Einsatzhaven Marx

53°25'17.15"N 007°53'38.47"E

Runway: n/a - ....meters/...feet - ...
Runway: n/a - ....meters/...feet - ...
Runway: n/a - ....meters/...feet - ...


Marx airfield was already in use during World War I, although little is known about this pereiod.
At the time is was known as Navy Land Aviation Station (german: Marine-Landfliegerstation) Barge.
However, as military aviation was prohibited in Germany during the Interbellum, the airfield was ploughed up, and used for agriculture.
From the mid 1930s however aircraft began using the old site again, usually during emergency landings of the flight school at Oldenburg.
By the late 1930s the Luftwaffe decided the site was to be upgraded to an Operational Field (german: Einsatzhafen)
As it proved to be too hard to buy the neccesary grounds, leases were signed with the property owners.
The airfield was to be named Marx, after a village 2nm (3 kilometers) to the northwest, although the name Bohlenberger Feld had been used too, and it's operational nickname was "Neiße".


The airfield received the then-usual triangle of runways.
Because the grounds in the middle of the field were somewhat higher than on the runways it ws not possible to oversee all three runways from the cockpit.
This 'feature' made the airfield quite unpopular amongst aircrews.
All the buildings were built to the south of the airfield, including one hangar.
Only a few were brick though, most of the buildings were constructed from timber.
A munitions storage complex was built in the woods south of the airfield, and to the west a FLAK site was constructed.
In the forest bordering the airfield splitterboxes were built, covered with camouflage netting.


The first documented user of the airfield was Combat Group 126 (german: Kampfgruppe 126)between February and July 1940, flying He111H bombers.
Their mission was to mine the British coastal waters
In the period that followed several units used the base for short periods of time, and then it became quiet.
For a while the airfield was used as a diversion field only.
in October and November 1943 the second Group of Fighter Wing 11 (german: II. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 11) flying Messerschmidt Bf 109G fighters used the base.
From early in the year to late summer 1944 the staff and later the whole Third Group/Fighter Wing (german: III. Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader54) "Totenkopf" flying Junkers Ju 88A-Bombers came   to Marx.
The next user was the result of the changing skies over Germany.
From November 1944 until March the next year Third Group/Night Fighter Wing 2 (German: III./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2) was stationed at the base.
This Group flew Ju88G-Night Fighters against the continuously over flying Allied bomber fleets.





Marx airfield (below) being bombed by allied B-24 bombers of 486th Bombardment Group (Heavy) (source)


Near the end of the war the skies changed once again: Third Group/Fighting Wing 76 (German: III./Kampfgeschwader76) introduced the jet powered light Bomber Arado Ar234 "Blitz".
As a result, on 21 March 1945 the airfield was attacked by allied bombers of the 486th BG (Heavy) on their 170th mission.
When the front lines approached in April however the squadrons withdrew to Kaltenkirchen in Schleswig-Holstein.
The last days of the war saw no more action at the field.


After the war the airfield was used by the Allies to destruct the contents of ammunition depots around the area, especially the one at Schweinebruck
To do this they used two areas near the airfield until 1951, but large quantities also ended up on the bottom of nearby lakes.
As a result dangerous (because heavily oxidised) explosives surface regularly to this day.
The hardened airfield surfaces were blown up after the war.
Some of the buildings were used to house displaced persons from all over Europe.
Most of the lands (that after all were only leased) were returned to the owners, and now have a agricultural use.
To the northeast a large part of the former airbase is being excavated, forming a large lake.
Aviation has not completely disappeared however: on the southeast side a civilian aeroclub ("Luftsportgemeinschaft Waterkant-Zetel") is using a field to operate from.
At one time even the Bundeswehr (German Federal Defense) announced to reuse the field, but they ultimately opted for a new field at Wittmundhafen.
The munitions complex remained in use for quite a while however, first for AB Wittmundhafen, later for the Army.
It was not until the late 1970s that the area was returned to nature, finally ending military presence.






Marx airfield in 2009 (Google Earth)






Marx Field (relikte.com)