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Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base is located near the town of Fürstenfeldbruck in Bavaria, near Munich Germany. It is an active German Air Force facility and is the home of the German Air Force Officer Training School.

History

The Air Base was established in 1935, and was the pride of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Field Marshal Herman Goering is said to have taken a deep personal interest in establishing an air force traning base for the German Air Force and modeled Fürstenfeldbruck after the United States Army Air Force training center at Randolph Field, Texas.

The RAF and USAAF understood that Fürstenfeldbruck was being used extensively as a training base, and believed it to be of little strategic importance. Consequently it escaped bombing until the later stages of the war, and then it was attacked severely.

Allied reprisal bombing began to desolate many German cities in 1944 and in October the Luftwaffe leaders rushed work to extend the Air Base's runways long enough for fighter aircraft takeoffs. Thousand of slave laborers are said to have "expedited" this project and as the war neared its final critical stages the Luftwaffe was able to mount fighters from the Base. That, however, provoked the Allies to make the only serious bombing raid on the field.

Fifty direct hits were made on the field the afternoon of 9 April 1945 when 338 B-17's of the 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force, unleashed 867 tons of bombs on the runways, hangers, repair shops, and other facilities.

USAF Use

When the Allied Forces moved in to take possession of the field in late April, they found that Prisoners of War and townspeople had looted until they left a deserted installation. Fürstenfeldbruck was occupied by American forces and at first was the home of an engineering batallion.

10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group/Wing

In April 1947 the United States Army Air Force stationed the l0th Tactical Reconnaissance Group at Fürstenfeldbruck, flying RB-26 and RF-80 aircraft, being reassigned from Pope Army Air Field, North Carolina

Squadrons of the 10th TRG at Fürstenfeldbruck were:

1st Tactical Reconnaissance (RB-26)
38th Tactical Reconnaissance (RF-80)

The mission of the 10th TRG/TRW (After 1948) was to provide tactical, visual, photographic and electronic reconnaissance by both day and night, as was required by the military forces within the European command. The RF-80's were responsible for the daylight operations, and the RB-25s for night reconnaissance.

During January 1952 the Air National Guard 117th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Toul-Rosieres Air Base, France, deployed it's 157th TRS to Furstenfeldbruck . The 157th flew a combination of RF-80's, RB-26s and T-33A's. In 1952, Toul Air Base was unfinished at the time of the wings activation/deployment and not yet ready for jet aircraft. This meant only the Wing HQ was in France, and the two attached RF-80A squadrons were moved to Germany. The 160th to Neubiberg Air Base; the 157th to Fürstenfeldbruck.

At the time of their arrival, the 157th's aircraft were silver aluminum, wtih only the Buzz Numbers on their noses. Later, red lightning bolts were painted on their vertical stablizers, and blue lightning flashes were painted on the center fuselage and wing tip tanks.

On 9 July 1952 the activated Air National Guard 117th TRW was released from active duty and deactivated in place. All of the Wing's support equipment remained at Toul and it's mission was taken over by the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. The 157th TRS was redesignated the 38th Tactical Reconnaance Squadron and remained at Furstenfeldbruck.

Runway conditions at Toul, however, were still considered to be unsatisfactory for safe operations of jet aircraft and the base was considered to be a sea of mud. The 38th TRS remained at Fürstenfeldbruck in a deployed status, while the propeller-driven RB-26's of the 1st TRS were reassigned to Toul.

The 38th TRS remained at Fürstenfeldbruck until 9 May 1953 when the 10 TRW was reassigned to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany as part of a USAFE reorganization.

36th Fighter-Bomber Wing

File:36tfw50s.jpg

F-80B 49-1007 of the 36th Fighter Wing, Fürstenfeldbruck AB - 1950. This aircraft was part of the USAFE "Skyblazer" aerial demonstration team.

On 13 August 1948 the 36th Fighter Wing was assigned to Fürstenfeldbruck. the 36th was the first USAF all-jet unit in Europe, flying 16 F-80A/Bs. The 36th FW was transferred to Germany from Howard Air Force Base, Canal Zone.

Active squadrons of the 36th FBW were:

22d Fighter-Bomber (F-80A/B, F-84E)
23d Fighter-Bomber (F-80A/B, F-84E)
53d Fighter-Bomber (F-80A/B, F-84E)

In May 1949, HQ USAFE authorized the 36th Fighter Group to form the "Skyblazers" aerial demo team to perform at European and Mediterranean area air shows. The new USAFE Skyblazers team from Fürstenfeldbruck AB made its first-ever performance in October 1949 at RAF Gütersloh in the British zone of then-occupied Germany.

On 20 January 1950, the 36th FW was redesignated as a Fighter-Bomber Wing (FBW) and began flying Republic F-84E Thunderjets that fall.

The 36th FBW remained at Fürstenfeldbruck until 1952 when it was reassigned to Bitburg Air Base, west of the Rhine.

7330th Flying Training Wing

In November 1953, the 7330th Flying Training Wing was activated at Fürstenfeldbruck. The mission of the Wing was to provide upgrading and instructor training for students of MAP (Mutual Assistance Pact) – recipient countries in T-33 trainers; to operate and maintain Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base; provide administrative and logistical support for tenant units; prepare for the reception and provide necessary support for tactical units using Fürstenfeldbruck as a staging base; and to operate and maintain the Siegenburg gunnery range.

In 1955 the French, British and American occupation of Germany ended and permission was given to the West German government to re-establish it's armed forces. In 1957 Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base became a joint-use facility with the new West German Air Force.

