Rhein-Main Air Base
Encyclopedia
Rhein-Main Air Base was a U.S. Air Force / NATO military airbase near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany
. It occupied the south side of Frankfurt International Airport
. Its airport codes are discontinued.
Established in 1945, Rhein-Main Air Base was the primary airlift and passenger hub for U.S. forces in Europe. It was billed as the "Gateway to Europe". It closed December 30, 2005.
During its operational lifetime, the base's host airlift wing operated C-130 Hercules
and C-9 Nightingale aircraft, as well as supporting a large number of transient C-5 Galaxy
, C-141 Starlifter
, C-17 Globemaster III
, KC-135 Stratotanker
and KC-10 Extender
flight operations each day.
The base opened as a German commercial airport in 1936, with the northern part of base used as a field for airplanes and the extreme southern part near Zeppelinheim serving as a base for rigid airships. That section of Rhein-Main later became the port for the Graf Zeppelin
, its sister ship LZ-130
, and, until 6 May 1937, for the ill-fated Hindenburg
.
The airships were dismantled and their huge hangars demolished on 6 May 1940 in conversion of the base to military use. Luftwaffe
engineers subsequently extended the single runway and erected hangars and other facilities for German military aircraft. During World War II
the Luftwaffe used the field sporadically as a fighter base and as an experimental station for jet aircraft.
Initially Frankfurt/Rhein-Main Airfield was used by the Ninth Air Force
as a tactical fighter base. Tactical air groups stationed at the airfield were:
, C-46 Commando
, and C-54 Skymaster
transport aircraft using the base for transport operations. The Rhein-Main transport passenger and cargo terminal was completed in 1946, and air traffic into Rhein-Main increased after the closure of the military passenger terminal at Orly Air Base France
in March 1947, when the USAFE Eastern Air Transport Service opened its hub at Rhein-Main.
The 61st Troop Carrier Group
was reassigned to Rhein-Main on 30 September 1946 from nearby Eschborn
Air Base and assumed control of the transport mission, carrying out routine transport operations from the base using C-47s and C-54s. Troop Carrier Squadrons of the 61st TCG were the 14th, 15th, and 53d.
However, the ongoing dispute over Berlin
strained relations between the Soviet Union
and the Western Allies (United States
, United Kingdom
, France
). On 24 June 1948, the Soviet Union blocked access to the three Western-held sectors of Berlin, which lay deep within the Soviet-controlled zone of Germany, by cutting off all rail and road routes going through Soviet-controlled territory in Germany.
The commander of the American occupation zone in Germany, General Lucius D. Clay
, USA, gave the order on 25 June to launch a massive airlift using both civil and military aircraft. Rhein-Main Air Base became the main American terminal in Western Germany for the airlift. The aircraft of the 61st TCG participated using C-54 Skymasters to ferry coal, flour, and other cargo into West Berlin
. Additional Troop Carrier Squadrons were assigned to the 61st group, these being the 20th, 48th, and 54th.
On 19 November 1948, the 513th Troop Carrier Group (Special) was activated at Rhein-Main Air Base to assist in the airlift, also using C-54s. Groups of the 513th were the 313th, 330th, 331st, 332d, and 333d.
The Soviet Union lifted its blockade at 00:01, on 12 May 1949. However, the airlift did not end until 30 September, as the Western nations wanted to build up sufficient amounts of supplies in West Berlin in case the Soviets blockaded it again.
for duty with Military Air Transport Service
(MATS). The 61st was reassigned to McChord Air Force Base, Washington on 21 July 1950.
The 61st was replaced by the 60th Troop Carrier Wing
, which transferred from Wiesbaden Air Base, West Germany on 2 June 1950. The 60th was equipped with the heavier C-82 Packet
cargo aircraft. In 1953, the C-119 Flying Boxcar
arrived, bringing an increased cargo capability to the wing. The 60th TCW consisted of the following squadrons:
In 1955, with the opening of USAFE bases in France
, most heavy transport flights were shifted there and Rhein-Main became a passenger and tactical cargo hub. The 60th Troop Carrier Wing relocated to Dreux-Louvillier Air Base
, France
on 15 October 1955. The 1614th Support Squadron of the 1602nd Air Transport Wing (MATS) headquartered at Chatereaux, France provided aircraft maintenance, passenger services, air cargo handling, hotel operations and airlift operational support during the 1950s and 1960s on behalf of the Military Air Transport Service. Rhein-Main was placed under the 7310th Air Base Wing, and for over a decade provided ground service as well as cargo and passenger loading and unloading for USAFE and MATS transports.
