Neuhausen Ob Eck Airfield
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Neuhausen ob Eck Airfield (
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
: ''Flugplatz Neuhausen ob Eck'',
ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
: EDSN) is a special airfield near the town of
Neuhausen ob Eck Neuhausen ob Eck is a town in the district of Tuttlingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...
in the district of
Tuttlingen Tuttlingen (Alemannic: ''Duttlinga'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, capital of the district Tuttlingen. Nendingen, ''Möhringen'' and ''Eßlingen'' are three former municipalities that belong to Tuttlingen. Tuttlingen is located in Swabia eas ...
in
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
, Southern
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 ...
. Used as a
military airbase 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 ...
by the
German Army Aviation Corps The German Army Aviation Corps (german: Heeresfliegertruppe) is a special unit within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The German Army Aviation Corps is a branch of the German Army (''Heer''), containing all its helicopter units. The German ...
until 1994, it was rededicated a special airfield, and is since 1997 the site of the
business park A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typically ...
''take-off GewerbePark Betreibergesellschaft mbH''. Since 2002, the airfield also hosts the annual Southside Music Festival.


Location

The 1,43  km2 (0,55 
sq mi The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi2)Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an imperial and US unit of measure for area. One square mile is an are ...
) airfield lies approximately east of the town of
Tuttlingen Tuttlingen (Alemannic: ''Duttlinga'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, capital of the district Tuttlingen. Nendingen, ''Möhringen'' and ''Eßlingen'' are three former municipalities that belong to Tuttlingen. Tuttlingen is located in Swabia eas ...
at an elevation of 804 m (2638 ft) on District Road 5945, part of '' Bundesstraße 311'' (Federal Highway 311) linking
Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...
and
Geisingen Geisingen is a town in the district of Tuttlingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the Danube, 13 km southwest of Tuttlingen, and 21 km southeast of Villingen-Schwenningen. History Geisingen is referenced (spelle ...
. Most of the airfield lies within the boundaries of the town of Neuhausen ob Eck itself, although a small part stretches into the territory of the neighbouring village of
Nendingen Nendingen is a German village with 2850 inhabitants in Baden-Württemberg. The Danube flows through Nendingen, which lies between the towns Tuttlingen and Mühlheim an der Donau. Nendingen was founded by Nando, an Alamanni, between 260 and 300 AD. ...
, part of the town of Tuttlingen.


