Herdla Airport ( no, Herdla flyplass; german: Flugplatz Herdla) was 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 ...
situated on the island of
Herdla
Herdla is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1871 until its dissolution in 1964. The municipality encompassed a large group of about 2,000 islands and skerries covering about of land area ...
in
Askøy
Askøy is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The island municipality is located in the Midhordland district of the county, sitting in a large group of islands immediately northwest of the city of Bergen. The administrative centre of the ...
, Norway. It consisted of two wooden
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
s, long, respectively, in addition to wharfs for a
water aerodrome
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publi ...
.
Herdla was originally proposed during the 1930s as the site of the main airport for
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
. With the
German occupation of Norway
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the ...
, the island was seized by 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 ...
. Construction started in June 1940 and the first runway opened in October. The second was completed the following year. Throughout the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the airport served
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...
; these were used to attack the
Arctic convoy
The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...
s, defend German vessels from
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 ...
raids, as well as provide an airborne defense against British bomber missions against
Laksevåg
Laksevåg is a borough of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The borough is located in the western part of the municipality. Historically, the area was called ''Laxevaag'', and it was a separate municipality until 1972 when it was m ...
.
The airport was taken over by the
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...
in 1945. They retained operations until 1948 and in 1955
Bergen Airport, Flesland
Bergen Airport ( nn, Bergen lufthamn; ), alternatively Bergen Flesland Airport or simply Flesland Airport, is an international airport located at Flesland in the city and municipality of Bergen, Vestland, Norway. Opened in 1955, it is the secon ...
opened as Bergen's main airport. Herdla remained in cursory civil and military use until 1972.
History
Civil airport proposals
Bergen had been served by the military
Bergen Airport, Flatøy since the 1920s and from 1934
Bergen Airport, Sandviken, both
water aerodrome
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publi ...
s.
[Sælensminde: 5] Following the establishment of
Gressholmen Airport
Gressholmen Airport ( no, Gressholmen sjøflyhavn) was a water aerodrome situated the island of Gressholmen in Oslo, Norway. It served as the main airport for Oslo from 1927 to 1939, along with Kjeller Airport. The aerodrome consisted of docks, a ...
in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
in 1927,
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
appointed a state committee in 1930 to consider suitable locations for the construction of more airports. Bergen was one of the cities for which an airport was considered. Bergen Municipal Council appointed a committee in 1933 to find a suitable location. The committee looked for suitable sites for a land airport, and considered both
Flesland
Flesland is a village in the borough of Ytrebygda in the municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It sits on the western coast of the Bergen Peninsula, about southwest of the city centre of Bergen. It is the site of Bergen Airport, Fle ...
and Herdla as suitable sites.
The main concern with Herdla was the lack of a road access and the necessity of crossing both Herdlesundet and
Byfjorden. Vest-Norges Flyveselskap proposed shuttling people to the city by seaplane; others proposed a ferry service. Bergen Municipal Council approved that technical plans be made on 9 February 1938. This resulted in a report in published on 15 December, which recommended an airport with three runways, two long and one . All were to be wide. However, lack of funding caused the plans to be placed on hold. However, a
radio beacon
In navigation, a radio beacon or radiobeacon is a kind of beacon, a device that marks a fixed location and allows direction-finding equipment to find relative bearing. But instead of employing visible light, radio beacons transmit electromagnet ...
was built at Herdla in 1938 to aid the coastal service provided by
Norwegian Air Lines
Det Norske Luftfartselskap A/S (literally "The Norwegian Aviation Company") or DNL, trading internationally as Norwegian Air Lines, was an airline and flag carrier of Norway. Founded in 1927, it operated domestic and international routes from 193 ...
. In 1939 enthusiasts brought a
sailplane
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring). This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplan ...
to Herdla in an attempt to use it for flight, but were hindered by strong winds.
On 1 September that year a
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used ...
of 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 ...
