Fürstenau

52°33'09"N 007°38'09"E

runway: ../.. - ....x..m - grass

Forward air field Fürstenau (german: Feldflugplatz Fürstenau, also known as Vechtel, Lonner Tannen or Handrup) was an improvised airfield 195 kilometers southwest of Hamburg.
The airfield was built during World War II as a result of the ongoing Allied bombings on German airfields.
A fake airfield had already been built at the location at the beginning of the war to distract attention from Achmer, Hesepe and Vörden.
The Allies were not distracted however.
This led to the later decision to station a light fighter unit at what would then become a full airfield.
It was very much an improvised airfield of which construction began in 1944.
Simple barracks were set up in the woods to house the pilots and groundcrew.
It did not have any revetments, aircraft were hidden camouflaged in the tree line.
A makeshift hangar was built in the woods.






Overview of the Luftwaffe attacks during Bodenplatte.
Fürstenau is marked in yellow.

From November 1944 the airfield became home to Stab./JG26 and I./JG26 "Schlageter", flying FW190A and D.
They operated from the airfield during Operation Bodenplatte (the air offensive during the Battle of the Bulge).
The airfield was one of a cluster of airfields in the region, which became operational in late November 1944.
Obviously the presence of a large number of fighters in the area drew Allied attention.
When they found out about the airfields they bombed them on 24 March 1945.
When JG26 realised its hidden location had been compromised they evacuated the sites on 25 March 1945.

As the airfield was an improvised facility it was quickly returned to agricultural use immediately after the war.
Aside from an occasional bomb crater and some leftover foundations of the hangar, nothing remains of this airfield.
The area is freely accessible.