Bunge

57°50'56"N 019°02'06"E

runway: 03/21 - 675x30m - concrete/asphalt (CLOSED)
runway: 09/27 - 675x30m - concrete/asphalt
runway: 16/34 - 675x30m - concrete/asphalt

Bunge airfield (swedish: Bunge flygfält, ICAO: ESVB) was an airfield on the north side of Gotland island in the Baltic Sea.
The decion to build the airfield was taken in 1936 and construction began in 1937.
The airport was completed in 1939.
The idea was to station 20 bombers on the island, which together with naval and coastal artillery defenses were to defend northern Gotland.
During the early summer of 1940 a division of J9 fighter aircraft (Seversky EP-1) from F9 Säve moved temporarily to the field.
On July 10, F9 moved two J8 divisions (Gloster Gladiator) to Bunge field.
They took the form of school divisions, and in July the first students, known as "silver aviators", came to Bunge for further education.
Upon arrival of the J8s, the J9 division moved to Roma-field in the middle of Gotland.
From 1943 B3 bombers (Ju-86s) from F 1 Hässlö, and S16 (Caproni Ca313) and Saab17 medium bombers from F11 Nyköping were stationed at the airfield.
In July, a division of J9s arrived from F8 Barkarby.
In March 1944 tensions heightened in the area around the island.
During March 1944, the last year of heightened tensions in the area, both German and Allied aircraft caused border violations over the island.
Fearing an assault, the Air Force placed landing obstacles around the field with the exception of the landing strip.
When F4 Östersund had an air exercise in September 1944, the majority of their B17s were based at Bunge.


B3 bombers in front of the (wooden) hangar in 1946 (bungeflygfalt.se).


Overview of the airfield in 1946 (bungeflygfalt.se).

The airfield remained a training ground until 1965, but only for Air Force propeller aircraft. From 1965 until 1991 it remained a military air base. The military flight operations ceased in 1991. Since the airfield has been available for all kinds of events.
It remains an airfield, even though it has transferred to private hands. You can see more of the airfield on the website of Helen Coker, who visited the airfield and the island in 2011.


Aproach and airfield information for Bunge in 2005


Bunge airfield seen from the northwest in 2016, as photographed by Magnus Emanuelsson

Click here to see a 3D view of Bunge Airfield from the Hangar Roof in Gotland