USAFE turned over the northern part of the base to the German government for use as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main, the chief commercial airport for the greater Frankfurt area, in April 1959, with the remainder of the base remaining in the hands of USAFE as the principal aerial port for U.S. Forces in Germany.
The 1966 closure of USAFE bases in France increased cargo traffic at Rhein-Main extensively. On 1 July 1969, MATS transferred the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing
from RAF High Wycombe
, England
, to Rhein-Main as host unit and upgraded its facilities. Squadrons assigned to Rhein-Main along with the 435th TAW were:
The 435th TAW operated the Rhein-Main air terminal and providing aircraft maintenance for transitory C-17 Globemaster III
, C-141 Starlifter
and C-5 Galaxy
aircraft supporting aerial ports in Europe
, the Middle East
, and Africa
.
The 37th TAS took part in airlift operations during Operations Desert Shield/Storm in Southwest Asia
(the Middle East), from 14 August 1990 – 29 March 1991. It also air-dropped humanitarian supplies in Operation Provide Comfort for the relief of fleeing Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq in April–May 1991. It was redesignated as the 37th Airlift Squadron on 1 April 1992 and reassigned to the 435th Operations Group. The 37th AS conducted airlift and airdrop missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina
for Operation Provide Promise, starting July 1992.
The 55th AAS flew aeromedical missions throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The 58th TAS flew many aircraft types in its cargo and VIP transport mission: Lockheed VC-140 Jet Star
, Boeing VC-135 Sratoliner
, North American Aviation CT-39 Sabreliner
, Beech C-12 (military version of the Beechcraft Super King Air B200C)
, Gates Learjet C-21 (Learjet 35A), C-20 Gulfstream III
, and Boeing T-43
. It was subsequently redesignated the 58th Airlift Squadron on 1 June 1992, and inactivated on 1 October 1993.
On 1 July 1975, the USAF and Military Airlift Command
entered into an agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany that only transport aircraft be stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base.
Events of note at Rhein-Main Air Base:
, a symbolic yet substantial airlift in February 1992 from Rhein-Main AB. For nearly two weeks, US Air Force C-5A’s and C-141’s delivered several hundred tons of emergency food, medicines, and medical supplies to all twelve new independent states of the former Soviet Union, not only to each capital city but also to several outlying cities, especially across Russia. Small teams of US personnel from various government agencies (On-Site Inspection Agency, USAID, and USDA) had been placed in each destination shortly before the deliveries, to coordinate with local officials and to monitor to the best extent possible that the deliveries reached the intended recipients (i.e., orphanages, hospitals, soup kitchens, and needy families). A closing ceremony to the airlift phase (a much larger ground phase of Operation Provide Hope began in the spring) was held in late February at Rhein-Main AB, using a Russian AN-124 cargo aircraft to transport the last shipment of air-delivered supplies.
On 1 April 1992 the 435th TAW was realigned from Military Airlift Command
(MAC) to United States Air Forces in Europe
(USAFE) and redesignated as the 435th Airlift Wing (435 AW). The 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron (37 TAS) was concurrently redesignated as the 37th Airlift Squadron (37 AS) on the same date. At its peak, Rhein-Main AB had a population of 10,000. However by 1993, USAF officials announced the intent to downsize the base by half.
On 1 July 1993, the 55th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron moved to Ramstein Air Base
with its C-9A Nightingale aircraft. The 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron was redesignated as the 37th Airlift Squadron
(37 AS) and was also reassigned to Ramstein on 1 October 1994. With these moves completed and most heavy Air Mobility Command
(AMC) airlifters moving transcontinenal cargo and passenger traffic to Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Base
, the stage was set for a complete closue in 2005.
