Erding Air Base
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edring Air Base is a German Air Force airfield near Munich. During the Cold War, it was a United States Air Force facility, used as an Air Depot, Air Base and an Air Station.
During World War II Erding was a Luftwaffe Airfield
USAF Units stationed at Erding were:
- 1948-1954: 7485th Air Depot Wing
- 1956-1960: 440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
- 1970-1971: 52nd Tactical Fighter Group
Originally developed as an Air Depot in the early postwar years, the mission of the 7485th Air Depot Wing provided depot-level maintenance of USAFE and NATO fighters. With the creation of NATO in response to Cold War tensions in Europe, USAFE wanted its major air bases in West Germany moved west of the Rhein River to provide greater air defense warning time.
With the opening of Châteauroux-Déols Air Base, France in 1953, the mission of Erding Air Depot was transferred and the Air Depot Wing was deactivated. Renamed Erding Air Base, it became an air defense facility in 1956 with the assignment of the F-86D equipped 440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, a detachment of the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Landstuhl Air Base until the arrival of the F-102 in Europe and budget cutbacks in 1960 forced it's closure.
Erding was turned over to the German Air Force as a front line facility where it hosted various F-104, Tornado and other fighter squadrons.
In 1966 with France withdrawing from NATO it left a gap in the air defense network of Europe. Operation Creek Ale filled that gap by rotating F-102 interceptors from various squadrons of the 86th Air Division based at Ramstein. Squadrons from Soesterberg, Zaragosa, Hahn, Bitburg and Ramstein rotated to Erding for air defense alert. With the deactivation of the 86th AD in 1970, the 52d Fighter Group was formed at Erding with some of the F-102's on a permanent basis. In 1971 the F-102s were withdrawn from Europe and the 52d FG was deactivated.
Relegated to Air Station status, Erding hosted TDY units of CONUS based USAF aircraft though the 1980s for short-term deployments as part of the annual Reforger exercises.
It remains an active German Air Force Base today.
[edit] See also
[edit] 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
- USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present [1]
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
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- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
