RAF Ahlhorn

Royal Air Force Ahlhorn or more simply RAF Ahlhorn, is a former Royal Air Force station located 1 mile (1.6 km) south east of the centre of Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony and 11 miles (18 km) north of Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany.

RAF Ahlhorn (Advanced Landing Ground B-111)
Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony in Germany
Former RAF Ahlhorn in 2010
RAF Ahlhorn Shown within Lower Saxony, Germany
Coordinates	52°53′06″N 008°13′57″E
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry (UK)
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Second Tactical Air Force
Site history
Built	1944 (1944)
In use	1945-1958 (1958)
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: ETNA
Elevation	49 metres (161 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 09/27 2,106 metres (6,909 ft) Asphalt

Originally, it was a German airbase for Zeppelins. The Royal Air Force (RAF) disestablished the station and it was closed down in the autumn of 1958 and was transferred to the Bundeswehr. It was a private airport before being converted to a solar park in 2011.

History

First World War

Built during the First World War in the summer of 1915 for Zeppelins four large hangars were built. In two pairs, the hangars measured 240 metres (790 ft) in length, 60 metres (200 ft) in width and 35 metres (115 ft) in height. The hangars were named "Albrecht" and "Aladin" (northern pair), and "Alrun" and "Alix" (southern pair).^[1] On 5 January 1918 Ahlhorn hangars explosion that destroyed the LZ 87 (L 47), LZ 94 (L 46), LZ 97 (L 51), LZ 105 (L 58), and SL 20. Fifteen killed, 134 injured.^[2]

Ahlhorn Hangar explosion

Production number	Class	Tactical numbering	First flight	Remarks	Image
Zeppelin LZ 87	R	L 47	11 May 1917	18 reconnaissance missions and three attacks dropping 3,240 kg (7,140 lb) of bombs around the North Sea and England. On 5 January 1918, a giant explosion in the air base in Ahlhorn destroyed four Zeppelins (including L 47) and one non-Zeppelin built airship, housed in one adjacent hangar and two 0.5 mi (0.80 km) away.[3]
Zeppelin LZ 94	T	L 46	24 April 1917	19 reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; 3 raids on England dropping 5,700 kg (12,600 lb) of bombs [3]
Zeppelin LZ 97	U	L 51	6 June 1917	3 reconnaissance missions; one raid on the English coast, dropping 280 kg bombs [3]
Zeppelin LZ 105	V	L 58	29 October 1917	Two reconnaissance missions [3]
S.L.20	(Type 'f')	L 58	9 September 1917	Two missions [3]

Second World War and beyond

During the Second World War the airfield was used as an Advanced Landing Ground before becoming a permanent RAF station.

Squadron	Aircraft	From	To	To	Notes
No. 14 Squadron RAF	Hawker Hunter F.4/F.6	26 September 1957	15 September 1958	RAF Gütersloh	[4]
No. 16 Squadron RAF	Hawker Tempest F.2	8 May 1947	20 May 1947	RAF Fassberg	[5]
No. 20 Squadron RAF	Hawker Hunter F.6	23 September 1957	30 August 1958	RAF Gütersloh	[6]
No. 26 Squadron RAF	Hawker Tempest F.2	8 May 1947	20 May 1947	RAF Fassberg	[7]
No. 26 Squadron RAF	Hawker Hunter F.6	7 June 1958	8 September 1958	RAF Gütersloh	[7]
No. 33 Squadron RAF	Hawker Tempest F.2	8 May 1947	20 May 1947	RAF Fassberg	[8]
No. 96 Squadron RAF	Gloster Meteor NF.11	17 November 1952	12 February 1958	RAF Geilenkirchen	Reformed here[9]
No. 149 Squadron RAF	English Electric Canberra B.2	24 August 1954	17 September 1954	RAF Gütersloh	[10]
No. 193 Squadron RAF	Hawker Typhoon Ib	30 April 1945	8 January 1945	RAF Hildesheim	[11]
No. 197 Squadron RAF	Hawker Typhoon Ib	30 April 1945	8 June 1945	RAF Hildesheim	[11]
No. 213 Squadron RAF	English Electric Canberra B(I).6	1 September 1955	22 August 1957	RAF Bruggen	Reformed here.[12]
No. 256 Squadron RAF	Gloster Meteor NF.11	17 November 1952	12 February 1958	RAF Geilenkirchen	[13]
No. 263 Squadron RAF	Hawker Typhoon Ib	30 April 1945	8 June 1945	RAF Hildesheim	[14]
No. 266 Squadron RAF	Hawker Typhoon Ib	4 June 1945	8 June 1945	RAF Hildesheim	[15]
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron	Supermarine Spitfire XVI	16 September 1945	27 August 1946	RAF Sylt	[16]
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron	Supermarine Spitfire XVI	31 August 1946	7 October 1946	RAF Hethel	[16]
No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron	Supermarine Spitfire XVI	16 September 1945	22 January 1946	RAF Sylt	[17]
No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron	Supermarine Spitfire XVI	9 February 1946	7 October 1946	RAF Hethel	[17]
No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron	Supermarine Spitfire XVI	15 September 1945	July 1946	RAF Sylt	[18]
No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron	Supermarine Spitfire XVI	16 August 1946	7 October 1946	RAF Hethel	[18]