On 1 April 1995, the 435 AW was inactivated with Col Donald A. Philpitt, USAF as its last commander. The 435 AW was replaced by the 469th Air Base Group (469 ABG) under USAFE and the 726th Air Mobility Squadron (726 AMS) under AMC
. The 469 ABG inactivated on 10 October 2005, with the 726th Air Mobility Squadron being the last USAF unit at Rhein-Main Air Base.
From September 2001 until 2005, Rhein-Main continued to provide support for transient C-130, C-141, C-17, C-5, KC-135, KC-10 and AMC
-chartered civilian airliners supporting both US military activities throughout Europe, as well as a waypoint for air mobility operations throughout Southwest Asia in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
On 30 December 2005, the 726 AMS transferred to Spangdahlem Air Base
and the base was turned over to the German Government.
(TAC), United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), the 23d Air Force (23 AF) of the former Military Airlift Command
(MAC) and finally the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
The 7406th Operations Squadron was activated at Rhein-Main on 10 May 1955 and received its first aircraft (RB-50s) in March 1956. The RB-50s were replaced with specially configured C-130A-II reconnaissance aircraft in 1958.
The mission of the 7406th was airborne reconnaissance. The 7406th owned and maintained the aircraft and provided the flight crews. A separate USAF Security Service squadron provided the recon crew that manned the intelligence collection positions on the aircraft.
One of these C-130s (56-0528) was shot down with the loss of a crew of seventeen over Yerevan
, Soviet Armenia
on 2 September 1958, becoming the first C-130 lost to hostile fire. Four Soviet MiG-17 pilots took turns firing on the unarmed C-130 when the American aircraft inadvertently penetrated Soviet airspace while on a recon mission along the Turkish-Armenian border.
On 2 September 1997 the National Security Agency
dedicated at National Vigilance Park, Fort Meade, Maryland an Aerial Reconnaissance Memorial consisting of a refurbished C-130A tail number 57-0453 that has been restored to look identical to 56-0528 when it was shot down. The Aerial Recon Memorial honors all SILENT WARRIORS (all military airborne recon crews) who paid the ultimate price while defending their country.
The 7406th continued flying recon missions from Rhein-Main in the C-130B models until 30 June 1973 when the squadron's sister Security Service flying squadron moved to Hellenikon AB
, near Athens
, Greece
. Operational missions were flown until 13 June 1974 from Greece when the unit was disbanded. The 7206th nomenclature continued embodied in the 7206th ABG which was a support group in Athens until 1993. Surveillance missions continued at Hellenikon under the auspices of the 6916th ESS
With the relocation of the 7406th to Greece, the 7th Special Operations Squadron was moved from Ramstein to Rhein-Main as one of the units shuffled as part of operation Creek Action. The 7406th's Hercules had been used for covert COMINT missions along the Eastern Bloc borders. The 7th SOS's MC-130Es, code-named Combat Talon, were no less mysterious and were also striking to look at with their matt black camouflage scheme and two large hooks on the nose.
It is these hooks that provided the clue to the covert task of these aircraft because they were the most visible element of the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system
invented at the beginning of the 1960s and originally intended for fast and safe recovery of downed pilots from the ground or the sea as well as for the recovery of reconnaissance satellite capsules parachuting to earth.
The recovery system was not generally known about until around 1965 when several C-130s went into action in the Vietnam War
. Being also equipped with terrain following radar and a vast amount of ECM equipment, these special EC-130Es were ideally suited for dropping infiltrators and agents behind enemy lines and picking them up again.
This, then, was the type of aircraft used in Europe by the 7th SOS as MC-130E Combat Talons. Although even today very little is known about this special unit. According to a Fact Sheet issued by the 1st SOW, the MC-130Es can be used for infiltration operations in which commando and sabotage units are dropped in enemy territory and for difficult air drops. These drops were often from an extremely low altitude - drops from below fifteen meters were not exceptional.
The 7th SOS's MC-130Es were being spotted in every corner of Europe. One of the most bizarre sightings dates from January 1976 when a traveller from West Berlin
saw a low-flying C-130 over the Transitstrasse, the transit route, near Magdeburg
in the German Democratic Republic
(DDR). Flying at an estimated fifty meters over the motorway, the Hercules disappeared northwards at great speed. It was certainly an MC-130E from the 7th SOS but its unexplained sighting in the DDR makes one believe it was on a clandestine mission.
