Schleswig Air Base is an airbase of the German Air Force, home to Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (Tactical Air Force Wing 51) ''"Immelmann"'' (AKG 51) flying reconnaissance variants of the

Panavia Tornado The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multi-role combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany. There are three primary #Variants, Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS ...

. It was formerly known from c.1945-1958 as RAF Schleswigland in

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

(RAF) use.

History

The

airfield An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...

in Schleswig/Jagel was founded in 1916 and has been in military use since. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, night fighters were based here, including the

Messerschmitt Me 262 The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed (German for "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ("Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messers ...

. After the end of World War II British Air Force of Occupation took control of the field on 6 May 1945, which they called ''Airfield B.164''. In the summer of 1945

Hawker Typhoon The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor aircraft, interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems we ...

Ibs of '' No. 121 Wing RAF'' were based there. In February 1948 RAF Schleswigland became active again as a training field for transport- and glider-aircraft from other stations. RAF Schleswigland was chosen as an operating base for the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

(RAF Codename Operation Plainfare) in the fall of 1948. On 11 November 1948 the first transport aircraft, Handley Page Hastings C.1s of No. 47 Squadron RAF arrived. No. 297 Squadron followed later during the airlift. Civilian companies started using RAF Schleswigland to airlift fuel to Berlin, since Schleswigland was well equipped with underground fuel lines dating from German use during the war. '' Lancashire Aircraft Corp.'' started flight on 24 November 1948 which specially converted Handley Page Halifax/Haltons, ''British American Air Services'' with Handley Page Halton starting 25 January 1949, Westminster Airways with Handley Page Halton starting 29 January 1949 and Scottish Airlines effective 19 February 1949 with Consolidated Liberator. On 6 October 1949 the last airlift flight operated out of RAF Schleswigland, marking the end of Operation Plainfare. During the 1950s the 2.TTF was based at RAF Schleswigland with

de Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the World War II, Second World War. Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or " ...

TT.35 used for target towing. In 1955 King Olav V of Norway visited RAF Schleswigland, since the

Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) () is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximately 2,430 employees (officers, enlisted ...

was using the airfield for training from time to time since the end of the Second World War. Other units: * No. 26 Squadron RAF with the Spitfire XIV & XI during 1945 * No. 56 Squadron RAF with the Typhoon IB during 1945 * No. 175 Squadron RAF with the Typhoon IB during 1945 * No. 181 Squadron RAF with the Typhoon IB during September 1945 * No. 182 Squadron RAF with the Typhoon IB during September 1945 * No. 184 Squadron RAF with the Typhoon IB during 1945 *

No. 245 Squadron RAF No. 245 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It flew as an anti-submarine squadron during World War I and as a fighter squadron during World War II. After the war it was first a jet-fighter squadron and its last role was as a radar-cal ...

with the Typhoon IB during 1945 The

closed RAF Schleswigland in April 1958 and turned the southern part of the field over to German control. In June 1958 the newly formed

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is part of the unified (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official ...

based the ''Marinefliegergeschwader 1'', established on 12 March 1957 as Marinefliegergruppe 1 in

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

, in what was now known as Schleswig-Jagel. In October 1959, the northern part of the airfield was handed over from the Royal Air Force to the

. But it wasn't until November 1961 when the British left the last building at Schleswigland. (German text only) On the airfield it is a part of the major maneuver from June 12 to June 23, 2023, held under the leadership of the German Air Force Air Defender 23 it is the greatest exercise of air forces since NATO was announced.

Accidents and incidents

*10 March 1949,

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster, commonly known as the Lancaster Bomber, is a British World War II, Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to ...

B.1(FE) PA380 of the Central Signals Establishment from RAF Watton required service by a Mobile Repair & Salvage Unit (MRSU) at RAF Schleswigand after unknown accident. *On 21 March 1949, Handley Page Halton, G-AJZZ, of Lancashire Aircraft Corporation crashed miles from RAF Schleswigland. 3 crew members were killed in the crash. The radio operator was the only survivor. *On 5 April 1949, Handley Page Hastings C.1, TG534, of No. 297 Squadron caught fire during engine start-up, broke in half and was destroyed. *On 19 May 1949, Handley Page Hastings C.1, TG510, of No. 47 Squadron crash landed after undercarriage trouble during take-off. The aircraft was repaired by a Mobile Repair & Salvage Unit (MRSU). *Unknown date, Handley Page Hastings C.1, TG573, required service by a Mobile Repair & Salvage Unit (MRSU) at RAF Schleswigand after unknown accident. *On 31 October 1953,

T.3, VP351, port undercarriage hit a snow bank. *On 24 February 1956, de Havilland Mosquito TT.35, RS717, hit an obstruction in poor visibility. *On 20 November 1956, de Havilland Mosquito TT.35, TA669, crashed during landing. *On 17 October 1957, de Havilland Mosquito TT.35, TA686, crashed during takeoff.

Berlin Airlift casualties at RAF Schleswigland

*15 January 1949, Gd. Eng. Teodor Supernat. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation. Ground accident with an RAF Hastings. *15 January 1949, Gd. Eng. Patrick Jmes Griffin. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation. Ground accident with an RAF Hastings. *15 January 1949, Gd. Eng. Edward O´Nil. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation. Ground accident with an RAF Hastings. *15 January 1949, unknown German lorry driver. Ground accident with an RAF Hastings. *21 March 1949, Capt. Robert John Freight. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation. Crash of Handley Page Halton G-AJZZ *21 March 1949, Nav Off James Patrick Lewin Sharp. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation. Crash of Handley Page Halton G-AJZZ *21 March 1949, Eng Off Henry Patterson. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation. Crash of Handley Page Halton G-AJZZ

References

Bibliography

* * Provan, Davies, Machat, ''Berlin Airlift''-The effort and the aircraft- (Paladwr Press, VA USA, 1998) * Pearcy, ''Berlin Airlift'' (Airlife, Shrewsbury* Pearcy, ''Berlin Airlury, 1997) * Rodrigo, ''Berlin Airlift'' (Cassell, London, 1960) * Lancashire Aircraft Corporation, ''Berlin Airlift'' (Walthamstow Press, Walthamstow, 1949) *Allied Museum Berlin, "A Museum Landing" The Biography of the Hastings TG503 ( Allied Museum, Berlin, 2003) *Hall, Handley Page Hastings -Warpaint Series No.62 (Warpaint Books, Bletchley) *Bingham, Handley Page Hastings & Hermes (GMS Enterprises, Peterborough, 1998) *Senior, Handley Page Hastings (Verdun Publishing, Stamford, 2008)

External links

British Berlin Airlift Association

Alliierten Museum (The Allied Museum) - museum of the history of western forces in Berlin and Germany from 1945 to 1994 (in German, English and French)

RAF Schleswigland and RAF Gatow during the Berlin Airlift
{{authority control Bases of the German Air Force Airports in Schleswig-Holstein