Waldau Airfield
Waldau Airfield | |||||||||||
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 Map of Waldau Airfield in 1955 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Former Military Air Base (Large) | ||||||||||
| Serves | Kassel, Germany | ||||||||||
| Location | Kassel-Waldau, Germany | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°16′53″N 009°30′20″E / 51.28139°N 9.50556°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  Waldau Airfield Location in Germany | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Waldau Airfield/Waldau Army Airfield (also known as Advanced Landing Ground Y-96) was a military and civilian airfield in Waldau, Kassel, Germany.
History
[edit]Waldau Airfield, located in Kassel-Hessen, Germany, was built in 1918. It saw extensive use in the 1920s and 1930s by both Luft Hansa and the Luftwaffe, particularly during World War II, where it was used for aircraft production and as a military airbase. Aircraft Fieseler produced 8 type of Aircraft:
- Fieseler Fi 2
- Fieseler Fi 5
- Fieseler Fi 98
- Fieseler Fi 167
- Fieseler Fi 156
- Messerschmitt Bf 109
- Focke-Wulf Fw 190
- Fieseler Fi 103
At times the plants used 10,000 working men and women, many of them slave labor from the Netherlands and France. As a result, the Fieseler plants regularly were attacked by American Eighth Air Force and British RAF Bomber Command aircraft, and although some damage was done to the plants, most destruction occurred in the city itself.[1]
During World War II. The airfield was primarily associated with the Fieseler aircraft production facilities, which manufactured a variety of aircraft, most notably the Fieseler Fi 156 "Storch" and components of the V-1 flying bomb. The Fieseler factories were heavily reliant on forced labor, including thousands of slave laborers from the Netherlands and France, who were forced to work under brutal conditions.[1]
The strategic importance of the Fieseler plants made them key targets for Allied bombing campaigns. Despite repeated bombing raids by the American Eighth Air Force and British RAF Bomber Command, the Fieseler factories were often able to continue production, although the nearby city of Kassel suffered extensive damage. The air raids devastated large portions of Kassel, resulting in significant civilian casualties and the destruction of much of the city's infrastructure.[1][2]
Zeppelin Visits
[edit]At 3 September LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin visits Waldau Airfield/Waldau Army Airfield and then it attracted over 100.000 crowd of people. [1]
War World 1
[edit]During World War I, Waldau Army Airfield (Kassel-Waldau Airfield) did not hold the same prominence it had during World War II. It was primarily a minor airfield used by the German military for training and reconnaissance purposes. Aviation in World War I was still in its relatively early stages, and airfields like Waldau were used to support operations with the newly developed military aircraft. These early airfields were often smaller, more rudimentary, and focused on biplanes used for observation, communication, and light bombing missions.[1][2]
Postwar
[edit]After World War II, Waldau Airfield was captured by American forces in April 1945. The Americans used it as a military airbase, and later it resumed some civilian aviation activities. However, its proximity to Kassel's growing urban areas led to its closure in 1970. Over time, the site was transformed into an industrial area, and today, little remains of the original airfield infrastructure.[1]
After The US Army took the airport and after repair works from the 17th until the 19th of April the US Airforce, they used it as a P-47 base for the 48th Fighter group. During that time the airport was known as Airfireld Kassel-Waldau Y-96.[2]
Closure
[edit]Waldau Airfield closed in 1970 due to Kassel's urban expansion, which made the airfield unsuitable for further aviation activities. As the city grew, the land was repurposed for industrial development, erasing most traces of the former airfield. Only a few remnants, such as parts of the runway and some buildings, remain as a reminder of its past.[1][2]