The 7th SOS was reassigned to the 39th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Wing, on 1 February 1987 and to the 352d Special Operations Group, on 1 December 1992 relocating in the process to RAF Alconbury
, England
.
Ramstein
and Spangdahlem
Air Bases took over all of Rhein-Main's airlift functions. The Frankfurt Airport Authority
has proceeded with plans to level nearly the entire base to build a third passenger terminal and other airport facilities.
As of January 2011 the only remaining buildings are:
(Main Base)
(Gateway Gardens)
Only 3 Buildings Remain. 1 star (608), 1 straight (Unknown), and the back gate guard house.
All others were demolished to make room for a new office park and the new kitchen/depot for
the LSG SkyChefs catering company, which commenced active service at the end of May 2008.
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 occupied the south side of Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt am Main Airport , or simply Frankfurt Airport, known in German as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main or Rhein-Main-Flughafen, is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, Germany, southwest of the city centre....
. Its airport codes are discontinued.
Established in 1945, Rhein-Main Air Base was the primary airlift and passenger hub for U.S. forces in Europe. It was billed as the "Gateway to Europe". It closed December 30, 2005.
During its operational lifetime, the base's host airlift wing operated C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
and C-9 Nightingale aircraft, as well as supporting a large number of transient C-5 Galaxy
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
, C-141 Starlifter
C-141 Starlifter
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...
, C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
, KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
and KC-10 Extender
KC-10 Extender
The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is the military adaptation of the three-engined DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force . The KC-10 incorporates military-specific equipment for its primary roles of transport and aerial refueling. It was developed to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker...
flight operations each day.
History
In 1909 Count von Zeppelin used Rhein-Main as a landing site for his dirigible Z-II. The facility was planned by Germany to be one of the most important European air terminals,The base opened as a German commercial airport in 1936, with the northern part of base used as a field for airplanes and the extreme southern part near Zeppelinheim serving as a base for rigid airships. That section of Rhein-Main later became the port for the Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German built and operated passenger-carrying hydrogen-filled rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a Graf or Count in the German nobility. During its operating life,...
, its sister ship LZ-130
LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin
The Graf Zeppelin II was the last of the great German rigid airships built by the Zeppelin Luftschiffbau during the period between the World Wars, the second and final ship of the Hindenburg class named in honor of Paul von Hindenburg...
, and, until 6 May 1937, for the ill-fated Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg was a large German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume...
.
The airships were dismantled and their huge hangars demolished on 6 May 1940 in conversion of the base to military use. 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....
engineers subsequently extended the single runway and erected hangars and other facilities for German military aircraft. 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 Luftwaffe used the field sporadically as a fighter base and as an experimental station for jet aircraft.
USAF use
After the U.S. 7th Army moved through the Frankfurt area, the 826th Engineer Aviation Battalion (EAB), a unit of the IX Engineer Command, arrived at Frankfurt/Rhein-Main Airfield 26 April 1945 It was classified as Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) Y-73. On 11 May 1945, the engineers began the task of clearing rubble and reconstructing major buildings. The Army engineers also built new runways and extended and widened the existing runway, constructed aprons and hardstands as well as taxiways leading to the terminal.Initially Frankfurt/Rhein-Main Airfield was used by the 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....
as a tactical fighter base. Tactical air groups stationed at the airfield were:
- 362d Fighter Group (8 April 1945 - 30 April 1945)
- 377th Fighter Group377th Air Base WingThe 377th Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.-Mission:Provide world-class nuclear surety, expeditionary forces, and support to base operations.-Units:...
(14 April 1945 - 2 May 1945) - 378th Fighter Group (14 April 1945 - 2 May 1945)
- 379th Fighter Group (8 April 1945 - 30 April 1945)
- 425th Night Fighter Squadron (12 April 1945 - 2 May 1945)
Air Transport
The initial USAAF transport unit at Rhein-Main was the 466th Air Service Group, activated on 20 November 1945. The 466th operated the aerial port, with a mixture of C-47 SkytrainC-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...
