Merzbruck Airport
Encyclopedia
Merzbrück Airport is an airfield located in Aachen
, Germany
. It is also known as Aachen-Merzbrück Airport ().
The airport primarily supports general aviation
, and also has a very large sailplane facility.
The ADAC
Air Rescue Service provides the air rescue helicopter Christoph Europa 1 for urgent medical rescues and air ambulance
duties at Merzbrück Airport.
With the outbreak of World War II
, Merzbrück was used by the Luftwaffe
, with IV.(Stuka)/LG 1 and I./St.G. 77 of Lehrgeschwader 1, equipped with Junkers Ju 87
s during the first week of the Belgian Campaign
in May 1940. After the Battle of France
in June ended, the airfield was little used by the military or general aviation.
In January 1945, as a result of the Western Allied invasion of Germany, United States Army
forces moved though the Aachen
area and captured Merzbrück Airport about 29 January. In February combat engineers of the 818th Engineering Aviation Battalion arrived and laid down a 5000' Pierced Steel Planking metal runway down on the grass airfield aligned 05/23 for use by combat aircraft, and the airport was designated as Advanced Landing Ground
"Y-46 Aachen". The Americans used the airport for P-47 Thunderbolt
combat operations until the middle of April 1945, and the airport was closed on 11 May 1945.
After the war, the airport was not used for many years as the reconstruction of Germany was underway. Eventually the wartime steel runway put down by the Americans during the war was removed, and the airfield was rebuilt with an all-weather asphalt runway. taxiways, and both concrete and grass aircraft parking areas. A parallel grass runway is also available. Today, Merzbrück Airport is a modern, well-equipped airport.
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, 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 is also known as Aachen-Merzbrück Airport ().
The airport primarily 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...
, and also has a very large sailplane facility.
The ADAC
ADAC
The ADAC is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010. It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" and was renamed in 1911...
Air Rescue Service provides the air rescue helicopter Christoph Europa 1 for urgent medical rescues and air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
duties at Merzbrück Airport.
History
The airport was built about 1932 as a grass airfield, and throughout the 1930s was used by small light aircraft.With the outbreak of 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...
, Merzbrück was used by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
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....
, with IV.(Stuka)/LG 1 and I./St.G. 77 of Lehrgeschwader 1, equipped with Junkers Ju 87
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
s during the first week of the Belgian Campaign
Battle of Belgium
The Battle of Belgium or Belgian Campaign formed part of the greater Battle of France, an offensive campaign by Germany during the Second World War...
in May 1940. After the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in June ended, the airfield was little used by the military or general aviation.
In January 1945, as a result of the Western Allied invasion of Germany, 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...
forces moved though the Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
area and captured Merzbrück Airport about 29 January. In February combat engineers of the 818th Engineering Aviation Battalion arrived and laid down a 5000' Pierced Steel Planking metal runway down on the grass airfield aligned 05/23 for use by combat aircraft, and the airport was designated 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...
"Y-46 Aachen". The Americans used the airport for 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...
combat operations until the middle of April 1945, and the airport was closed on 11 May 1945.
After the war, the airport was not used for many years as the reconstruction of Germany was underway. Eventually the wartime steel runway put down by the Americans during the war was removed, and the airfield was rebuilt with an all-weather asphalt runway. taxiways, and both concrete and grass aircraft parking areas. A parallel grass runway is also available. Today, Merzbrück Airport is a modern, well-equipped airport.
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See also
- Advanced Landing Ground