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Trier Air Base, also known as Trier Euren Airfield, is a former military airfield located in the southwest of
Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...
, a city in
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It was established in 1910. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
it was used by the
Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte Deutsch ( , ) or Deutsche ( , ) may refer to: * or : the German language or in particular Standard German, spoken in central European countries and other places *Old High German language refers to Deutsch as a way to define the primary characteris ...
as both a Zeppelin and military airfield. Later, it was used by the
Air Service, United States Army The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...
, Deutsche Luftwaffe, the
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, and
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
forces until being closed in 1977, when the airfield was converted into an industrial park.


History

The history of Trier Air Base begins in 1910, when the Berliner Aeroclub held an air race between
Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...
and
Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
. It was the first long range distance, and the first aviation undertaking in the southwest of Germany. It was then unused until 1913 when the
German Imperial Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
(Deutsches Heer) held maneuvers on the site, accompanied by an airplane. Afterwards, it became an intermediate airfield for
Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp. 155� ...
airships based in Cologne. To facilitate this a large airship hangar was built at the field.Abandoned Airfields:Trier-Euren


World War I

During the war, it was used as a
Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp. 155� ...
Airbase.www.theaerodrome.com
/ref> A Zeppelin from Trier bombed
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
on 21 March 1915. In addition to the Zeppelins, several combat aircraft squadrons of the
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
(Imperial German Army Air Service) were stationed at Trier Airdrome.


United States Third Army

After the
1918 Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed in a railroad car, in the Compiègne Forest near the town of Compiègne, that ended fighting on land, at sea, and in the air in World War I between the Entente and their las ...
, the airfield was designated as an occupation area for the United States
Third Army Air Service The Third Army Air Service was a United States Army Air Service organization stationed in France and Occupied Germany in the immediate aftermath of World War I. It was demobilized in Germany on 2 July 1919. There is no modern United States Air F ...
and many German aircraft were surrendered to the Americans there. Initially, the Third Army Ait Service VII Corps Observation Group was assigned to the field. Assigned to it were the
12th Twelfth can mean: *The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution *The Twelfth, a Protestant celebration originating in Ireland In mathematics: * 12th, an ordinal number; as in the item in an order twelve places from the beginning, follo ...
and
88th Aero Squadron The 88th Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I. The squadron was assigned as a Corps Observation Squadron, performing short-range, tactical rec ...
s (Corps Observation). Its mission it was to map the Rhineland area using aerial photography and perform test flights on surrendered German aircraft. Flights of the
Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...
, Pfalz D.XII,
Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...
s and
Rumpler Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer. History Founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p. ...
aircraft were made and evaluations were provided.Series "P", Volumes 1 and 2, History of the 3d Army Air Service. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Temporarily, Trier Airfield was the home of Headquarters of Third Army Air Service, which arrived on 8 December 1918. Assigned to it were the 9th, 91st, 94th and
166th Aero Squadron The 166th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I. The squadron was assigned as a Day Bombardment Squadron, performing long-range bombing attacks o ...
s. Its stay at Trier was brief, as it moved to Coblenz Airdrome, Fort Kaiser Alexander, once facilities in
Coblenz Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman military post by Drusus . Its name originates from ...
were prepared. Other Air Service squadrons at Trier were the 9th and
186th Aero Squadron The 186th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I. The squadron was assigned as an Army Observation Squadron, performing long-range, strategic reco ...
s, which arrived on 15 April 1919 after the US First and Second Armies in France were demobilized. The American use of Trier Airfield ended on 12 May 1919 when Headquarters, Third Army ordered all Air Service units in the Rhineland to move back to France for demobilization.Series "D", Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918-May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.


Luftwaffe use in World War II

When the Americans left, the airfield was used by French troops, and German civilian aircraft were not allowed to use it until 1927. In 1935, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
was brought into existence. The airfield was reopened by the Nazi Government, but due to its close proximity to the French border, the airfield was used for light non-military aircraft. In 1938 or 1939, some reserve units of the Luftwaffe were briefly stationed at the airfield, but no combat units were assigned. The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
/ref> When
World War II 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 ...
broke out with France on 3 September 1939, Trier Airfield was placed on alert, but no Luftwaffe aircraft were assigned until May 1940, during the buildup of German forces prior to the
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
. The following known units were assigned to the airfield in May: *
Jagdgeschwader 53 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53) was a Luftwaffe fighter aircraft, fighter-Wing (air force unit), wing of World War II. It operated in Western Europe and in the Mediterranean. ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 - or as it was better known, the "Pik As" ''(Ace ...
(JG 53),
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
E *
Jagdgeschwader 52 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 52 (JG 52) was a Nazi Germany, German World War II fighter aircraft, fighter ''Geschwader'' (Wing (air force unit), wing) that exclusively used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 throughout the war. The unit originally formed near Muni ...
(JG 52),
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
E *
Lehrgeschwader 1 ''Lehrgeschwader'' 1 (LG 1) (Demonstration Wing 1) formerly ''Lehrgeschwader Greifswald'' was a Luftwaffe multi-purpose unit during World War II, operating fighter, bomber and dive-bomber ''Gruppen''. The unit was formed in July 1936 and opera ...
(LG 1),
Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...
C/D *
Zerstörergeschwader 1 ''Zerstörergeschwader'' 1 (ZG 1—1st Destroyer Wing) (lit. ''destroyer wing'') was a Luftwaffe ''zerstörer'' or ‘destroyer’ (heavy fighter) wing of World War II. Formation ''Zerstörergeschwader'' 1 (ZG 1—1st Destroyer Wing ...
(ZG 1),
Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...
C/D *
Zerstörergeschwader 76 ''Zerstörergeschwader 76'' (ZG 76) was a ''Zerstörer'' (heavy fighter; lit. "destroyer") ''geschwader'' (Wing (air force unit), wing) of the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. The wing operated the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the early phas ...
(ZG 76),
Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...
C/D *
Kampfgeschwader 2 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 2 ''Holzhammer'' (KG 2/Battle Wing 2) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during the Second World War. The unit was formed in May 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17 light bomber, Dornier Do 217 and Junkers Ju 188 heavy bombe ...
(KG 2),
Dornier Do 17 The Dornier Do 17 is a twin-engined light bomber designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Dornier Flugzeugwerke. Large numbers were operated by the ''Luftwaffe'' throughout the Second World War. The Do 17 was designed during ...
Z All of these units took part in the ensuring combat in France during May and June 1940, and moving west into France. By mid-July, all of the combat units had moved out, and Trier airfield was unused for several years.


