Hage

53°36'57"N 007°17'02"E

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

Land Flying Station Hage (German: Landflugstation Hage) was a German Imperial Navy (german: Kaiserliche Marine) airfield in Ostfriesland, northwestern Germany.
At the outbreak of World War I the German high cammand decided they needed an air station in the far northwest corner of the country, which was deemed to be the closest point to Great Britain.
Construction of the air station began in 1914 and it was declared fully operational on 31 August 1915.
Although called a 'land flying station' (suggesting aircraft) it was equipped with balloons and airships.
For this purpose 4 giant hangars were built: 184meters long, 34meters wide and 28meters tall.
They were designated 1 'Hanne', 2 'Hannibal' (both completed in April 1915), 3 'Harald' and 4 'Hasso'.


The airfield produced its own gas at their own factory, with a maximum daily output of 16,700 cubic meters, which was stored in a tank with a maximum capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.
During the first years of the war it was one of the main airfields in the country, and home to airships L6, L9, L11, L12, L13, L14, L15, L16 and L22.
With the exception of airship L16 (which stayed between September 1915 and March 1917) the airships usually did not stay long at the airfield .
In 1916 the advantage of being close to the coast turned into a disadvantage.
Because of the enormous advances in aeronautics Hage suddenly became well within reach of enemy aircraft, causing the airships to divert to more inland positions such as Ahlhorn.
5 April 1917 the personnel of Hage left the airfield for Wittmundhafen, although the gas works kept producing more gas, which was then transported by rail to other locations.


After the war the field was not demolished until 1921.
The terrain was then converted to agricultural use.
In 1937 the terrain came to the attention of the military once more.
It was converted into an Einsatzhafen, with housing and operations buildings to the south, and a munitions complex to the northwest.
It saw little use until September 1939, when the II.Trägergruppe 186 (2Wing/carriersquadron186) flew into the airfield for a short stay.
As the German aircraft carrier was not yet completed they needed a place to exercise from.
After they left the airfield saw little use and little change until late 1940, when a new 700meter NE-SW concrete runway was constructed.
The airfield closed down as early as 1943.
 

After the war part of the airfield was converted into a mobilisations complex by the Bundesheer (German Federal Army).
Most of the southern area was converted into a housing area.
Another part was converted into a hospital.
The mobilisations complex closed at some point after the Cold War.
Some former military buildings can still be found, photos of which can be found at Relikte.com.
No aviation related infrastructure remains, the terrains use is agricultural now.




The location in 2009 (Google Earth)