Einsatzhafen Hesepe

52°27'04"N 007°57'05"E

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Airfield Hesepe (german: Einsatzhafen Hesepe) was an airfield northwest of Hesepe near Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany.
In the area of the municipality of Bramsche two important airfields were built just before World War II.
Hesepes twin Achmer was built 8 kilometers to the south, and a third similar field was built 12 kilometers to the east.
The codename of Hesepe was "Holstentor".
Construction began in 1938, forcing some residents to move..
Aside from local contractors construction was done by the Reichsarbeitsdienst (State Labour Service).
To house construction workers 3 camps were built nearby, a fourth a little further.
During the war POWs were also employed.


The airfields runways were constructed in the familiar triangle shape.
On the northern side of the airfield the 'North Camp' (german: Nordlager) was set up, which comprised hangars and air traffic control.
The technical services and barracks were placed on the south side.
The buildings were of mixed construction, some were wood, others were brick.
Around the airfields edges aircraft parkings were built.
To facilitate a steady influx of fuel, ammunition and supplies the airbase was connected to the national railway grid.
In the immediate area of the air base two ammunition dumps were built: a small one 1km to the west, a larger one 1km to the south.
Both areas were built of wood, and were connected to the railway grid.


Although the air base was used for the invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, the airbase was fairly quiet with no units assigned.
As Achmer was used to train pilots converting to other aircraft it was used for practice approaches and landings.
From 1943 the 3 airfields near Bramsche gained in importance to counter Alllied bomber fleets.
From early 1944 until the middel of that year I Group of Attack Wing 2 (german: I. Gruppe des Kampfgeschwader 2) "Holzhammer" was stationed at Hesepe with Do217 and Ju188 bombers.
Their mission was to attack cities in Great Britain.
This attracted attention from Allied bombers.
In the previous years Hespe had only seen light bombings, but this changed on 21 February 1944.
Although Vorden was the main target, the air base and town of Hesepe also suffered damage.
On 8 April a second, more severe raid followed, which resulted in the relocation of the communications section to a concrete bunker which also doubled as an air raid shelter for service members and the general public.
In August and September some construction work was done to facilitate the Me262 jet fighter.
On the south side of the field more revetments were built.
On 26 September the Luftwaffe sent Kommando Nowotny to Hesepe and Achmer, a Me262 unit led by succesful fighter pilot Walter Nowotny.
While on a mission in a Me262 he was shot and killed, 5kilometers from Hesepe.


Sinlge squadrons of Attack Wing 76 flew into Hesepe in the autumn of 1944, operating the Ar234 jet bomber, and remained there until Februari 1945.
In March 1945 the air base got under heavy attacks of Allied bombers which caused so much damage the airfield had to be put out of service.
After the attack of the 24th the air base was deserted, and in the night of 3 and 4 April 1945 all the Wehrmacht facilities were blown up.
On 10 April British forces reached the airbase and occupied it.


Ater the war the airbase was demilitarised.
Whatever was left standing was torn down.
Until 1952 the terrain was used to blow up surplus ammunition.
It then lay deserted for several years, but in the 1960s it got a military use again.
On the north side a 2,000ton ammunition depot was set up for the German Army, possibly in tents because there are no traces of bunkers at the site.
The depot moved when during the 70s it was decided that these depots should be closer to the units near the East German border.
On the south side a barracks was built for the Royal Netherlands Air Forces 1 Group Guided Weapons, a SAM unit (Nike Hercules).
Although ultimately the Groups headquarters did not move to this site, the newly formed transport group for all Netherlands' Guided Weapons Groups did.
This battalion sized unit supported the 1.GGW and 2.GGW groups in Münster-Handorf and Schöppingen as well as some HAWK Units.
When 1.GGW and 2.GGW were merged into 12.GGW in 1975 it became the new headquarters for that Group.
The unit stayed until it disbanded in 1988.


The barracks were then used to house large numbers of Eastern European refugees, renamed as Grenzdurchgangslager (Border control camp) Bramsche/Osnabrück (Border control camp).
Today it is mainly used to house Asylum seekers.
Not much remains of the former air base, although its outlines can still be seen from the air.
More remains of the former Dutch Nike headquarters, although it is still in use as a asylum seeker camp.
Most of the former air base is freely accessible.






former Fliegerhorst Hesepe in 2010 (Google Earth)