Katterbach Kaserne: Difference between revisions
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===USAAF use=== |
===USAAF use=== |
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Ansbach airfield was attacked by [[Ninth Air Force]] [[B-26 Marauder]] medium bombers and [[P-47 Thunderbolt]] fighter-bombers beginning in early 1945 as Allied ground units began fanning out into Bavaria to deny the Luftwaffe use of the airfield. The airfield was seized by the [[United States Third Army]], in late April, and the IX Engineering Command 831st Engineering Aviation Bragade moved in on 23 April 1945 to repair operational facilities and clear unexploded mines and other dangerous munitions from the field. Engineers also patched the 4000' concrete runway and the facility was declared operational on 29 April, being designated as [[Advanced Landing Ground]] "R-45 Ansbach".<ref>[http://www.ixengineercommand.com/airfields/physical.php IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout]</ref> |
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The airfield was seized by the [[United States Third Army]], and used by the [[USAAF]] [[354th Fighter Group]] which flew [[P-47 Thunderbolts]] from the aerodrome (designated [[Advanced Landing Ground]] R-82) from late April until the German capitulation on 7 May 1945. The Air Force units moved out in July 1945, and the United States Army moved in and used the airfield as an garrison post as part of the American Zone of Occupation, renaming the facility Katterbach Kaserne. |
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The [[Ninth Air Force]] [[354th Fighter Group]] flew [[P-47 Thunderbolts]] beginning the next day and continued combat operations until the German capitulation on 7 May 1945.<ref name="Mau1">Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.</ref> The Air Force combat units moved out in May 1945, and the facility was turned over to [[Air Technical Service Command]], becoming a maintenance and supply facility under the 42d Air Depot (Ansbach Air Depot). United States Army units moved in when the depot was closed at the end of May, 1947 and used the airfield as an garrison post as part of the American Zone of Occupation, renaming the facility Katterbach Kaserne.<ref name="comb1">Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.</ref> |
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| ⚫ | After the end of the United States occupation of Germany in 1949, Katterbach Kaserne became a NATO facility, becoming the home of the US Army 1st Infantry Division. |
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===United States Army use=== |
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| ⚫ | After the end of the United States occupation of Germany in 1949, Katterbach Kaserne became a [[NATO]] facility, becoming the home of the US Army 1st Infantry Division. Numerous 1st ID units have used Katterbach over the past 60 years, the facility becoming a combat helicopter airfield in 1964, and remaining so, although after 1993, the number of personnel and helicopters has been reduced as a result of the USAREUR restructuring after the end of the [[Cold War]]. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 18:17, 21 October 2009
| Katterbach Kaserne Ansbach Airfield (R-45) | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 49°18′33″N 010°38′13″E / 49.30917°N 10.63694°E |
| Type | Military Garrision |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1935 |
| Built by |  Luftwaffe |
| In use | 1935-1945 (Luftwaffe) Apr-1945-May 1947 (USAAF) May 1947-Current (United States Army) |
Katterbach Kaserne is a United States Army facility in Germany, located in the village of Katterbach, about 3 miles east-northeast of Ansbach (Bavaria); about 250 miles south-southwest of Berlin.
Part of the United States Army Garrison (USAG) Ansbach, Katterbach Kaserne is home to the 12th Combat AVN Bde, V Corps, and an Air Force liaison (weather) squadron. It also has family housing; two schools, the Ansbach Elementary School and the Ansbach Middle High School; two banking facilities; AAFES facilities; the commissary and other essential services such as SATO travel and Army Community Services.
History
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This article was last edited by Bwmoll3 (talk | contribs) 14 years ago. (Update timer) |
Construction began in 1935 as a Luftwaffe airfield named Fliegerhorst Ansbach and was completed in 1938. The airfield was primarily a bomber airfield, with the first unit, Kampfgeschwader 155 (KG 155) being assigned to the new base in April 1936, equipped with an early model of the Heinkel He 111, the He 111B. Other prewar bomber units assigned were KG 355 (Jul 1938, Dornier Do 17Z); KG 53 (May 1939, He 111). These bomber units were used in the German invasion of Poland in September 1939.[1]
German use during World War II
During World War II, Ansbach was initially used to form and equipp bomber units until mid 1943. KG 2, KG 77, KG 6 and KG 76 all were assigned to the base with a variety of bombers (Do 17, Ju 88s) which flew missions from Ansbach to France, England, and Russia.[1]
It was only in the late summer of 1943, with the increasing number of Allied bomber attacks on Germany, that Ansbach was assigned to the "Defense of the Reich", campaign, and day interceptor fighters were assigned to the airfield to attack the American Eighth Air Force heavy bomber formations. Numerous Luftwaffe fighter units were assigned to Ansbach during 1943-late 1944, when as a result of Allied attacks, the airfield became unusable. Known units assigned were ZG 76 (1943-1944, Bf 110), JG 3 (1944, Bf 109G), JG 4, JG 300 (Fw 190A). The last operational unit assigned, KG 101, equipped with Ju 88As, moved out in August 1944, after which Ansbach was the home of various Luftwaffe ground units (Flughafen-Bereichs-Kommando), the last of which moved out in April 1945 (FBK 14/VII), blowing up the runway, aircraft hangars and other technical buildings.[1]
USAAF use
Ansbach airfield was attacked by Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauder medium bombers and P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers beginning in early 1945 as Allied ground units began fanning out into Bavaria to deny the Luftwaffe use of the airfield. The airfield was seized by the United States Third Army, in late April, and the IX Engineering Command 831st Engineering Aviation Bragade moved in on 23 April 1945 to repair operational facilities and clear unexploded mines and other dangerous munitions from the field. Engineers also patched the 4000' concrete runway and the facility was declared operational on 29 April, being designated as Advanced Landing Ground "R-45 Ansbach".[2]
The Ninth Air Force 354th Fighter Group flew P-47 Thunderbolts beginning the next day and continued combat operations until the German capitulation on 7 May 1945.[3] The Air Force combat units moved out in May 1945, and the facility was turned over to Air Technical Service Command, becoming a maintenance and supply facility under the 42d Air Depot (Ansbach Air Depot). United States Army units moved in when the depot was closed at the end of May, 1947 and used the airfield as an garrison post as part of the American Zone of Occupation, renaming the facility Katterbach Kaserne.[4]
United States Army use
After the end of the United States occupation of Germany in 1949, Katterbach Kaserne became a NATO facility, becoming the home of the US Army 1st Infantry Division. Numerous 1st ID units have used Katterbach over the past 60 years, the facility becoming a combat helicopter airfield in 1964, and remaining so, although after 1993, the number of personnel and helicopters has been reduced as a result of the USAREUR restructuring after the end of the Cold War.
References
- ^ a b c The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
- ^ IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout
- ^ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- ^ Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
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