Units:

• No. 418 Air Stores Park between 5 and 7 May 1945^[19]
• No. 8 Section of No. 422 Aviation Fuel and Ammunition Park from 29 June 1945^[20]
• No. 6014 Servicing Echelon between 26 September 1957 and 15 September 1958 supporting 14 Squadron^[21]
• No. 6193 Servicing Echelon between 30 April and 8 June 1945 supporting 193 Squadron^[22]
• No. 6197 Servicing Echelon between 5 May and 8 June 1945 supporting 197 Squadron^[22]
• No. 6263 Servicing Echelon between 30 April and June 1945 supporting 263 Squadron^[23]
• No. 6266 Servicing Echelon between 4 and 6 June 1945 supporting 266 Squadron^[23]
• No. 6302 (Polish) Servicing Echelon between 16 September 1945 and 16 October 1946 supporting 302 Squadron^[23]
• No. 6308 (Polish) Servicing Echelon between 16 September 1945 and 7 October 1946 supporting 308 Squadron^[23]
• Ahlhorn Station Flight used Prentice T.1, Canberra T.4, Vampire T.11 & Chipmunk T.10^[24]
• 2nd Tactical Air Force Tactical Development Unit between 18 February and 19 October 1953^[25]
• No. 131 (Polish) (Fighter) Wing RAF between 12 September 1945 and 15 October 1946^[26]
• No. 146 Wing RAF between 30 April and 6 June 1945^[27]

Current use

A number of solar panels are now visible on the site

Jagdgeschwader 73 was formed at Ahlhorn and Oldenburg on 1 April 1959. Jagdgeschwader 71 of the German Air Force were to take residence from June 1959 with 50 Canadair Sabres, Germany's first operational jet fighter unit. They remained at Ahlhorn until 1961.^{[citation needed]}

Solarpark Ahlhorn

From 2005 the Aircraft Maintenance Service GmbH provided services on widebody aircraft but the company went bankrupt in 2009. A number of solar panels were installed on most of the airfield converting it into Solarpark Ahlhorn. Opening in 2011 the solar panels provide, 17.5 MW. There is only one airstrip in use.^[2][28]

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

1. Robinson, Douglas (1971). The Zeppelin in Combat (3rd ed.). London: Foulis. p. 398.
2. "Ahlhorn". Forgotten Airfields. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
3. M., Dan. "Disaster at Ahlhorn". Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
4. Jefford 1988, p. 28.
5. Jefford 1988, p. 29.
6. Jefford 1988, p. 31.
7. Jefford 1988, p. 33.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 36.
9. Jefford 1988, p. 53.
10. Jefford 1988, p. 62.
11. Jefford 1988, p. 67.
12. Jefford 1988, p. 71.
13. Jefford 1988, p. 79.
14. Jefford 1988, p. 80.
15. Jefford 1988, p. 81.
16. Jefford 1988, p. 84.
17. Jefford 1988, p. 85.
18. Jefford 1988, p. 86.
19. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 59.
20. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 69.
21. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 239.
22. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 241.
23. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 242.
24. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 259.
25. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 269.
26. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 295.
27. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 296.
28. Stephenson 2012, p. 24.

Bibliography

• Jefford, C. G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Stephenson, Charles (2012). Zeppelins: German Airships 1900–40. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781780965123. - Total pages: 48
• Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.

External links

• Ray Powells' memories of Ahlhorn