(RAF) failed to find Herdla to conduct an emergency landing, instead landing in the
Sognefjord
The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
.
Construction
Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, quickly securing control over Bergen and its vicinity. Two RAF squadrons of
Blackburn Skua
The Blackburn B-24 Skua was a carrier-based low-wing, two-seater, single-radial engine aircraft by the British aviation company Blackburn Aircraft. It was the first Royal Navy carrier-borne all-metal cantilever monoplane aircraft, as well as ...
s flew from
RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston, also called HMS ''Sparrowhawk'', was a Royal Naval Air Station, one mile to the north west of Kirkwall on the island of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It was located near the strategically vital naval base of Scapa Flow, which for mo ...
on
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
the following day, successfully sinking the
German cruiser ''Königsberg'' in Bergen. This was the first sinking of a major warship in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
by aircraft. Admiral
Otto von Schrader __NOTOC__
Otto von Schrader (18 March 1888 – 19 July 1945) was a German admiral during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. As a U-boat commander during World War I, he was credited with the sinkin ...
was concerned about the lack of German air support in the area. His only option was using
Sola Air Station
Sola Air Station ( no, Sola flystasjon) is a base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. It is located in Sola municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Rescue Helicopter Service is stationed at Sola along with Helicopter Squadron 330.
Also located ...
outside
Stavanger
Stavanger (, , American English, US usually , ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the a ...
, which provided insufficient response times.
[Sælensminde: 7]
The
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
considered four suitable sites: Herdla, Flesland, the disused harness racing track at
Nesttun
Nesttun is an urban settlement in the borough of Fana in the municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is located approximately south of the city centre. It was the centre of the old Fana municipality, which merged with Bergen in 1972 ...
and Haukåsmyrene in
Ã…sane
Ã…sane is a borough of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The borough makes up the northern part of the city, north of the city centre.
Ã…sane is connected to downtown Bergen by the E16/ E39 highway. The E16 highway continues on t ...
. They visited Herdla on 3 May 1940, but concluded that it was not suitable.
Major earthworks would need to be carried out and the two-and-a-half-hour-long boat ride was prohibitive. However, on 12 May a German
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a "wolf in sheep's clothing". Due to restrictions placed on Germany after th ...
bomber heading to Sola landed on the fields on Herdla after it had run into difficulties. This convinced the
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 ...
of the suitability of the location.
[Sælensminde: 8]
Construction began in June 1940
by
Organisation Todt
Organisation Todt (OT; ) was a civil and military engineering organisation in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, named for its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior Nazi. The organisation was responsible for a huge range of engineering projec ...
's ''Einsatzgruppe Wiking''.
[Fossen: 83] The first work was on Runway I, the northernmost. Work was carried out hastily and this resulted in poor ground conditions. An operational runway was completed by August.
The people living in the vicinity were evacuated and the buildings transformed into offices and workshops for the Luftwaffe. A major effort to camouflage the facility took place in September, after which work on the north–south runway commenced. It received more thorough work and proper draining and was built to a dimension of . This work lasted through 1941.
[Sælensminde: 9]
Military operations
The first aircraft stationed at Herdla was a
flight
Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...
of four
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 ...
of
Jagdgeschwader 4
''Jagdgeschwader'' 4 (JG 4) was a ''Luftwaffe'' fighter wing of World War II.
Sturmgruppen 1944
''Jagdgeschwader'' 4 became one of only three ''Luftwaffe'' ''geschwader'' to operate the specialised 'bomber-killer' ''gruppen'' designated ''St ...
(JG 4), named Bereitschaftsschwarm Herdle. The coast of
Western Norway
Western Norway ( nb, Vestlandet, Vest-Norge; nn, Vest-Noreg) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrativ ...
was within range of RAF raids and therefore any ships running along the coast would be in need of air support. Herdla was initially a difficult airport to operate out of in part due to the short runway. Commands were often issued too late for an adequate response time. The Bf 109 were withdrawn to take part 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 ...
in November and replaced by
Zerstörergeschwader 76
''Zerstörergeschwader 76'' (ZG 76) was a ''Zerstörer'' (heavy fighter; lit. "destroyer") ''geschwader'' (Wing (air force unit), wing) of the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II.
