Wiesbaden Army Airfield

Wiesbaden Army Airfield is located southeast of the city of Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany. It was selected as the site for Headquarters, United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) on 28 September 1945, in large part due to its proximity to Frankfurt am Main, where the U.S. Seventh Army was headquartered. It is currently a garrison for United States Army - Europe.

History

The land on which the airfield stands was originally the Wiesbaden course for horse races built in 1910. In 1929 it was converted into an airfield and in 1936 the German "Luftwaffe" took over the base. One unit stationed there was "Jagdgruppe" 50, a fighter group of Messerschmitt Bf 109s. On 17 August 1943 the unit intercepted American bombers taking part in the ill-fated Regensburg Strike targeting the Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg and the ball bearing plants in Schweinfurt. Alfred Grislawski, a German "Luftwaffe" fighter ace,Fellgiebel] took part in that mission. [Sky Battles, Sky Warriors, by Alfred Price, ISBN 1-85409-355-5]

The airfield was captured when the U.S. 80th Infantry Division took Wiesbaden on 28 March 1945. [The Last Offensive by Charles B. MacDonald, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 71-183070] Subsequently the U.S. Army Air Force gave the base the temporary designation Y-80 and used it for its operations in Germany. USAAF/USAFE units assigned to Wiesbaden AB or Lindsey Air Station include:

* 363d Reconnaissance Group May - August 1945
* 51st Troop Carrier Group Sep 1945 - Aug 1948
* 317th Troop Carrier Group 30 Sep - 15 Dec 1948
* 7150th Air Force Composite Wing 15 Dec 1948- 1 Oct 1949
* 60th Troop Carrier Wing 1 Oct 1949 - 2 Jun 1951
* 7110th Support Wing 2 Jun 1951 - 1 Dec 1957
* 7030th Support Wing 1 Dec 1957 - 15 Nov 1959
* 7100th Support Wing 15 Nov 1959 - 15 Apr 1985
* 7100th Air Base Group 15 Apr 1985 - 1 Jun 1993

Beginning in September, 1945, the European Air Transport Service operated passenger and cargo service from Wiesbaden daily to London, Munich, Bremen, Vienna and Berlin. From Berlin an EATS plane made weekly flights to Warsaw, Poland. Flights originated from Vienna for Bucharest, Belgrade, Sofia and Budapest. In the Mediterranean area EATS flights connected Udine, Pisa, Rome and Naples.

EATS originally was composed of left-over wartime troop carrier squadrons, glider and fighter pilots, B-17 crewmen and other available personnel.

In addition to regular flights which service the Army of Occupation, EATS also operated special flights such as providing transportation for diplomatic officials, evacuating sick or wounded, performing mercy flights, aiding the Graves Registration Command in returning the remains of American soldiers and rushing supplies to needy areas.

In 1948 the facility served as a hub supporting the Berlin Airlift with around-the-clock flights from Wiesbaden to Tempelhof Airport. Airmen from Wiesbaden distinguished themselves in support of "Operation Vittles". C-47s and C-54 "Skymasters" of the 60th Troop Carrier Group flew missions daily from Wiesbaden to Tempelhof in the beleaguered city of Berlin. During one day's operations more than 80 tons of food and supplies were airlifted from Wiesbaden. The streets on Wiesbaden Air Base were named after servicemen who gave their lives during the Berlin Airlift.

On 4 July 1956 a U-2A stationed in Wiesbaden flew over both Moscow and Leningrad as part of Operation Overflight, missions to spy on Soviet military bases.

In 1973 HQ USAFE was relocated to Ramstein Air Base near Kaiserslautern. The Air Force moved most personnel out of Wiesbaden in 1975 as part of Operation Creek Swap, in which most Army facilities in Kaiserslautern were turned over to the Air Force, in exchange for the facilities at Wiesbaden. The 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, was stationed at Wiesbaden in 1976 as part of "Brigade 76" until it was replaced by the 3rd Corps Support Command and 12th Aviation Brigade in the mid-1980s. From 1975 to 1993 Wiesbaden was a joint Army/Air Force community with a service-wide reputation for excellence that was enhanced by the strong bonds that developed between these organizations. In 1993, Wiesbaden Air Base was officially renamed Wiesbaden Army Air Field.

Today, Wiesbaden AAF is home to the headquarters of 1st Armored Division and a number of subordinate units. As American forces draw down in Europe, current plans call for Wiesbaden to remain one of six geographic hubs for U.S. forces in Europe. [http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=40767&archive=true]

Lindsey Air Station

Lindsey Air Station, an installation on the opposite side of Wiesbaden from the air base, was established as an Army Air Force installation on 13 November 1946, having previously been a German Army facility named "Gersdorff Kaserne". Lindsey achieved its greatest prominence between December 1953 and 14 March 1973 when it was the host base for Headquarters, USAFE.

After the transfer of Wiesbaden Air Base to the Army in 1976, Lindsey AS provided support for various Air Force units in the Wiesbaden area until it was closed in 1993. The buildings at Lindsey now house certain offices of the German Federal Investigation Bureau "Bundeskriminalamt (BKA)" and the Hesse State Police.

ee also

* United States Air Force In Germany
* United States Air Forces in Europe

References

* Fletcher, Harry R. (1989) Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799536
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.

References

External links

*http://www.wiesbaden.army.mil
*Lindsey Air Station (German Version)