Wunstorf Air Base
RAF Wunstorf
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) B-116
Aerial picture prior to 2010's expansion
Wunstorf Air Base is located in Lower Saxony
Wunstorf Air Base
Wunstorf Air Base
Shown within Lower Saxony, Germany
Coordinates52°27′17″N 009°25′44″E / 52.45472°N 9.42889°E / 52.45472; 9.42889
Site information
OwnerFederal Defence Forces of Germany
Operator  Luftwaffe (National Socialist), 1936-1945
  Royal Air Force, 1945-1957
  German Air Force (FRG), 1957-Present
Site history
Built1936 (1936)
In use1936-Present
Garrison information
Garrison
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: ETNW
Runways
Direction Length and surface
03/21 1,699 metres (5,574 ft) Asphalt
08/26 2,499 metres (8,199 ft) Concrete

Wunstorf Air Base is a German Air Force military airfield (air base), located 6 km (3.7 mi) south-southwest of Neustadt am Rübenberge and 4 km (2.5 mi) north-northwest of Wunstorf in Lower Saxony, Germany. Wunstorf Air Base is the home to Air Transport Wing 62 (Lufttransportgeschwader 62), a unit operating all German Airbus A400M Atlas.

History

The airfield was opened in 1936 for the German Luftwaffe reconstituted by the National Socialist government in 1935. During the Second World War, it was seized by the British Army on 7 April 1945, in a fierce battle by elements of the 5th Parachute Brigade, 6th Airborne Division. During the battle, in which the 13th Battalion was also engaged, the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion lost six killed, and 21 wounded, most from the initial ambush of the four leading trucks of B Company. The airfield was captured with 19 Bf 109s, four Fw 190s, two Ju 88s, two Ju 52s and much other valuable equipment.

After the battle, the base was taken over by the Royal Air Force (RAF), including Canadian (RCAF) Wing 126 of the British 2nd Tactical Air Force, and designated as Advanced Landing Ground B-116 Wunstorf.

The airfield features heavily in the book "13 - Lucky For Some", which is about the history of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. There are many then and now photographs as well as maps and diagrams of battles that took place in the region.

It was later designated RAF Wunstorf and used by Royal Air Force Germany. RAF units assigned were:

  • April 1947 - June 1950: 2 Sq with Spitfire F 14/PR 19[1]
  • 1950-1952: 4 Sq,[2] 26 Sq with Vampire FB 5 later FB9[3]
  • August 1950 - September 1955: 11 Sq with Vampire FB 5, later Venom FB 1, later FB 4[4]
  • March 1952 - October 1955: 5 Sq with Vampire FB 5, later Venom FB 1, later FB 4[5]
  • July 1952 - October 1955: 266 Sq with Vampire FB 5, later Venom FB 1, later FB 4[6]
  • November 1955 - September 1956: 79 Sq with Meteor FR 9 and Swift FR 5[7]
  • November 1955 - September 1957: 541 Sq with Meteor PR 10[8]
  • 1956-1957: 5 Sq,[5] 11 Sq,[4] 266 Sq with Venom FB 4[6]

Much of the 1951 novel Air Bridge by Hammond Innes is set in RAF Wunstorf at the time of the Berlin Airlift. The novel contains descriptions of how the airfield, rapidly expanded for the Airlift, looked at that time.

The then-RAF Wunstorf also featured in the 1957 film "High Flight". Also in 1957, the airfield returned to the control of the German Air Force and became a NATO air base.

On the airfield it is a part of the major maneuver from June 12 to June 23, 2023, held under the leadership of the German Air Force Air Defender 23 it is the greatest exercise of air forces since NATO was announced.[9]

Use by German Air Force

A German Air Force Transall C-160D transport aircraft (s/n 50+38) of Air Transport Wing 62 (LTG 62) based at Wunstorf Air Base, in flight on 15 June 1983

German Air Force first stationed Nord Noratlas which by 1971 were replaced by Transall C-160D; those were disbanded from the local Air Transport Wing 62 (LTG 62) in July 2015, now focussing on accepting and integrating Airbus A400M Atlas. Flight training for decades was executed using Dornier Do 28.

Motorsport

Layout image of Wunstorf Airfield Circuit with the comparison of whole airfield

Between 1964 and 1998, a temporary motor racing circuit was laid out on the Wunstorf airbase. Races at the circuit were included in the German Touring Car Championship between 1984 and 1993,[10] one of several temporary airfield tracks on the DTM calendar at the time. The series eventually began to move towards permanent racing facilities and the final DTM race at Wunstorf took place in 1993, where Nicola Larini set a lap record of 1:44.45 in his Alfa Romeo during qualifying. The Super Tourenwagen Cup raced at the venue in 1994 and from 1996 to 1998.

In 1977, the Wunstorf circuit was first used for a round of the Interserie sports car racing championship. Wunstorf hosted the Interserie between 1977 and 1979, and again between 1985 and 1990.

Besides the big-name national championships, Wunstorf hosted a series of annual club racing meetings until 1999, when motor racing on the airbase premises was finally halted due to the cost of preparation and administration for the events.

Lap records

The official race lap records at the Wunstorf Air Base Circuit are listed as:

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleEvent
Full Circuit: 5.047 km (1964–1998)
Group C1:30.750[11]Kris NissenPorsche 962C1988 Wunstorf Interserie round
Formula 31:38.494[12]Steffen WidmannDallara F3971998 Wunstorf German F3 round
Class 1 Touring Cars1:44.620[13]Nicola LariniAlfa Romeo 155 V6 TI1993 Wunstorf DTM round
Super Touring1:45.653[14]Laurent AïelloPeugeot 4061997 Wunstorf STW Cup round
Group A1:46.150[15]Keke RosbergMercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo21992 Wunstorf DTM round

Expansion in 2010's

As preparation for 40 Airbus A400M Atlas to be stationed at Wunstorf Air Base, the airbase underwent major expansion. Runway 08/26 (45 m or 148 ft wide) was lengthened from 1,877 m (6,158 ft) to 2,499 m (8,199 ft) mainly to the east. Parking positions were expanded, one maintenance hangar was erected, another one is under construction. A building to house the flight simulator has been added.

References

  1. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 23.
  2. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 24.
  3. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 33.
  4. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 27.
  5. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 25.
  6. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 81.
  7. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 49.
  8. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 97.
  9. ↑ "Germany prepares to host NATO's biggest ever air exercise over Europe". euronews.com. 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  10. ↑ "DTM | die DTM-Saison". Archived from the original on 22 January 2013.
  11. ↑ "Interserie Wunstorf 1988". Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "ADAC Flugplatzrennen Wunstorf 11.Lauf Deutsche Formel 3-Meisterschaft Ergebnis Rennen 1" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft 1993 » Wunstorf Flugplatz Round 8 Results". Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "STW Cup 1997 » Wunstorf Flugplatz Round 12 Results". Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft 1992 » Wunstorf Flugplatz Round 6 Results". Retrieved 21 May 2022.

Bibliography

Media related to Wunstorf Air Base at Wikimedia Commons

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