Fliegerhorst Achmer

52°22'38"N 007°54'48"E

Runway: 07/25 - 940x30meters - grass (current glider field)
Runway: n/a - ....meters/...feet - ...
Runway: n/a - ....meters/...feet - ...
Runway: n/a - ....meters/...feet - ...


Airfield Achmer (german: Flugplatz Achmer, ICAO: EDXA) is an airfield classified as a 'special landing place' (german: Sonderlandeplatz) near Bramsche in Lower Saxony, Germany.
In the area of the municipality of Bramsche two important airfields were built just before World War II.
Achmers twin Hesepe was built 8 kilometers to the north, and a third similar field (Vörden) was built 12 kilometers to the east.
The codename of Einsatzhafen Achmer was "Ahnenkult".
Construction began in 1936, in order to provide the Reich with numerous airfields, giving the Third Reich a strategic advantage for aerial warfare.
The airfield was constructed in the familiar and then-modern triangle configuration.
The construction of buildings needed for flying continued until 1939.
To the northeast the technical area with its large maintenance hangars and engine test facilities was built.
The operational aircraft were parked in hangars on the south side.
A connecting railroad provided the neceessary means to bring in all kinds of materials: Brick, Steel, food, but also fuel and ammunition.
In the surrounding area further facilities were erected.
Two munition dumps were built: one 2kilometers south in the woods, another to the north of the airfield.
On the southern edge of the airbase a camp was built for civilian personnel, and from 1941 onwards a camp was built to the northwest to house POWs of the Red Army.






chart of the runways at Achmer during World War II (source).


The first documented use of the airfield occurred in August 1940.
One of the squadrons (german: Staffel) of Kampfgeschwader (Attack Wing) "Holzhammer", flying D0-17 bombers was stationed at the air base.
In Januari 1941 11 Squadron of the Wing joined them, and until March the two squadrons continued to grow into a full Group (IV Gruppe), after which they left for Schwerin.
Over the next few years several units were using the airfield for shorter periods of time, but they always included elements of KG2 (Kampfgruppe 2).
The base became a well known reequipment base, which included the upgrade from Do-17 to Do-217 of several Groups of Attack Wing 2.


Achmer also served as a test airfield.
Erprobungskommando 25 tested several eapons against bombere fleets at the base, utilising FW-190s.
In Septmeber 1944 a special test unit came to Achmer and nearby Hesepe:
Kommando Notowny, led by Walter Notowny, was stationed at the base flying Me262 jet fighters.
Notowny was killed in action when his Me262 was shot on 8 November 1944.
The modern jet fighters required alterations to the airfield, such as a new hangar, and a longer south runway (which never materialised).
In November Kommando Lotowny relocated to Landsberg to form III./JG3 (3rd Group of Fighter Wing 3).


A new unit flying jets was stationed at the base between Januari and March 1945.
It was III./KG76 (3rd Group of Attack Wing 76) flying Ar234 "Blitz" light bombers.
All the changes did not go unnoticed to the Alllies, and they attacked the airfield several times in 1944 and 1945.
Flying could only be sustained until March 1945, forcing the remaining aircraft to the east.
The army (german: Wehrmacht) blew up many of the facilities when they had left.
By early April the British Army reached the Fliegerhorst and occupied it.
They immediately begain reparing the airbase to make it ready for flying again.
It became known as Advanced Landing Ground B-110 Achmer and was used primarily to station bombers and fighter-bombers.


After the war the terrain remained in military use.
When the troops stationed at the base had left, the British Army used it as an exercise area for the Osnabrück garrison.
At the time Osnabrück was a major garrison of the British Army of the Rhine and nowadays it is the largest base outside the UK.
The exercise grounds have since been enlarged off base considerably, and now encompasses some 1000hectares.
When Germany was allowed to have armed forces again in 1956 plans were to rebuild Achmer as an air tranport base.
Although a cleanup of the field had already begun, the plan was cancelled.
The cleanup did remove many recognisable point though.
Today, the terrain is home to a flying club.
Parts of some buildings are still standing and recognisable, and can be viewed at relikte.com.






OpenAIP approach chart of Achmer in 2009






OpenAIP airport chart of Achmer in 2009