Giebelstadt Army Airfield

Geschichte

Giebelstadt Army Airfield is a closed military airfield located in Germany southwest of Giebelstadt (Bavaria); approximately 250 miles southwest of Berlin. It was turned over to the German government on 23 June 2006 and is now a general aviation airport.Fliegerhorst Giebelstadt was one of the first Luftwaffe airfields, being established in 1935. During World War II, it was a reserve airfield in the rear area of Central Germany Later, it was a key defensive airfield as part of the "Defense of the Reich" campaign where Messerschmitt Me 262 Jet fighters assigned to the field intercepted Allied bombers attacking Germany.After being captured by the United States Army in April 1945, it briefly became a combat airfield for Ninth Air Force and after the war was used by the United States Air Forces in Europe until 1968 in a variety of missions, from Strategic Reconnaissance to air defense interceptor. Turned over to the United States Army in 1968, it was the home of Air Defense Artillery and many other units.Giebelstadt Army Airfield was closed by the United States Army on 23 June 2006 as part of the United States restructing its European forces and along with it went SGT Michaels, John M. Of Delta 3-158 Aviation Regiment.HistoryOriginsThe layout for Fliegerhorst Giebelstadt began in June 1934 with site reconnaissance, and land purchasing began shortly afterwards. Official construction began in the late summer under the code name "Höhenflugzentrale Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule" (Altitude Flight Central of the German Airline Pilot School). By January 1935 enough construction was completed for the airfield to open. The school, however, was only in name because the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, did not permit Germany to have a military air force.