, C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
, and C-54 Skymaster
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
transport aircraft using the base for transport operations. The Rhein-Main transport passenger and cargo terminal was completed in 1946, and air traffic into Rhein-Main increased after the closure of the military passenger terminal at Orly Air Base France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in March 1947, when the USAFE Eastern Air Transport Service opened its hub at Rhein-Main.
The 61st Troop Carrier Group
61st Air Base Wing
The 61st Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California....
was reassigned to Rhein-Main on 30 September 1946 from nearby Eschborn
Eschborn
Eschborn is a town near Frankfurt am Main in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse, Germany. As of 2009, it had a population of 20,789, but boasts fulltime employment of over 30,000 people...
Air Base and assumed control of the transport mission, carrying out routine transport operations from the base using C-47s and C-54s. Troop Carrier Squadrons of the 61st TCG were the 14th, 15th, and 53d.
Berlin Airlift
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...
strained relations between the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the Western Allies (United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). On 24 June 1948, the Soviet Union blocked access to the three Western-held sectors of Berlin, which lay deep within the Soviet-controlled zone of Germany, by cutting off all rail and road routes going through Soviet-controlled territory in Germany.
The commander of the American occupation zone in Germany, General Lucius D. Clay
Lucius D. Clay
General Lucius Dubignon Clay was an American officer and military governor of the United States Army known for his administration of Germany immediately after World War II. Clay was deputy to General Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1945; deputy military governor, Germany 1946; commander in chief, U.S....
, USA, gave the order on 25 June to launch a massive airlift using both civil and military aircraft. Rhein-Main Air Base became the main American terminal in Western Germany for the airlift. The aircraft of the 61st TCG participated using C-54 Skymasters to ferry coal, flour, and other cargo into West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. Additional Troop Carrier Squadrons were assigned to the 61st group, these being the 20th, 48th, and 54th.
On 19 November 1948, the 513th Troop Carrier Group (Special) was activated at Rhein-Main Air Base to assist in the airlift, also using C-54s. Groups of the 513th were the 313th, 330th, 331st, 332d, and 333d.
The Soviet Union lifted its blockade at 00:01, on 12 May 1949. However, the airlift did not end until 30 September, as the Western nations wanted to build up sufficient amounts of supplies in West Berlin in case the Soviets blockaded it again.
Cold War
Although originally envisioned as a bomber base by USAFE, as a result of the Berlin Airlift, Rhein-Main became a principal European air transport terminal. With the end of the blockade, the 513th TCG was inactivated on 16 October 1949. The 61st TCG returned to routine transport operations until the outbreak of the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
for duty with Military Air Transport Service
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
(MATS). The 61st was reassigned to McChord Air Force Base, Washington on 21 July 1950.
The 61st was replaced by the 60th Troop Carrier Wing
60th Air Mobility Wing
The 60th Air Mobility Wing is the host unit at Travis Air Force Base in California. It is the largest air mobility organization in the United States Air Force and is responsible for strategic airlift and aerial refueling missions around the world...
, which transferred from Wiesbaden Air Base, West Germany on 2 June 1950. The 60th was equipped with the heavier C-82 Packet
C-82 Packet
The C-82 Packet was a twin-engine, twin-boom cargo aircraft designed and built by Fairchild Aircraft. It was used briefly by the United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy following World War II.-Design and development:...
cargo aircraft. In 1953, the C-119 Flying Boxcar
C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
arrived, bringing an increased cargo capability to the wing. The 60th TCW consisted of the following squadrons:
- 10th Troop Carrier Squadron10th Airlift SquadronThe 10th Airlift Squadron is part of the 62d Airlift Wing as McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-History:...
