Aalborg Air Base ( da, Flyvestation Aalborg) also Air Transport Wing Aalborg is a
military air base
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
for the
Royal Danish Air Force
The Royal Danish Air Force ( da, Flyvevåbnet, lit=The Flying weapon) (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of The Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Defence. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was ...
. It is located at Vadum, near
Aalborg
Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
.
Aalborg Air Base shares its runway system as well as some services (Air Traffic Control etc.) with
Aalborg Lufthavn.
Residing Royal Danish Air Force units are:
*
721 Squadron which is an air transport squadron equipped with four Lockheed
C-130J-30 Hercules and three
CL-604 Challenger aircraft
It is also the base for Denmark's elite ''
Jægerkorpset
The Jaeger Corps also known as the Huntsmen Corps ( da, Jægerkorpset) is an elite special operations force of the Danish Defence part of Special Operations Command, formerly of the Royal Danish Army, based at Aalborg Air Base.
History
The Jaeg ...
'' special forces unit.
Until their decommissioning on 10 January 2006, Aalborg Air Base was also home to:
*
723 Squadron
*
726 Squadron
These two squadrons were reconnaissance and fighter squadrons equipped with Lockheed
F-16MLU Fighting Falcon aircraft.
The aircraft from these squadrons were transferred to
Skrydstrup Air Base
Vojens Airport, also known as Skrydstrup Airport is an airport in Vojens, Denmark. It shares runways with Fighter Wing Skrydstrup
Fighter Wing Skrydstrup is an air base of the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) situated in southern Jutland. It is h ...
instead.
History
Aalborg Air Base was established along with Aalborg Airport in 1938, serving the first Danish domestic flight between Aalborg and Copenhagen. The air base was established following pressure from the
Aalborg Portland
Aalborg Portland is a cement-producing company in Denmark. It was established in Aalborg in the 19th century. Portland cement was patented in 1824 by the Englishman Joseph Aspdin
Joseph Aspdin (25 December 1778 – 20 March 1855) was an E ...
cement factory as local authorities were hesitant to invest in air traffic infrastructure.
When
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940, the German
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
(Air Force) launched one of the first airborne operations in history, in which
paratrooper
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...
s captured the airport. Aalborg Lufthavn was considered a crucial element in the ferrying of troops and equipment from Germany to
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
as it acted as a refuelling base for Luftwaffe transport planes, especially
Junkers Ju 52/3m
Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturer. It was founded there in Dessau, Germ ...
, during the
campaign
Campaign or The Campaign may refer to:
Types of campaigns
* Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed
*Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme
* Bl ...
.
A well known air battle took place over the airport on 13 August 1940, when a squadron of
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...
bombers attacked the German aircraft based there. All eleven attacking aircraft were shot down by either German anti-aircraft fire or
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
fighter aircraft.
The Luftwaffe greatly expanded the airport - which they called ''Fliegerhorst Aalborg West'' - from 140 to 2750 hectares of land.
On June 16, 1944, RAF
de Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, shoulder-winged, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or ...
es attacked the airfield. One of the RAF pilots, New Zealand
fighter ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
Michael Herrick
Michael James Herrick, (5 May 1921 – 16 June 1944) was a New Zealand flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He is credited with having shot down at least six enemy aircraft.
Born in Hastings, Herrick joined the ...
, was killed leading aircraft of
No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron. His earlier service had included flying night fighters in the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
and two operational tours flying
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks in the Pacific before returning to Britain to fly Mosquitoes against the Luftwaffe.
After the war, an internment camp for Baltic German refugees was set up at the location.
When the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
arrived at the airport in 1945 most military and airport equipment had been destroyed. At this time the airport is by far the largest in Denmark.
When the
Royal Danish Air Force
The Royal Danish Air Force ( da, Flyvevåbnet, lit=The Flying weapon) (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of The Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Defence. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was ...
was created in 1950, it took over the Fliegerhorst.
See also
*
List of the largest airports in the Nordic countries
This is a list of the 100 busiest airports in the Nordic countries by passengers per year, aircraft movements per year and freight and mail tonnes per year.
The list also includes yearly statistics for the busiest metropolitan airport systems and ...
References
Airports in Denmark
Royal Danish Air Force
History of Aalborg
Transport in Aalborg
Buildings and structures in Aalborg
Military installations of Denmark
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