Herzogenaurach Airport
Encyclopedia
Herzogenaurach Airport is a regional airport in Germany
, located about 3 miles north of Herzogenaurach
(Bavaria); about 230 miles southwest of Berlin
It supports general aviation
with no commercial airline service scheduled.
opened a fighter airfield in Herzogenaurach in 1936, the facility primarily an orgazational and equipping facility, with the units moving out after being formed to their operational bases. During World War II
, the airfield was assigned to the Defense of the Reich
campaign in 1943, with several Messerschmitt Bf 109
day and night interceptor units being assigned to the airfield.
American Army units moved into the Herzogenaurach area in mid-April 1945 during the Western Allied Invasion of Germany and seized the airfield on 18 April 1945 with little or no opposition. Combat engineers from the IX Engineering Command cleared wreckage and mines left by the retreating German forces and opened the airfield the next day as Advanced Landing Ground
"R-29". C-47 Skytrain
transports immediately began using the airfield to fly in supplies to the advancing ground forces and to evacuate wounded to the rear areas. Eventually a pierced steel planking runway was laid down to support combat operations, however the war ended before any operations were flown from the field.
With the German Capitulation on 7 May, the airfield was redesignated as Army Air Force Station Herzogenaurach and for the next year was used by the 354th Fighter Group] as an occupation Garrison, being joined in June by the 320th Bombardment Group also performing occupation duty. The Air Force units moved out in February 1946, the facility being turned over to the United States Army
as part of their garrison in the Nürnberg Military Area. The airfield was renamed as Herzo-Base and until 1992, used the facility primarily as a radar station.
The American forces pulled out of Herzogenaurach in 1992 as part of the drawdown of forces after the end of the Cold War
, and the facility was returned to the German Government. After the pullout, a new civil airport was built primarily for use by Adidas
, which moved its headquarters into Herzogenaurach. The vacant military facilities were torn down and redeveloped into an extension of the company's headquarters.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, located about 3 miles north of Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is probably best known for being the home of the sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma.-Geography:...
(Bavaria); about 230 miles southwest of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
It supports general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
with no commercial airline service scheduled.
History
The LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
opened a fighter airfield in Herzogenaurach in 1936, the facility primarily an orgazational and equipping facility, with the units moving out after being formed to their operational bases. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the airfield was assigned to the Defense of the Reich
Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe over German occupied Europe and Germany itself during World War II. Its aim was to prevent the destruction of German military and civil industries by the Western Allies...
campaign in 1943, with several Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
day and night interceptor units being assigned to the airfield.
American Army units moved into the Herzogenaurach area in mid-April 1945 during the Western Allied Invasion of Germany and seized the airfield on 18 April 1945 with little or no opposition. Combat engineers from the IX Engineering Command cleared wreckage and mines left by the retreating German forces and opened the airfield the next day as Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
"R-29". C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
transports immediately began using the airfield to fly in supplies to the advancing ground forces and to evacuate wounded to the rear areas. Eventually a pierced steel planking runway was laid down to support combat operations, however the war ended before any operations were flown from the field.
With the German Capitulation on 7 May, the airfield was redesignated as Army Air Force Station Herzogenaurach and for the next year was used by the 354th Fighter Group] as an occupation Garrison, being joined in June by the 320th Bombardment Group also performing occupation duty. The Air Force units moved out in February 1946, the facility being turned over to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as part of their garrison in the Nürnberg Military Area. The airfield was renamed as Herzo-Base and until 1992, used the facility primarily as a radar station.
The American forces pulled out of Herzogenaurach in 1992 as part of the drawdown of forces after the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, and the facility was returned to the German Government. After the pullout, a new civil airport was built primarily for use by Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, which moved its headquarters into Herzogenaurach. The vacant military facilities were torn down and redeveloped into an extension of the company's headquarters.