History

Plans by 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 ...
'' to build a military airfield at Neuhausen ob Eck started in 1935. Actual construction began in April 1936. The airbase was originally designated to be used only in the event of war. By 1937,
flak Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
positions, ammunition
bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...
s and the runway had been finished. In 1938, five
half-timbered Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
buildings were erected to house the airbase company and the administration unit. The airbase was declared operational on 1 May 1938 even though further works were still necessary to install
water supplies Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
and refueling facilities. This construction continued until the summer of 1940. The third
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
of ''
Kampfgeschwader 51 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 51 "Edelweiss" (KG 51) (Battle Wing 51) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. The unit began forming in May 1939 and completed forming in December 1939, and took no part in the invasion of Poland which start ...
'' (III./KG 51) (Medium Bomber Wing 51) was stationed there from August until October 1939. It was followed by a number of other ''Luftwaffe'' units, the last of which departed from the airbase in August 1940, leaving only a small detachment to keep the airbase operational. From the end of 1942 until the autumn of 1944, the compound was used as a military exercise camp by the
Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...
and subsequently by the Flying Hitler Youth ''(Flieger-HJ''). Due to the increasing danger of air attacks, the first and second group of ''
Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 ''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 6 (NJG 6) was a Luftwaffe night fighter-wing of World War II. NJG 6 was formed in May 1943. Commanding officers *Major Fritz Schaffer, 10 August 1943 – 8 February 1944 *Major Heinrich Wohlers, 9 February 1944 – 15 Mar ...
'' (Night Fighter Wing 6), based at
Hayingen Hayingen () is a town in the district of Reutlingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 32 km southeast of Reutlingen. North of Münzdorf are the remains of the hilltop castle Burgweiler. History The first settlement in the ar ...
, used Neuhausen ob Eck Air Base as a storage facility for their aircraft during daylight from the end of 1944 until April 1945. The third group of ''
Jagdgeschwader 53 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53) was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated in Western Europe and in the Mediterranean. ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 - or as it was better known, the "Pik As" ''(Ace of Spades)'' Geschwader - was one of the ...
'' (Fighter Wing 53) was intermittently based at the airbase between July 1944 and April 1945. The last flying ''Luftwaffe'' unit on the airbase was ''Panzerjagdstaffel 3'' (Anti-Tank Squadron 3), equipped with Bü 181 trainer aircraft. These planes had been converted into combat aircraft by fitting underwing-mounted launchers for ''
Panzerfaust The ''Panzerfaust'' (, "armour fist" or "tank fist", plural: ''Panzerfäuste'') was a development family of single-shot man-portable anti-tank systems developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The weapons were the first single-use light an ...
''
anti-tank Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...
grenades. ''Panzerjagd'' Squadron 3 arrived at the airbase on 19 April 1945 before withdrawing further east on 21 April 1945, a few hours before the airbase was occupied by the
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
. Subsequently, the French Army used the airbase for the collection of confiscated cattle and as a storage facility for ammunition. In 1948, the French military left the premises. In 1958, the former ''Luftwaffe'' airbase at Neuhausen ob Eck was chosen by the
Federal Ministry of Defence The Federal Ministry of Defence (german: Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ), abbreviated BMVg, is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The ministry is headquartered at ...
as one of the airfields for the newly established German Army Aviation Corps and to house an army aviation squadron. It was allocated the ICAO code ''EDSN''. Neuhausen ob Eck Air Base remained under French administration until 1963, when the compound was handed over to the German government. In 1965, the German Army Aviation Corps became the new occupant of the airbase. With the arrival of
Army Aviation Squadron 10 An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, relocating from Friedrichshafen Air Base, Neuhausen ob Eck Air Base became operational in 1966. Army Aviation Squadron 10 flew
Alouette II Alouette or alouettes may refer to: Music and literature * "Alouette" (song), a French-language children's song * Alouette, a character in ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'' Aerospace * SNCASE Alouette, a utility helicopter developed in France i ...
and
Sikorsky H-34 The Sikorsky H-34 "Choctaw" (company designation S-58) is an American Reciprocating engine, piston-engined military helicopter originally designed by Sikorsky Aircraft, Sikorsky as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft for the United States ...
helicopters as well as
Dornier Do 27 The Dornier Do 27 is a German single-engine STOL utility aircraft that was designed and manufactured by Dornier GmbH (later DASA Dornier and Fairchild-Dornier). It was notable for being the first mass-produced aircraft in Germany following the ...
fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the shape of the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinc ...
. However, the
German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
had realised that helicopters would fulfill the Army Aviation Corps' designated tasks better than fixed-wing aircraft, and the Dornier 27 were phased out. From 1964 on, these aircraft were handed over to other users so that Army Aviation Squadron 10 only had a few Do 27 at their disposal when they arrived at Neuhausen ob Eck Air Base. The majority of aircraft used were helicopters. Transport helicopter H-34 was also gradually transferred to other units around the same time. In 1967, the squadron was renamed Army Aviation Battalion 10. Four years later, in 1971, the unit was returned its original designation, Army Aviation Squadron 10, when No 2 Squadron of Army Aviation Battalion 10 moved to Roth Air Base to form, together with other elements of the German Army Aviation Corps,
Army Aviation Regiment 20 An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. In 1979, this regiment, flying Bell UH-1D, relocated to Neuhausen ob Eck Air Base. In 1983, the helicopters flown by Army Aviation Squadron 10, Alouette II, were replaced with the Bo 105M. Following the
German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
in 1990, a reform of the German Army resulted in the disbanding of all German Army Aviation Corps units based on Neuhausen ob Eck Air Base and the subsequent closure of the airbase itself. The fly-out took place on 28 September 1993 and Army Aviation Regiment 20 and Army Aviation Squadron 10 were disbanded with Army Aviation Squadron 10 partially relocating to
Laupheim Air Base Laupheim Air Base (German: ''Militärflugplatz Laupheim'', ICAO: ETHL) is a German Air Force base located close to the city of Laupheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is home to Helicopter Wing 64 which has 48 of its 60 helicopters stationed ...
to form the new Army Aviation Support Squadron 10. Subsequently, the compound was briefly used by the
military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...
, Training Company of Military Police Battalion 750, before being acquired by the town of Neuhausen ob Eck in 1997. In 2000, it was renamed ''take-off Gewerbe-Park'' (take-off Business Park).


Current use


The airfield

The former military airbase is now designated a special airfield and can be used by fixed-wing aircraft with a weight of up to 5.700 kg, helicopters,
motor glider A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (MoP), capable of sustained soaring flight ...
s and
ultralight Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...
fixed-wing aircraft. Since 2001, the airfield is equipped with a
hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
, offering storage possibilities for 15 aircraft. Refuelling is not possible at the airfield. Neuhausen ob Eck Airfield is the venue for the annual Southside Festival, a music festival established in 2000, usually held over three days in June, and drawing about 50,000 spectators every year.


The business park

More than 50 companies from various branches of manufacturing, trade and the service sector use the premises as their business location.


Post-World War II military occupants

The following units of the German Armed Forces were stationed at Neuhausen ob Eck Air Base: * Army Aviation Squadron 10 (1966–1967) * Army Aviation Battalion 10 (1967–1971) * Army Aviation Squadron 10 (1971–1994) * Army Aviation Regiment 20 (1979–1994) * Army Airbase Headquarters 203 (1973–1994) * Training Company of Military Police Battalion 750 (1994–1995)


See also

* History of the German Army Aviation Corps *
List of airports in Germany This is a list of airports in Germany, sorted by location. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by ...


Further reading

* * } * * * } * * * *


References


External links


Neuhausen ob Eck Airfield at airport.deWebsite of the Southside Festival
{{authority control German army aviation Buildings and structures in Baden-Württemberg German airbases Airports in Baden-Württemberg