The wing operated the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the early phas ...
(ZG 76) which operated larger
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engine (Des ...
. The number of aircraft increased to five in January 1941. They were regularly shot down or damaged beyond repair and Herdla, therefore, received a steady stream of new aircraft, either Bf 109s or Bf 110s.
By January 1941 there were 430 Norwegians working on constructing the airport, later that year increasing to nearly the double. These supplemented a significant number of German workers.
The disused corvette was anchored up and used for housing for Norwegian workers.
[Sælensminde: 10] The runways and tarmac were made of wooden frames manufactured in
Arna and sent by ship.
The island of Herdla also had a village and the municipal center of
Herdla
Herdla is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1871 until its dissolution in 1964. The municipality encompassed a large group of about 2,000 islands and skerries covering about of land area ...
. As work on the airport progressed, more and more of the local residents were forced to relocate. A barbed wire was placed across the island in March 1941, dividing it into a military and civilian sector. But soon the rest of population, including the municipal administration, was forced to relocate, totaling 108 people.
Most of the skirmishes were against the
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
and mostly saw combat with
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) is a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. At l ...
,
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 ...
and
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and prim ...
aircraft. In April 1941 ZG 76 was pulled out and replaced with
JG 77. In the course of 1941 the number of air defense personnel increased from 90 to 180. By late 1941 nine Messerschmitts fighters, a Heinkel He 111 bomber and some trainers were based at the airport. Supplies were provided three times a week using a
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers.
Development of the Ju 52 commenced during 1930, headed by German Aeros ...
.
[Sælensminde: 18] Work on the taxiways commenced during the fall of 1941.
By the end of the year about one thousand people were working at the airport.
Herdla was raided by the
No. 114 Squadron RAF as part of
Operation Archery
Operation Archery, also known as the Måløy Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on the island of Vågsøy, Norway, on 27 December 1941.
British Commandos of No. 3 Commando, two troops of ...
on 27 December 1941. In addition to severe damage to the infrastructure, one Messerschmitt was destroyed during take-off. Herdla was again bombed by the RAF on 7 January 1942, although without the aircraft hitting their targets. All Bf 109Ts were replaced with Bf 109Es in January 1942.
Herdla became part of
JG 5 when it was established in January 1942. This was followed up with dispatching several Kriegsmarine ships to
Northern Norway
Northern Norway ( nb, Nord-Norge, , nn, Nord-Noreg; se, Davvi-Norga) is a geographical Regions of Norway, region of Norway, consisting of the two northernmost counties Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainlan ...
, including the battleship
''Tirpitz'', to counteract the
Arctic convoys
The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...
, creating a buzz of activity for Herdla.
Eastern European
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
started to participate in the construction work from 1942.
Meanwhile, the Bf 109Es were replaced with the improved Bf 109F series. In July Luftwaffe instead decided to station the new
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (" Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, ...
at Herdla, replacing the Messerschmitts. By 7 August there were twelve Focke-Wulfs operating out of Herdla. In December the operations center burned down after a pilot, drunk from attending a party, took off and crashed.
[Sælensminde: 25] Herdla remained the only airport between Sola and
Trøndelag
Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
until July 1943, when Gossen Airport opened. Thereafter they took over most of the operations north of
Stad.
On 24 July 1943 a major raid with 84
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
aircraft bombed the
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
pens at
Laksevåg
Laksevåg is a borough of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The borough is located in the western part of the municipality. Historically, the area was called ''Laxevaag'', and it was a separate municipality until 1972 when it was m ...
. Thirty-five aircraft from Herdla were dispatched to defend the site. Within a month JG 5 was transferred to Denmark.
