained at Ahlhorn until 1961.[citation needed]

Solarpark Ahlhorn edit

From 2005 the Aircraft Maintenance Service GmbH provided services on widebody aircraft but the company went bankrupt in 2009. A number of solar panels were installed on most of the airfield converting it into Solarpark Ahlhorn. Opening in 2011 the solar panels provide, 17.5 MW. There is only one airstrip in use.[2][28]

See also edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ahlhorn Flying Field.

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ Robinson, Douglas (1971). The Zeppelin in Combat (3rd ed.). London: Foulis. p. 398.
  2. ^ a b "Ahlhorn". Forgotten Airfields. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e M., Dan. "Disaster at Ahlhorn". Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  4. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 28.
  5. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 29.
  6. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 31.
  7. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 33.
  8. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 36.
  9. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 53.
  10. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 62.
  11. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 67.
  12. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 71.
  13. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 79.
  14. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 80.
  15. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 81.
  16. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 84.
  17. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 85.
  18. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 86.
  19. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 59.
  20. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 69.
  21. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 239.
  22. ^ a b Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 241.
  23. ^ a b c d Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 242.
  24. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 259.
  25. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 269.
  26. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 295.
  27. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 296.
  28. ^ Stephenson 2012, p. 24.

Bibliography edit

  • Jefford, C. G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Stephenson, Charles (2012). Zeppelins: German Airships 1900–40. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781780965123. - Total pages: 48
  • Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.

External links edit

  • Ray Powells' memories of Ahlhorn

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