Joint-use contiunued until 1958 with the 7330th FTW, then the organization was redesigned as the 7367th Fighter Training Group until it's deactivation in 1960.

German Air Force Use

Since 1957, Fürstenfeldbruck FFG has been the home of the German Air Force Officer Training School. Various aircraft (G-91, Alpha Jet, T-33, Tornados) operated from the base until 1997 when all fying was halted.

Today, Fürstenfeldbruck hosts the following units:

First Air Force division
Officer school of the Air Force,
Aeromedical Institut of the Air Force,
School for military geophysics

References

Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History

Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983

Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984

External Links

Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 === 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group/Wing ===
 [[Image:10trw50s.jpg|left|110px|]]
+[[Image:Rf80 38thtrs.jpg|thumb|300px|RF-80A of the 38th Tac Recon Squadron / 10th TRW]]
 In [[April]] [[1947]] the [[United States Army Air Force]] stationed the '''l0th Tactical Reconnaissance Group''' at Fürstenfeldbruck, flying R[[B-26]] and R[[F-80]] aircraft, being reassigned from [[Pope Air Force Base|Pope Army Air Field]], [[North Carolina]]
-Squadrons of the 10th TRG were:
+Squadrons of the 10th TRG at Fürstenfeldbruck were:
 * 1st Tactical Reconnaissance (RB-26)
-* 15th Tactical Reconnaissance (RF-80)
+* 38th Tactical Reconnaissance (RF-80)
 The mission of the 10th TRG/TRW (After 1948) was to provide tactical, visual, photographic and electronic reconnaissance by both day and night, as was required by the military forces within the European command. The RF-80's were responsible for the daylight operations, and the RB-25s for night reconnaissance.
-During [[January]] [[1952]] the Air National Guard '''117th Tactical Fighter Wing''', based at [[Toul-Rosieres Air Base]], [[France]], deployed it's 157th TRS to Furstenfeldbruck .  The 157th flew a combination of RF-80's and T-33A's and supplemented the 15th TRS.   In 1952, Toul Air Base was still under construction, and runway problems forced the 117th TFW to disperse it's squadrons to West German USAFE bases.
+During [[January]] [[1952]] the Air National Guard '''117th Tactical Fighter Wing''', based at [[Toul-Rosieres Air Base]], [[France]], deployed it's 157th TRS to Furstenfeldbruck .  The 157th flew a combination of RF-80's, RB-26s and T-33A's.  In 1952, Toul Air Base was unfinished at the time of the wings activation/deployment and not yet ready for jet aircraft. This meant only the Wing HQ was in France, and the two attached RF-80A squadrons were moved to Germany. The 160th to [[Neubiberg Air Base]]; the 157th to Fürstenfeldbruck.
+At the time of their arrival, the 157th's aircraft were silver aluminum, wtih only the Buzz Numbers on their noses. Later, red lightning bolts were painted on their vertical stablizers, and blue lightning flashes were painted on the center fuselage and wing tip tanks.
-On [[9 July]] 1952 the activated Air National Guard 117th TRW was released from active duty and deactivated in place. All of the Wing's support equipment remained at Toul and it's mission was taken over by the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, transferring it's Wing Headquarters from Fürstenfeldbruck  to France.
+On [[9 July]] 1952 the activated Air National Guard 117th TRW was released from active duty and deactivated in place. All of the Wing's support equipment remained at Toul and it's mission was taken over by the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing.  The 157th TRS was redesignated the 38th Tactical Reconnaance Squadron and remained at Furstenfeldbruck.
-Runway conditions at Toul, however, were considered to be unsatisfactory for safe operations of jet aircraft and the base was considered to be a sea of mud.   The two squadrons of RF-80s of the 10th TRW, 38th and 32d TRS (Redesignated from the 15th and ANG 157th TRS) remained at Fürstenfeldbruck in a deployed status, while the propeller-driven RB-26's of the 1st TRS were reassigned to Toul.
+Runway conditions at Toul, however, were still considered to be unsatisfactory for safe operations of jet aircraft and the base was considered to be a sea of mud.   The 38th TRS remained at Fürstenfeldbruck in a deployed status, while the propeller-driven RB-26's of the 1st TRS were reassigned to Toul.
-The 38th and 32d TRSquadrons of the 10th TRW remained at Fürstenfeldbruck  until [[9 May]] [[1953]] when the 10 TRW was reassigned to [[Spangdahlem Air Base]] in Germany as part of a USAFE reorganization.
+The 38th TRS remained at Fürstenfeldbruck  until [[9 May]] [[1953]] when the 10 TRW was reassigned to [[Spangdahlem Air Base]] in Germany as part of a USAFE reorganization.
 === 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing ===
 [[Image:36tfw50s.jpg|left|110px|]]
-[[Image:F-80b-49-1007-36fw-skyblazer-1951-Furstenfeldbruck.jpg|thumb|250px|F-80B 49-1007 of the 36th Fighter Wing, Fürstenfeldbruck AB - 1950.   This aircraft was part of the USAFE "Skyblazer" aerial demonstration team.]]
+[[Image:F-80b-49-1007-36fw-skyblazer-1951-Furstenfeldbruck.jpg|thumb|300px|F-80B 49-1007 of the 36th Fighter Wing, Fürstenfeldbruck AB - 1950.   This aircraft was part of the USAFE "Skyblazer" aerial demonstration team.]]
 On [[13 August]] [[1948]] the '''36th Fighter Wing''' was assigned to Fürstenfeldbruck.  the 36th was the first USAF all-jet unit in Europe, flying 16 F-80A/Bs.    The 36th FW was transferred to Germany from [[Howard Air Force Base]], [[Canal Zone]].