Stade

53°33'55"N 009°29'40"E

Runway: NE/SW - 1200x..m - concrete ('Bahn II')
Runway: N/S - 1000x..m - concrete ('Bahn III')
Runway: E/W - ...x..m - concrete/grass ('Bahn I')

Stade airfield (German: flugplatz Stade or Fliegerhorst Stade) was an airfield 285 west-northwest of Berlin.
It's construction began in the spring of 1935, disguised as a civilian project. The first occupants arrived as early as October 1935 when the first students of the Fliegerersatzabteilung 47 (Pilot Replacement Unit 47) began thair course. First use was that of a multi-engine piloting school in 1936 and a second training unit arrived at the airfield in 1937 from Ludwigslust, bringing their Junkers Ju52 and Ju86, Dornier Do17, Focke-Wulf Fw56 and Fw58 aircraft. In 1939 a new large hangar and the first concrete runway (Startbahn II) was built.
After the beginning of the war in 1939, the training units were withdrawn to the east in Brandenburg. In November, they were replaced with night fighters, which stayed for a few weeks. 
In April 1940, air transport aircraft filled with parachutists and mountain troops flew from Stade to begin the occupation of Norway.
In 1941, night-fighters of  II./NJG1 were stationed here, making Stade an important part of the defense against Alllied strategic bombers. Although II./NJG1 left after some time, Stade was never really long without nightfigthers after this first prolonged stay. It is during this period that the second runway (Statbahn III) was built. Construction of the Northerly runway ('Startbahn I') was begun, but for unknown reasons it was never completed.
On 18 April 1945 all flyable aircraft were flown to Uetersen, the remainder and the facilities were destroyed. The occupation by the British from 1 May 1945 left some surprises for the British: due to the fast Soviet advance, the commander of the E-Stelle (Erprobungsstelle or "Evaluation Unit") at Werneuchen) was ordered by the Oberkommando dere Luftwaffe (OKL) to evacuate equipment to Stade. As a result, the British discovered amongst others a camouflaged and incomplete Ju-248 V.1 prototype (a reworked Me163 rocket powered interceptor with landing gear instead of a retractable skid) at the airfield.


Stade photographed from an allied bomber during an air raid. From 22 April 1944, the airfield was frequently attacked by bombers and allied fighters (8thafhs.com)

After the war, the airfield was used by the Britisch occupation forces. They did not repair much of the airfield, which they had redesignated 'B-162 Stade'. Instead, they left many aircraft wrecks at the airfield and simply used it to store army vehicles on its platforms.


the forward fuselage of a Siebel Si204D lies in a pile of aircraft parts in August 1946 (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan)


The battered remains of a Bf109 (left) and a dual control Do-335 'Pfeil' laying pushed aside at Stade in August 1946 (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan)


The wide variety of aircraft types gives a good impression of the chaos during the final weeks of the Reich. Here, somebody sits in the pilot seat of fuselage-only Heinkel He-111 in August 1946 (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


Another He111, a -H5 version, somewhat more complete with engine gondolas and complete cockpit frame lying about at the airfield in August 1946 (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


The wreckage of a burnt out Fw190 was still at the airfield in August 1946 (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


A Junkers Ju88G-6 found on the grass in front of the platform where British Army trucks are stored at Stade, August 1946 (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


The sad remains of what was one of the most advanced aircraft to see service During World War II: a dual seat Me262 jet fighter (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


An odd find: a Renault tank on a German airfield. Presumably taken from France after the invasion of France (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


Stade control tower in September 1946. The building survived until at least 2011, when it was photographed in the winter (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


Rows of military trucks in front of the Stade hangars in September 1946 (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


View of the Parade Ground at Stade in March 1947 (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


It appears that a major cleaning effort occurred in the fall of 1946 or the winter of 1947, as only military vehicles can be seen outside Hangar V in this March 1947 photo. Also notice that one of the runways ('Startbahn II') is visible in the background (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).


The bulldozed grounds at Stade (Peter Coleman, via the Picasa album of Peter Kwan).

In 1951, the Stade airfield grounds were given back to the West-German authorities. After West-Germany was allowed an armed forces in 1956, they converted the former airfield into an exercise grounds, although a small civilian airfield was allowed to be built on the southern edge of the former air base. The buildings became home to the Luftwaffen-Ausbildungsregiment 2 (German Air Force Training Regiment 2), yet later it became a base for the West-German Army. Today it is a residential and commercial area, partially in use by Airbus. The former training area is a nature retreat.


Scale model of Flugplatz Stade by Dieter-Theodor Bohlmann at the Technik- und Verkehrsmuseum Stade. Scale is 1:2000, airfield and installations shown as they were in November 1943. The two parallel runways on the south side, leading to the bottom of the 'V' in the runways, became runway (northern) and taxitrack (southern) of the new Stade airfield in 1956 (Wikimedia).