Borkum-See

53°33'46"N 006°44'56"E

Runway: n/a - Water

Naval Air Station (german: Marineflugstation) Borkum See was the onofficial name of a German flying unit that was based at the island of Borkum on the western end of the German part of the Wadden Sea.
The unit consisted of two parts: the land airfield (todays Borkum airfield, ICAO EDWR) and a naval flying unit based at what is todays' Borkum harbour.
Against the urgent advice given by the Borkum population the initial Marineflugstation was setup on the easternmost end of Borkum island in the summer of 1914.
In August the first 3 Friedrichshafen F-28s of Küstenmehrzweckstaffel 3/106 began using the station for reconnaissance flights.
In the night of 18-19 Septmber 1914 a storm surge wrecked the air station and its aircraft, as the local population had predicted.
Subsequently the airstation moved to Borkum Roads, where a catapult was set up.
Over the years the air station grew: multiple hangars and a 10,000 litre fuel tank were built.
The aircraft mother ship "Santa Elena" was stationed off shore from September 1914 until 1919.
After World War I the air station was dismantled in accordance with the Versailles Treaty.






Friedrichshafen FF33E at Naval Air Station Borkum-See in December 1916 (source)


The airstation was rebuilt in 1935/36 by dredging 1.5million cubic metres of sand within the outer sea walls.
Two large hangars, each capable of holding twelve aircraft were erected, and a large crane, capable of lifting aircraft in and out of the water with the engines running, was built on the dock side.
The runway was marked with buoys in the sea lane towards the Ems River estuary.
The facility was inaugurated in 1938, the same year construction of the New Harbour (Neue Hafen) began.
Although intended as a U-boat port, it was mainly used by seaplanes, auxiliaries and mine clearing vessels.


The installation was attacked by a formation of Blennheims in the evening of 28 November 1939, who emptied their machineguns on the field and two ships off shore.
Until the end of the year two more air raids took place.
From december 1939 until March 1940 the ice on the Wadden Sea prevented all air operations.
The first trainer aircraft, a Heinkel He115 landed on 6 March 1940, signalling the transition of the unit to this type.
By 1 May 1940 only two machines were left at the air station, with 3 officers and 182 enlisted men, on 10 May 1940 the unit no longer had any aircraft assigned.
Because of the taking of France all aircraft had been repositioned closer to England.
On 1 July 1941 the air station was attacked by two Short Stirling bombers under cover of low clouds.
Damage was light: only one of the aircraft managed to destroy some waterpipes.
Between October and December 1941 the airfield was bombed 3 times more, each time without damage as the bombs fell in the Wadden Sea.
On 26 July the airfield was bombed with 42 incendiary bombs, which all failed to work.






He 115 of 3./Küstenfliegergruppe 206 at Borkum


The initial 15 years after the war Borkum was mostly ignored as a millitary station.
It was not until 1960 that the first Bundesmarine Bristol Sycamore from Kiel landed at Borkum.
According to Navy planning in 1962 the island was proposed to become home to Naval Air Wing (german: Marinefliegergeschwader or MFG) 4 tasked in the Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) and minesweeping roles.
The Wing was to receive two squadrons with 18 Sikorsky H-34 helicopters: 1./MFG4 as sub-hunters, and 2.MFG4 as minesweepers.
Borkum never became home to MFG4, as the Wing was stationed at Sylt instead.
The Air Station did get to play a role though: it became a forward operating location for MFG5 from Kiel.
The station was upgraded with new facilities in 1974 and the Sikorsky H-34s were replaced by Sea King Mk41s.
In the first 25 years after the unit was declared operational in February 1965 they were tasked 2875 times, 75% of which as civilian support.
Civilians and women in labour were flown from the island to hospitals on the main land, and many tourists were saved from the Wadden Sea sandbanks.
140 children were flown back to the mainland from a school trip during the icy winter of 1976 when the ferry was unable to sail.





Borkum-See, showing the WW2-era harbour, barracks and the heliport in 2001 (Google Earth)






Detail of the heliport in 2001 (Google Earth)


By order of the Bundeswehr planning the island support unit was reduced from 439 military and 109 civilian personnel to 20 military and 22 civilians.
The Seaman Training Unit finished its last course in March 1996, leaving only the support facility of MFG-5.
By 2004 the unit was used by the german police, Luftwaffe, Bundesgrensschutz (border police), and civilian rescue services.
Today the support unit officially only exists in support of the SAR at Helgoland, so it can refuel at the station if needed.
One single military personel maintained the facility until October 2010, when the facility was formally closed by the Luftwaffe.