- 11th Troop Carrier Squadron
- 12th Troop Carrier Squadron
In 1955, with the opening of USAFE bases in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, most heavy transport flights were shifted there and Rhein-Main became a passenger and tactical cargo hub. The 60th Troop Carrier Wing relocated to Dreux-Louvillier Air Base
Dreux-Louvillier Air Base
Dreux-Louvilliers Air Base is a former United States Air Force base. It is located in the Eure-et-Loir département of France, southwest of Dreux, and about one mile west of Chennevieres; just to the west of the Départemental 20 road.During the Cold War, Dreux-Louvilliers was a front-line base...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 15 October 1955. The 1614th Support Squadron of the 1602nd Air Transport Wing (MATS) headquartered at Chatereaux, France provided aircraft maintenance, passenger services, air cargo handling, hotel operations and airlift operational support during the 1950s and 1960s on behalf of the Military Air Transport Service. Rhein-Main was placed under the 7310th Air Base Wing, and for over a decade provided ground service as well as cargo and passenger loading and unloading for USAFE and MATS transports.
USAFE turned over the northern part of the base to the German government for use as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main, the chief commercial airport for the greater Frankfurt area, in April 1959, with the remainder of the base remaining in the hands of USAFE as the principal aerial port for U.S. Forces in Germany.
435th Tactical Airlift Wing
435th Air Base Wing
The 435th Air Ground Operations Wing is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.The current commander is Colonel John S. Shapland, USAF....
from RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. Its purpose is to serve the needs of the RAF Air Command, situated on the site. It is also the headquarters of the European Air Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to Rhein-Main as host unit and upgraded its facilities. Squadrons assigned to Rhein-Main along with the 435th TAW were:
- 37th Tactical Airlift (1 October 1977) (C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
) - 55th Aeromedical Airlift (31 March 1975) (C-9A Nightingale)
- 58th Tactical Airlift (1 September 1977 - 1 October 1993)
The 435th TAW operated the Rhein-Main air terminal and providing aircraft maintenance for transitory C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
, C-141 Starlifter
C-141 Starlifter
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...
and C-5 Galaxy
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
aircraft supporting aerial ports in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
The 37th TAS took part in airlift operations during Operations Desert Shield/Storm in Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
(the Middle East), from 14 August 1990 – 29 March 1991. It also air-dropped humanitarian supplies in Operation Provide Comfort for the relief of fleeing Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq in April–May 1991. It was redesignated as the 37th Airlift Squadron on 1 April 1992 and reassigned to the 435th Operations Group. The 37th AS conducted airlift and airdrop missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
for Operation Provide Promise, starting July 1992.
The 55th AAS flew aeromedical missions throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The 58th TAS flew many aircraft types in its cargo and VIP transport mission: Lockheed VC-140 Jet Star
Lockheed JetStar
The Lockheed JetStar is a business jet produced from the early 1960s through the 1970s. The JetStar was the first dedicated business jet to enter service. It was also one of the largest aircraft in the class for many years, seating ten plus two crew...
, Boeing VC-135 Sratoliner
C-135 Stratolifter
|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
, North American Aviation CT-39 Sabreliner
T-39 Sabreliner
The North American Sabreliner is a mid-sized business jet developed by North American Aviation. It was offered to the U.S. Air Force in response to their Utility Trainer Experimental program...
, Beech C-12 (military version of the Beechcraft Super King Air B200C)
C-12 Huron
The C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
, Gates Learjet C-21 (Learjet 35A), C-20 Gulfstream III
C-20 Gulfstream III
The Gulfstream III, a business jet produced by Gulfstream Aerospace, is an an improved variant of the Grumman Gulfstream II.-Design and development:...
, and Boeing T-43
Boeing T-43
|-See also:-External links:* http://www.militaryaircraft.de/pictures/military/aircraft/T-43/T-43A_Gator.html* http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/t43a.shtml* http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/12ftw.htm...
. It was subsequently redesignated the 58th Airlift Squadron on 1 June 1992, and inactivated on 1 October 1993.
On 1 July 1975, the USAF and Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
entered into an agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany that only transport aircraft be stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base.
Events of note at Rhein-Main Air Base:
- On January 20, 1981, the American hostages held during the Iran hostage crisisIran hostage crisisThe Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
were flown to Rhein-Main in a C-9 Nightingale aeromedical aircraft.
- On August 8, 1985, The Red Army FactionRed Army FactionThe radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
terrorist group sneaked a car laden with explosives onto the base and parked it behind the headquarters building. At approximately 7:15 AM the car exploded, killing Airman First Class Frank Scarton of Michigan and Becky Jo Bristol of San Antonio, Texas, and wounding 20 others.