Advanced Landing Ground Y-57

As Allied forces moved east from France in late 1944, the airfield was attacked on several occasions by
Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in t ...
medium bombers and
P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
s to deny the Luftwaffe use of the facility while the ground forces moved into Germany, crossing the
Siegfried Line The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall (= western bulwark)'', was a German defensive line built during the late 1930s. Started in 1936, opposite the French Maginot Line, it stretched more than from Kleve on the border with the ...
. The Trier area was the scene of heavy combat between the German Forces and Allies and they pushed east into the Rhineland as part of the
Western Allied invasion of Germany The Western Allied invasion of Germany was coordinated by the Allies of World War II, Western Allies during the final months of hostilities in the European theatre of World War II, European theatre of World War II. In preparation for the Allied ...
. The following attacks on the airfield are recorded: * 5 April 1944: low-level attack by P-47 Thunderbolts of the
VIII Fighter Command The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European Thea ...
– claims were one
DFS 230 The DFS 230 was a German transport glider operated by the Luftwaffe in World War II. It was developed in 1933 by the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS - "German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight") with Hans Jacobs as the he ...
and one
Gotha Go 242 The Gotha Go 242 was a transport glider used by the ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. It was an upgrade over the DFS 230 in both cargo/troop capacity and flight characteristics. It saw limited combat action. There were multiple glider variant ...
destroyed; one
Junkers Ju 188 The Junkers Ju 188 "''Rächer''" ("Avenger") was a German ''Luftwaffe'' high-performance medium bomber built during World War II, the planned follow-up to the Ju 88 with better performance and payload. It was produced only in limited numbers, d ...
, one DFS 230 and five Go 242 damaged. * 24 April 1944: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command P-47s – claims were one Bf 110 destroyed; one damaged. * 28 August 1944: low-level attack by VIII Fighter Command
P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
s – claims were two Junkers Ju 52 destroyed; one
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the ...
and one Ju 52 damaged. Following the shelling of Trier by U.S. artillery, the evacuation and demolition of the airfield was ordered on 16 September 1944. It was ordered to be made serviceable again on 20 December 1944. * 13 January 1945: strafed by VIII Fighter Command P-51s. Finally on 2 March 1945, the American Third Army captured the airfield.Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Combat engineers from IX Engineer command moved in with the 825th Engineering Aviation Battalion arriving on 6 March 1945 to repair the damaged airfield.
Pierced Steel Planking Marston Mat, more properly called pierced (or perforated) steel planking (PSP), is standardized, perforated steel matting material developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the r ...
was laid down over the damaged concrete runway, making it usable for American combat aircraft. In addition, the engineers began clearing the airport of mines and destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft, and repairing operational facilities for use by American aircraft. On 10 March the airfield was declared ready for Allied use and was designated as Advanced Landing Ground "Y-57 Trier-Euren". Trier Airfield was the first operational American airfield in occupied Germany. Trier Airfield's primary use by the Americans was for combat resupply and casualty evacuation, being used largely by
C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troo ...
transports from the day it was opened until the end of the war in May. It was also used by the
Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
10th Reconnaissance Group 010 may refer to: * 10 (number) * 8 (number) in octal numeral notation * Motorola 68010, a microprocessor released by Motorola in 1982 * 010, the telephone area code of Beijing * 010, the Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest L ...
until early April, flying photo-reconnaissance missions with
P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...
s (F-4) and
P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
s (F-5). On 26 March 1945, a Douglas A-26C-20-DT Invader (s/n 43-22503) of the 670th Bombardment Squadron,
416th Bombardment Group 416th may refer to: *416th Air Expeditionary Operations Group, provisional unit assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command *416th Bombardment Wing, inactive United States Air Force unit *416th Engineer Command (TEC), US Army Reser ...
crash-landed near the runway after being hit in the right engine during a raid against
Altenkirchen Altenkirchen () is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, capital of the Altenkirchen (district), district of Altenkirchen. It is located approximately 40 km east of Bonn and 50 km north of Koblenz. Altenkirchen is the seat of the ' ...
. With the end of the war, Trier Airfield was closed on 10 July 1945.


Postwar/NATO use

When the USAAF closed the airfield in July 1945, occupation forces from the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
moved in to garrison the facility. The airfield became a Displaced Persons camp during 1945 and early 1946, holding civilians from many countries of Europe as the continent slowly recovered from the ravages of war. United States Army forces moved out of Trier in the late summer of 1945, as French forces moved into the Rhineland as part of their occupation zone of Germany. With the establishment of
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
in 1949, Headquarters,
Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG) in the southern portion of West Germany. 4 ATAF commanded al ...
(4 ATAF) was established at what became "Trier Air Base" about 1950. The wartime damaged airfield was repaired as part of the postwar reconstruction, and new buildings for the NATO facility were erected at the base. The NATO facility closed on 30 November 1957 after 4 ATAF was moved to
Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
to consolidate command facilities with the USAF. Once NATO left the base, it was used as a civil airport for the city of Trier. In the early 1970s it became clear the airfield would have to close to allow industrial development. Construction of Trier-Föhren Airport as a replacement airfield for the city of Trier began. A French army helicopter unit remained at the airport until 1977, when it was closed and converted into an industrial park. The original 4 ATAF buildings north of the airfield had been handed over the
West German Air Force The German Air Force (, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ) was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces of West Germ ...
in 1957 and were used until 2009. After being used as a refugee camp in 2014-2018, the city of Trier decided to buy the former barracks and redevelop the area into an industrial park. Although the last aviation use of the Trier Air Base airfield ended in 1977, it is still recognizable, both from the air and on the ground. The runway and taxiways are largely intact and have been converted into streets and parking for large trucks. Two buildings of the airfield remained on the west side of the former airfield until 2019, although more and more of the runway is being removed and redeveloped.


See also

* Advanced Landing Ground


References


External links

{{authority control World War II airfields in Germany Airports established in 1910 Airports in Rhineland-Palatinate
Air Base An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...
Defunct airports in Germany Buildings and structures in Trier Airports disestablished in 1977