By 1943 the
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
threat towards German convoys in Norway had shifted. While previously naval attacks were the largest concern, air attacks became more prevalent. Convoys therefore increasingly operated at night, often hugging the fjords during the daytime where the landscape made tactical bombing difficult. The short range of the Herdla-based aircraft was a challenge for the Luftwaffe, who in January 1944 therefore decided to again station Bf 110s at Herdla. As of May 1944 the aircraft stationed at Herdla were six Bf 110, three
Fieseler Storch
The Fieseler Fi 156 ''Storch'' (, "stork") was a German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II. Production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market. It was notable for its excellent short fiel ...
, one
Focke-Wulf Fw 58
The Focke-Wulf Fw 58 ''Weihe'' ( Harrier) was a German aircraft, built to fill a request by the ''Luftwaffe'' for a multi-role aircraft, to be used as an advanced trainer for pilots, gunners and radio operators.
Design and development
The Fw ...
and a
Junkers W 34
The Junkers W 34 was a German-built, single-engine, passenger and transport aircraft. Developed in the 1920s, it was taken into service in 1926. The passenger version could take a pilot and five passengers. The aircraft was developed from the J ...
.
A major bombing raid towards Laksevåg was carried out by 140
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...
and
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.
The Halifax has its or ...
bombers on 4 October 1944. The fighters at Herdla were dispatched and intercepted the bombers over
Sotra
Sotra or Store Sotra is the name of a large island in Øygarden Municipality in Vestland county, Norway, located just west of the city of Bergen. It is part of a pair of islands called 'Sotra' and 'Litlesotra' ('small Sotra') that are part of a ...
. They avoided engagement over Bergen to avoid interfering with the air defenses. This was repeated on 29 October with 244 bombers. From December Bf 109s returned to Herdla. The number of skirmishes between British and German forces along the West Coast increased in this period, and the Luftwaffe concentrated its aircraft matériel in Norway to said area. Another bomber raid against Lakevåg took place on 12 January 1945.
Peacetime and closing
At the time of the
end of World War II in Europe
The final battle of the European Theatre of World War II continued after the definitive overall surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies, signed by Field marshal Wilhelm Keitel on 8 May 1945 in Karlshorst, Berlin. After German dictator Adolf H ...
on 8 May 1945, there were twenty-one Fw 28s, one Bf 110 and two or three Storchs at Herdla.
[Sælensminde: 32] The German troops organized their own evacuation, which went via
Voss
Voss () is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri, Borstrondi, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, Opphe ...
.
[Sælensminde: 33] On 20 May a
B-24 Liberator carried out an emergency landing at Herdla while en route to
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
.
They discovered that by then Allied troops had yet to secure control over the airport. Soon about twenty Norwegians were dispatched to secure the airport. Due to the short runway, the Liberator was unable to take off and was scrapped at Herdla.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force took control over the airport and stationed ex-German Storchs there until late 1946. The civilian population was allowed to return to the island in October 1945. However, most of the buildings were worn down and damaged. The island had to be cleared of mines, and for a long period it was uncertain if the entire area had been cleared. This limited the area which could be used. Most of the wooden runway cover were removed and used as building materials.
After the end of the war the discussion about building an airport for Bergen reappeared. Herdla was a natural choice, given the amount of investments which had been made. Air Command West proposed on 8 March 1946 that two runways be built, one north–south measuring , with the possibility of being extended to . The east–west runway was proposed to be , with possibilities for an extension to . Both were to receive concrete surfaces. The control tower was rebuilt and the air force stationed an
air traffic controller
Air traffic control specialists, abbreviated ATCS, are personnel responsible for the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. Usually stationed in air traffic control centers and control ...
from July 1946. Bergen Municipality was sufficiently convinced of Herdla's suitability that they bought fast ferries to operate a shuttle service.
[Sælensminde: 35]
The
Ministry of Transport and Communications, Norwegian Air Lines and other authorities inspected Herdla on 7 January 1947. They agreed that Herdla was suitable both as a land and seaplane base.
