Grossachsenheim

48°57'00"N 009°03'00"E

Runway:  ../.. - ...x..m - concrete

Airfield Großsachsenheim (german: Einsatzhafen Großsachsenheim) was an airfield 46km/29mi east of Karlsruhe, Germany.
It was built in the 1930s with a single hardened runway and home to I./NJG6.
Großsachsenheim had a forced labour camp south of the airfield, of which workers were used to do repairs on the airfield after attacks by the Allies. Conditions were said to be worse than in concentration camps.




Impression of the forced labour camp


The airfield in 1944. 'Flugzeug' means aircraft, 'mannschaftsbaracken' means barracks, and 'arbeits-, später krankenlager' means laboour- later hospital camp. The north is to the right of the photo.

After the war the airfield and its hardened runway were demolished. It was not completely abandoned, because it eventually became an American Nike-Hercules site. The Nikes were withdrawn in the 1980s.
In aerial photography dated ca. 2000 the runway, the Nike positions and the position of the associated radar site were still recognisable.
The east end of the runway had become a dog racing track. 
Today the area is being converted into an industrial estate.


The former airfield, converted into a Nike site in 1970. The barracks are still in the same location as in 1944, the runway was blown up.


The same site as above, 30 years later. Even the position of the labour camp is still recognisable.