Tønder

54°57'44"N 008°51'35"E

runway: unk - ...x..m - grass

Air field Tønder (German: Luftschiffhafen Tondern) was an airship base 2.5 kilometers north of Tønder, Denmark, just north of the border with Germany.
The airfield was built in 1914-1915 during World War I as an airship base on what was then German soil. The first two hangars were finished in March 1915, and the first airship, Parceval PL25 arrived at the base on 23 March 1915. A non-rigid airship, it was based at Tønder for 8 months. The first (rigid) Zeppelin airship (L7) arrived at the base on 25 April 1915.
The airbase consisted of the airship hangars 'Tobias' and 'Toni', the double hangar 'Toska' (730feet long, 220feet wide, 130 feet high) and on the south side of the airfield a hangar for 5 Albatros D-III air defense fighters. A gasworks and hydrogen storage tanks provided the lifting gas for the airships. Barracks for about 600 soldiers, central heating, a water treatment plant and a weather service completed the airfield.


The three airship hangars at Tønder


A Zeppelin docking at Tønder

'Toska' earned herself a bad reputation from the beginning because of many accidents. Before she was even finished in November 1915 she was involved in a gas filling accident with Zeppelin L18, destroying the airship. In March 1916 L22 crashed into her doors, badly damaging the nose of the Zeppelin. A collision with L24, which got out of control because of a gusting wind, resulted in a shortcut caused by a light bulb on her roof. The ensuing fire caused L24 and L17 to burn out completely.

The 5 point defence Albatross D-III fighters stationed at the base made use of a rough landing field. As it was never improved, most (if not all) of the aircraft based at Tønder were damaged at some point during landing accidents. Eventually they were withdrawn on 6 March 1918. The Zeppelin base at Tønder Was a thorn in the side of the Allies during the war. By the middle of 1918 they were finally able to mobilise an attack on the airfield. While the early combat aircraft lacked the range for an operation against Tønder, this was solved by the eventual development of the first aircraft carrier, HMS Furious.
Just after 3AM on 19 July 1918 the first carrier launched airstrike ever began when HMS Furious launched 7 Sopwith Camels 90 miles from Tønder. An hour and a half later the first of 5 bombs fell on 'Toska', burning L54 and L60 that were docked inside with smoke coming out of the bomb holes. 'Toska' itself remained relatively unharmed. 'Tobias' was hit by two bombs and in the city of Tønder a stray bomb fell on the marketplace. The bombs ended Tønders era as a Zeppelin base the same day.


The Tønder gas works

Today the WW-I airfield still exists, although the airship hangars are no longer present. Also there has been no flying activity for the past 95-plus years. The hydrogen plant still exists, though, as does the Albatross hangar. The concrete road from the aircraft hangar to 'Toska' also still exists.
All of them are in a remarkably good state.
The gas plant is now home to the 'Zeppelin and Garrison Museum Tonder'. To the south of the former airfield many bombcraters are still visible, presumably from bombing raids with airships.