However, there was a major rationing of concrete and the authorities instead decided
Stavanger Airport, Sola
Stavanger Airport ( no, Stavanger lufthavn; ), commonly just known as Sola, is an international airport located in Rogaland county, Norway. The airport is located southwest of the centre of the city of Stavanger inside the neighboring munici ...
would for the meantime be the sole land-based airport in Western Norway. All air routes along the coast would therefore for the meantime be served using seaplanes. Sandviken was at the time used for routes, but was replaced by a new water aerodrome,
Bergen Airport, Hjellestad
Bergen Airport, Hjellestad ( no, Bergen sjølufthavn, Hjellestad) was a water airport serving Bergen, Norway from 1948 through 1951. Located at Hjellestad, then in the municipality of Fana, the airport was variously used by Norwegian Air Lines ( ...
, on 23 August 1948. At the same time the tower service at Herdla was closed.
Bergen Aero Klubb (BAK) struck a deal with the air force to use the airport from 1950. They leased a hangar and used it to store their
Piper Cub
The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is Pi ...
. From 1952 they were joined by Os Aero Klubb. The two clubs remained active at Herdla until 1954, after which the activity dwindled.
[Sælensminde: 37]
Engineering reports were made of both Herdla and Flesland in 1950 and 1951. Previous investigations of Flesland had concluded that the length of the runway was limited to a small valley which is located at about the middle of the current runway. The new report proposed connecting the proposed area to a larger area to the south of the valley, which was at the right elevation. This would allow for a long runway. A political concern was the high cost of constructing a new airport. By 1950 land airports had been built for
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, Stavanger,
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
and
Kristiansand
Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...
. This was supplemented with SAS deciding to terminate the services to Oslo and instead provide a feeder service to Stavanger.
Alternatives were launched by two competing airlines:
Braathens SAFE
Braathens ASA, until 1997 Braathens South American & Far East Airtransport A/S and trading as Braathens SAFE, was a Norwegian airline which operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in 2004 to become SAS Braathens. Fo ...
proposed a minor upgrade to Herdla which would allow them to operate with their
de Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron is a small propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, ...
aircraft. Widerøe on their side proposed using their
Consolidated PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served w ...
flying boats, but these proved too expensive. At the same time, the Royal Norwegian Air Force started looking at Flesland as a suitable air station. Military engineers surveyed the area and concluded that it was well-suited for military purposes. The
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
(NATO) granted funding for seven air stations in Norway in 1952, but these did not include Flesland. By then both military and ground transport concerns had made Flesland a favorite and funding was secured in 1952.
Bergen Airport, Flesland
Bergen Airport ( nn, Bergen lufthamn; ), alternatively Bergen Flesland Airport or simply Flesland Airport, is an international airport located at Flesland in the city and municipality of Bergen, Vestland, Norway. Opened in 1955, it is the secon ...
opened on 2 October 1955.
Herdla Airport remained operational as a private airport, but saw very little use. During the 1960s it experienced a rise in traffic.
A major military exercise took place in 1973 with forty civilian aircraft used. After that the airport was closed. The area was then used as agricultural land, although it remains owned by the military. Part of airport area has become a nature reserve.
Facilities
Herdla Airport took up most of the island of Herdla. It consisted of two runways. The first, designated I, ran roughly east–west and was long.
The second, designated II, ran roughly north–south and measured . The latter was lit, allowing it to be used at night. Both had a mix of wood, concrete and grass surface.
These were supplemented by a series of taxiways and two large hangars. The airport had an air defense system supported with two
Würzburg Riese radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
s.
[Skorpen: 42]
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
{{authority control
Airports in Vestland
Defunct airports in Norway
Luftwaffe airports in Norway
Royal Norwegian Air Force airfields
Askøy
Airports established in 1940
1940 establishments in Norway
Airports disestablished in 1972
1972 disestablishments in Norway
Military installations in Vestland