Kelz Airfield
Encyclopedia
Kelz Airfield is a former World War II
military airfield in Germany
. It was located about 2 miles north of Vettweiß
(Nordrhein-Westfalen); approximately 315 miles southwest of Berlin
.
The airfield was built by the United States Army Air Force during March 1945 as a temporary Advanced Landing Ground
as part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany. It was closed in July 1945 and dismantled.
. The airfield was constructed using Pierced Steel Planking, 5000' long aligned east-west (09/27). In addition, tents were erected for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump was created for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water; and a minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting was installed.
Opened on 24 March 1945, Ninth Air Force
moved the P-47 Thunderbolt
s of the 48th Fighter Group to the field on 26 March, followed shortly by the P-47s of the 404th Fighter Group
on 30 March. The Thunderbolts flew support missions, patrolling roads; strafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops when spotted.
Both combat groups moved out at the end of April 1945, the airfield being used afterward for resupply and casualty evacuation. The airfield remained open until July when it was closed and dismantled. Today, the location of the former airfield a mixture of agricultural fields with little or no evidence of its existence.
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...
military airfield in Germany
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...
. It was located about 2 miles north of Vettweiß
Vettweiß
Vettweiß is a municipality in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approx...
(Nordrhein-Westfalen); approximately 315 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...
.
The airfield was built by the United States Army Air Force during March 1945 as a temporary 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...
as part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany. It was closed in July 1945 and dismantled.
History
The airfield was built by the IX Engineer Command, 826th Engineer Aviation Battalion on a flat, agricultural area near the village of Kelz in the North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. The airfield was constructed using Pierced Steel Planking, 5000' long aligned east-west (09/27). In addition, tents were erected for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump was created for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water; and a minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting was installed.
Opened on 24 March 1945, Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
moved the P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s of the 48th Fighter Group to the field on 26 March, followed shortly by the P-47s of the 404th Fighter Group
404th Fighter Group
The 404th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with III Fighter Command, stationed at Drew Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 9 November 1945....
on 30 March. The Thunderbolts flew support missions, patrolling roads; strafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops when spotted.
Both combat groups moved out at the end of April 1945, the airfield being used afterward for resupply and casualty evacuation. The airfield remained open until July when it was closed and dismantled. Today, the location of the former airfield a mixture of agricultural fields with little or no evidence of its existence.
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground