Gilze-Rijen The Netherlands - 445BG

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Gilze-Rijen The Netherlands

Mission Summaries > February 1944 > Airfields in Feb 44
Gilze-Rijen (NETH)
(a.k.a. Looneind, Nerhoven)
(51 34 00 N – 04 56 25 E)

General: operational airfield (Einsatzhafen) 10 km W of Tilburg, 10 km ESE of Breda and 2.8 km N of Gilze village in S Holland. Rated for bombers.

History: limited civil and Dutch military use as a landing ground dates from 1909, but it was first developed as an airport named Nerhoven in 1937 with a satellite landing area at Molenheide just 2 km to the NW. Attacked and captured by the Germans 10-12 May 1940. In June the Luftwaffe merged Nerhoven and Molenheide and began constructing a huge air base complex that was largely completed by the end of 1940. During the war, it was one of the most important bomber and night fighter bases in the West.

Dimensions:  Not specified.

Surface and Runways: 3 camouflaged concrete runways set out in the form of a capital letter “A”, each measuring 1,700 x 50 meters. Equipped for night landings with visual Lorenz systems for all 3 runways, blind landing installations, boundary lights, visual beacons and artificial horizons.

Fuel and Ammunition: numerous refueling points stretched along the W boundary. A very large munitions dump complex was sited in a woods off the SW corner that was run by a MASt (Munitionsausgabestelle).

Infrastructure: had some 12 scattered hangars with paved aprons, including 2 that were very large and used for repairs, plus numerous separate workshop buildings and stores sheds, all of these being heavily camouflaged to look like farm buildings or agricultural terrain. Station buildings and barracks totaled over 70 and were located in a woods off the NW corner of the airfield. In 1941 a base residential area for officers with 40 well- appointed homes was built in a wooded area SW of the base on the way to the village of Chaam. A 4-barrack camp was constructed in 1943 for female signals personnel. A branch rail spur off the Breda-Tilburg line served the N and W side of the base.

Dispersal:  4 areas – the East Dispersal had 56 aircraft shelters, the Southwest Dispersal 9, the West Dispersal 44 and the Northwest Dispersal 3 for a total of 112 in late 1943. Nearly all of these were fully enclosed with stone walls, large enough for bombers and camouflaged. An additional c.47 hardstands and parking sites were added in early 1944.

Defenses: 3 heavy Flak positions with 4 guns each and 10 light Flak positions, most of which were in Flak towers. There were also 8 searchlights as part of the Flak defenses.

Satellites and Decoys:
Gilze/I
(51 33 00 N – 04 54 00 E)
possible satellite strip and dispersal field 3 km WSW of Gilze-Rijen airfield and immediately N of the village of Driehoek.
History: under construction in August 1944.
Surface and Dimensions: measured approx. 915 meters (1000 yards) E/W. It was possibly connected to the Southwest dispersal of Gilze-Rijen airfield.
Infrastructure: none noted.

Gilze-Rijen – Looneind
(51 30 00 N – 04 59 45 E)
dummy “clone” 8 km SSE of Gilze- Rijen airfield complete with fake runways, buildings, lighting, flarepath, etc. Set up in 1941-42.

Remarks:

  • 1940-44: bombed and strafed several dozen times, but the damage was quickly repaired and the airfield returned to full operations.
  • 11 Jan 42: total station strength 2,840 officers and men.
  • 28/29 Jul 42: bombed – 1 x Do 217 E-4 from I./KG 2 destroyed on the ground.
  • 19 Aug 43: bombed by B-17 Fortresses.
  • 23 Dec 43: 3 squadrons of 8th AAF P-47 fighter-bombers attacked Gilze-Rijen airfield.
  • 23 Jan 44: bombed and strafed by 23 P-47 Thunderbolts from 8th  AAF.
  • 25 Jan 44: bombed and strafed by approx. 30 P-47 Thunderbolts from 8th AAF. 31 Jan 44: bombed and strafed by 157 P-47s and 47 P-38 Ligntnings.
  • 10 Feb 44: bombed by 28 planes from 8th AAF. (445th Bomb Group Mission #21 -
  • 14 Feb 44: bombed and strafed by 46 P-47s as a secondary target.
  • 22 Feb 44: bombed by 35 B-26 Marauders drom 9th AAF – 3 x Do 217s and 1 x LeO 451 from III./KG 2 destroyed or damaged on the ground. runways and landing area rendered mostly unserviceable.
  • 19 Mar 44: dive-bombed by 24 P-47s from 8th AAF.
  • 26 Mar 44: runways and landing area repaired and again serviceable.
  • 31 May 44: bombed by 8th AAF heavies.
  • 12 Jun 44: runways prepared for demolition by mining.
  • 23 Jun 44: bombed – 1 x Ju 188 A-2 from I./KG 2 destroyed or damaged on the ground.
  • 15 Aug 44: bombed – 3 x Do 217s and 1 x Fi 156 from Stab and I./KG 2 destroyed or damaged on the ground.
  • 03 Sep 44: air attack - 4 x Do 217Ks and Ms from I./KG 2 destroyed on the ground.
  • 04 Sep 44: low-level attack – 1 x Do 217 from I./KG 2 destroyed or damaged on the ground.
  • 04-05 Sep 44: vital infrastructure demolished and the base evacuated by the Luftwaffe.

Operational Units: Stab, II./KG 26 (Sep 40); I./NJG 2 (Sep 40 – Nov 41); I./KG 30 (Sep 40 – Mar 41); II./KG 30 (Sep 40 – May 41, Sep-Dec 41, Mar-Apr 42); Sonderkdo. Mausi (Sep 40 – Oct 42); III./KG 30 (Aug 41 – Jan 42); Stab/NJG 2 (Nov 41 – Nov 42); III./NJG 2 (Mar-Sep 42, elements Dec 43 – Mar 44); I./KG 2 (Apr 42 – Apr 43, Jun-Aug 44); 2./NJG 2 (Sep-Nov 42); 1./Minensuchgruppe 1 (Oct 42 – Aug 44); II./NJG 2 (Oct-Nov 42); II./KG 40 (Mar-Jun 43); III./KG 2 (Aug 43 – Jan 44, Jun 44); II./KG 51 (Apr-Aug 44); II./KG 76 (Jun 44); 9./KG 3 (Jul-Aug 44).

Reserve Training & Replacement Units: Erg.St./NJG 2 (Aug 41 – Aug 43).

Station Commands:    Fl.H.Kdtr. E 29/IV (Jun 40 - ?); Fl.H.Kdtr. E(L) 7/I (1941 – Dec 42); Fl.H.Kdtr. A 201/VI (c. Jan 43 - Mar 44); Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 207/XI (Apr-Sep 44).

Station Units (on various dates – not complete): Night Fighter Group (Nachtjagd Raumführer) 102 (Jul 42 – spring 44); Koflug 6/III (Jun 40 – Aug 44); 1. Flugh.Betr.Kp./KG 2 (Jan-Apr 43); 115.Flugh.Betr.Kp. (Qu) (Dec 43 – Feb 44); 148. Flugh.Betr.Kp. (Qu) (Jun-Aug 44); Werft-Abt.(v) 129/XI (Mar-Sep 44); Werftzug 656 (1943 – Feb 44); Werftzug 657 (1943 – Feb 44); Luftminen-Zug 8 (Sep 43); Luftminen-Zug 13 ( ? - Feb 44); 4.(RAD)/Flak-Abt. 156 (c.Jan-Sep 44); 6.(RAD)/Flak-Abt. 214 (c.Oct 43 – 1944); 3./gem.Flak-Abt. 591 (c.1942-44); le.Flak-Abt. 846 (Feb, Nov 42); 2. and 3./gem.Flak-Abt. 665 (Aug 43); Stab/Ln.-Rgt. 211 (Breda, c.Apr 43 – Aug 44); I.(Ln.Betr.)/Ln.-Rgt. 211 (Tilburg, c.Apr 43 – Aug 44?); Stab II.(Flum.Mess)/Ln.-Rgt. 211 (Breda, c.Apr 43 – Aug 44); 12.(Flugm.Res.)/Luftgau-Nachr.Rgt. Holland (Breda, c.Jul 40 – 1944); Stab/Ln.-Abt. 51 (Breda, c.Oct 41 – Oct 42); Stab/Ln.-Abt. 62 (Tilburg, c.Oct 41 – Oct 42); Stab/Munitionsversorgungsbezirk Süd (Loon op Zand, c.1943-44); Feldluftmunitionslager d.Lw. 8/VI (Loon op Zand, c.1943-44); E- Hafen-Ausrüstungskolonne 8/IV (Aug 43); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 41/VI (Tilburg, Sep 43); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 145/VI (Tilburg, Sep 43); 3. Ldssch.Kp. d.Lw./3. Jagd-Div. (Dec 43); Ldssch.Zug 117/VI (to Jun 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 124/VI (Jun, Dec 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 127/VI (Jun- Nov 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 152/VI (Jun-Dec 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 162/VI (Jun-Dec 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 348/VI ( ? - Aug 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 12/XI ( ? – Aug 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 23/XI ( ? – Aug 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 271/XI ( ? – Aug 43); 6.Kp./Flieger-Rgt. 51 (Aug 43); Prüfstelle auf Höhenwirkung (mot) d.Lw. 12 (Jul 43 - ?); RAD-Abt. 4/156 (c.1943-44);  RAD-Abt.6/214 (c.1943-44).
German Occupied Dutch Airfield in Gilze-Rijen
Image courtesy of Google Earth Pro™
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