Landsberg-Lech Air Base

Geschichte

Landsberg-Lech Air Base is a German Air Force base located near the town of Landsberg am Lech in Bavaria.Landsberg is used as a transport base. It is home of the Air Transport Wing 61. Aircraft at the base are C-160 Transall and UH-1D Huey helicopters.HistoryWorld War IIWith the formation of the Luftwaffe in 1935, locations for air bases were selected throughout the entire country. The Penzing area was selected for one of these bases because of the suitable geographical, navigational and other technical aspects. Land was procured in 1935 and by spring of 1936 the construction of Landsberg Air Base was well underway. A small detachment of airmen arrived on 10 February 1937 and a full complement had arrived by 1 March. The Luftwaffe unit was designated Combat Wing 255.The first assigned aircraft were Dornier Do 17E and 17M bombers. On 1 August 1939 the Do-17s were replaced by the Heinkel 111, and the unit was designated as Kampfgeschwader 51. During World War II, this unit saw combat on all war fronts. Landsberg, meanwhile, was utilized primarily for pre-flying and general training.Late in the war, two attacks by American B-17 Flying Fortress bombers knocked out three of the base's hangars, all the runways, and damaged many of the grounded aircraft. Toward the waning days of the war, most of Germany's best radar technicians were sent to Landsberg Air Base.In 1945, a U.S. Armored Division swept into the area. On 28 April the base was occupied.