Forgotten airfields europe

Validation date: 06 11 2015
Updated on: Never
Views: 2350
See on the interactive map:

43°20'00"N 024°15'02"E

runway: 1550x500meter/1700x550yds - earth/grass flying field

Telish airfield (Bulgarian: Телиш, also written as Telisch or Telich) was an airfield 100 kilometer northeast of Sofia.

I could not trace when the airfield was built, but in 1939 it served the 2nd Training Orlyak (aviation regiment) as the Bulgarian Air Force instrument flight school. It had 1 medium and 2 large concrete hangars on the south side of the airfield, with workshop buildings nearby. The airfield headquarters and administrative buildings, barracks, storage buildings and several huts were to the south and west of the large hangars. The airfield did not have its own railway connection, but instead rellied on the nearby rail connection in the town of Telish.

In the spring of 1941 the airfield was used by the German Luftwaffe during their Balkan campaign. After the invasion, the Luftwaffe used it as a training airfield for dive bombers.

In 1943 and 1944, the airfield was used by a detachment of IV./NJG 6. Allied reconnaissance photos shot in March 1944 identified one twin-engine bomber or transport, two fighters and five small aircraft at the airfield.

No photographs of the airfield while in use were located

After the war, the airfield was still reported to be used as such in an American Air Force Intel report in 1955 (PDF), which stated amongst others that a Dornier Do-17, a Junkers 87, a Yak and a Kukuruznik (An-2 'Colt") were recently reported at the airfield. Later, it became home to the 76th Missile Brigade of Bulgarian Army which ultimately was equipped with OTR-23 'Oka' (NATO: SS-23 Spider) ballistic missiles. After Bulgaria disbanded its missile forces, the site was closed down in 2002.

The former airfield in early 2002, right about the time the SS-23 missile unit disbanded. Most of the airfield buildings, including the hangars were still intact (Google Earth)

The former airfield in early 2014. Most of the airfield buildings, including the hangars appear to be intact. Even the outlines of the grass runway is still visible (Google Earth)!

Telish (Телиш)