- In 1990, Rhein-Main Air Base was a major staging base for supplies and equipment heading to the Gulf WarGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
Post-Cold War use
In an ironic twist to the Berlin Airlift, the US and NATO staged Operation Provide HopeOperation Provide Hope
Operation Provide Hope was a humanitarian operation conducted by the U.S Air Force to provide medical equipment to former Soviet republics during their transition to democratic and free-market states. The operation was announced by Secretary of State James A. Baker, III on January 22-23, 1992 and...
, a symbolic yet substantial airlift in February 1992 from Rhein-Main AB. For nearly two weeks, US Air Force C-5A’s and C-141’s delivered several hundred tons of emergency food, medicines, and medical supplies to all twelve new independent states of the former Soviet Union, not only to each capital city but also to several outlying cities, especially across Russia. Small teams of US personnel from various government agencies (On-Site Inspection Agency, USAID, and USDA) had been placed in each destination shortly before the deliveries, to coordinate with local officials and to monitor to the best extent possible that the deliveries reached the intended recipients (i.e., orphanages, hospitals, soup kitchens, and needy families). A closing ceremony to the airlift phase (a much larger ground phase of Operation Provide Hope began in the spring) was held in late February at Rhein-Main AB, using a Russian AN-124 cargo aircraft to transport the last shipment of air-delivered supplies.
On 1 April 1992 the 435th TAW was realigned from Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
(MAC) to United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
(USAFE) and redesignated as the 435th Airlift Wing (435 AW). The 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron (37 TAS) was concurrently redesignated as the 37th Airlift Squadron (37 AS) on the same date. At its peak, Rhein-Main AB had a population of 10,000. However by 1993, USAF officials announced the intent to downsize the base by half.
On 1 July 1993, the 55th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron moved to Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
with its C-9A Nightingale aircraft. The 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron was redesignated as the 37th Airlift Squadron
37th Airlift Squadron
The 37th Airlift Squadron is part of the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It operates C-130J Super Hercules aircraft providing theater airlfit.-History:...
(37 AS) and was also reassigned to Ramstein on 1 October 1994. With these moves completed and most heavy Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
(AMC) airlifters moving transcontinenal cargo and passenger traffic to Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...
, the stage was set for a complete closue in 2005.
On 1 April 1995, the 435 AW was inactivated with Col Donald A. Philpitt, USAF as its last commander. The 435 AW was replaced by the 469th Air Base Group (469 ABG) under USAFE and the 726th Air Mobility Squadron (726 AMS) under AMC
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
. The 469 ABG inactivated on 10 October 2005, with the 726th Air Mobility Squadron being the last USAF unit at Rhein-Main Air Base.
From September 2001 until 2005, Rhein-Main continued to provide support for transient C-130, C-141, C-17, C-5, KC-135, KC-10 and AMC
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
-chartered civilian airliners supporting both US military activities throughout Europe, as well as a waypoint for air mobility operations throughout Southwest Asia in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
On 30 December 2005, the 726 AMS transferred to Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...
and the base was turned over to the German Government.
Special Operations
Although the major mission of Rhein-Main Air Base was strategic and tactical airlift, the base also operated a substantial special operations mission under the cognizance of the former Tactical Air CommandTactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC), United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), the 23d Air Force (23 AF) of the former Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
(MAC) and finally the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
7406th Operations Squadron
The mission of the 7406th was airborne reconnaissance. The 7406th owned and maintained the aircraft and provided the flight crews. A separate USAF Security Service squadron provided the recon crew that manned the intelligence collection positions on the aircraft.
One of these C-130s (56-0528) was shot down with the loss of a crew of seventeen over Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, Soviet Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
on 2 September 1958, becoming the first C-130 lost to hostile fire. Four Soviet MiG-17 pilots took turns firing on the unarmed C-130 when the American aircraft inadvertently penetrated Soviet airspace while on a recon mission along the Turkish-Armenian border.
On 2 September 1997 the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
dedicated at National Vigilance Park, Fort Meade, Maryland an Aerial Reconnaissance Memorial consisting of a refurbished C-130A tail number 57-0453 that has been restored to look identical to 56-0528 when it was shot down. The Aerial Recon Memorial honors all SILENT WARRIORS (all military airborne recon crews) who paid the ultimate price while defending their country.
The 7406th continued flying recon missions from Rhein-Main in the C-130B models until 30 June 1973 when the squadron's sister Security Service flying squadron moved to Hellenikon AB
Ellinikon International Airport
Ellinikon International Airport , sometimes spelled Hellinikon was the international airport of Athens, Greece for sixty years up until 2001 when it was replaced by the new Athens International Airport. It is located south of Athens, and just west of Glyfada...
, near Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Operational missions were flown until 13 June 1974 from Greece when the unit was disbanded. The 7206th nomenclature continued embodied in the 7206th ABG which was a support group in Athens until 1993. Surveillance missions continued at Hellenikon under the auspices of the 6916th ESS
7th Special Operations Squadron
It is these hooks that provided the clue to the covert task of these aircraft because they were the most visible element of the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system
Fulton surface-to-air recovery system
The Fulton surface-to-air recovery system is a system used by the CIA, United States Air Force and United States Navy for retrieving persons on the ground from an MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft. It involves using an overall-type harness and a self-inflating balloon which carries an attached lift...
invented at the beginning of the 1960s and originally intended for fast and safe recovery of downed pilots from the ground or the sea as well as for the recovery of reconnaissance satellite capsules parachuting to earth.
The recovery system was not generally known about until around 1965 when several C-130s went into action in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Being also equipped with terrain following radar and a vast amount of ECM equipment, these special EC-130Es were ideally suited for dropping infiltrators and agents behind enemy lines and picking them up again.
This, then, was the type of aircraft used in Europe by the 7th SOS as MC-130E Combat Talons. Although even today very little is known about this special unit. According to a Fact Sheet issued by the 1st SOW, the MC-130Es can be used for infiltration operations in which commando and sabotage units are dropped in enemy territory and for difficult air drops. These drops were often from an extremely low altitude - drops from below fifteen meters were not exceptional.
The 7th SOS's MC-130Es were being spotted in every corner of Europe. One of the most bizarre sightings dates from January 1976 when a traveller from West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
saw a low-flying C-130 over the Transitstrasse, the transit route, near Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
in the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
(DDR). Flying at an estimated fifty meters over the motorway, the Hercules disappeared northwards at great speed. It was certainly an MC-130E from the 7th SOS but its unexplained sighting in the DDR makes one believe it was on a clandestine mission.
The 7th SOS was reassigned to the 39th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Wing, on 1 February 1987 and to the 352d Special Operations Group, on 1 December 1992 relocating in the process to RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Closure
On 23 December 1999, the U.S. and German governments agreed to close the facility. The last military passenger and cargo flights took place in late September 2005 and the base's formal closure ceremony took place on 10 October 2005, although the final handover to the German government did not occur until 30 December 2005.Ramstein
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
and Spangdahlem
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...
Air Bases took over all of Rhein-Main's airlift functions. The Frankfurt Airport Authority
Fraport
Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide is a German transport company which operates the Frankfurt International Airport serving Frankfurt am Main and holds interests in the operation of several other airports around the world. In the past the firm also managed the smaller Frankfurt-Hahn...
has proceeded with plans to level nearly the entire base to build a third passenger terminal and other airport facilities.
As of January 2011 the only remaining buildings are:
(Main Base)
- Bldg: 692 - The old base hotel near the front gate (now owned by the Steigenberger Hotel Group and called the Esprix)
- Bldg: 140 - Former Enlisted Dorms, now office buildings
- Bldg: 259 - Sewage Treatment Plant. Has since been Upgraded and greatly expanded
- Bldg: 549 - Hangar, now used by Lufthansa Technik
(Gateway Gardens)
Only 3 Buildings Remain. 1 star (608), 1 straight (Unknown), and the back gate guard house.
All others were demolished to make room for a new office park and the new kitchen/depot for
the LSG SkyChefs catering company, which commenced active service at the end of May 2008.