Tempelhof Central Airport
Encyclopedia
- For the civil airport use of this facility, see Tempelhof International AirportTempelhof International AirportBerlin Tempelhof Airport was an airport in Berlin, Germany, situated in the south-central borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. The airport ceased operating in 2008 in the process of establishing Schönefeld as the sole commercial airport for Berlin....
Tempelhof Central Airport (TCA) was a United States Military airfield in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
between 1945 and 1994.
During its operational life, it was garrisoned by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, with units of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Berlin Brigade
Berlin Brigade
After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
located within the facility. TCA was located in the northern part of the Tempelhof
Tempelhof
Tempelhof is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It is the location of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the earliest commercial airports in the world. It is now deserted and shows as a blank spot on maps of Berlin. Attempts are being made to save the still-existing...
district of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, about 2 miles from the center of the city. It was bounded on the north by Columbiadamm, on the west by Mehringdamm, and on the south by the Tempelhof Freight Terminal, in the American Sector of West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
.
Air Force
The main USAF unit at Tempelhof was the 7350th Air Base Group under various designations:- 7350th Air Base Group 1 July 1948 - 29 January 1993
- 7350th Air Base Group (1948-1954)
- 7350th Air Base Squadron (1954-1958)
- 7350th Air Support Squadron (1958-1964)
- 7350th Support Group (1964-1973)
- 7350th Air Base Group (1973-1993)
Other Major USAFE units at Tempelhof AB were:
- 473rd Air Services Group, 5 July 1945 - 1 December 1946
- 788th Air Base Unit 10 September 1947 - 3 June 1948
- 301st Troop Carrier Squadron301st Airlift SquadronThe 301st Airlift Squadron is part of the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft providing global airlift.-History:...
4 July 1945 - 15 February 1946
- Part of 441st Troop Carrier Group441st Troop Carrier GroupThe 441st Troop Carrier Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve organization. Its last assignment was to the 441st Troop Carrier Wing, stationed at Chicago-Orchard Airport, Illinois, on 14 March 1951....
- 47th Troop Carrier Squadron47th Troop Carrier SquadronThe 47th Tactical Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 1 August 1973.-History:...
30 September 1946 - 5 May 1947
- 47th Troop Carrier Squadron
- Part of 313th Troop Carrier Group313th Troop Carrier GroupThe 313th Tactical Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 322d Airlift Division at RAF Mildenhall, England. It was inactivated on 1 February 1992....
- 12th Troop Carrier Squadron12th Troop Carrier SquadronThe 12th Troop Carrier Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 322d Air Division stationed at Dreux-Louvilliers Air Base, France...
5 May 1947 - 20 January 1948
- 12th Troop Carrier Squadron
- 1946th AACS Squadron (1 November 1954 - 1992)
Tenant units included the 6912th Electronic Security Group, part of the Electronic Security Command, an organization belonging directly to Air Force Intelligence.
Army
- 100th Complement Squadron, Army Air Force (1945–1947)
- Army Aviation Detachment Berlin (1951–1994)
- US Army Courier Service, Detachment Berlin (1960–1990)
History
The facility was named after the historic Tempelhof parade ground in the Berlin district of Tempelhof.Origins
Prior to World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, TCA was acquired for use as a Royal Prussian parade and exercise ground by King Fredrick William I in 1721. Tempelhof remained a parade ground until 1918. From 1895-1918 field served also as a demonstration area for balloons, airships, and aircraft, including flights in 1908 by Orville Wright and his Wright Flyer
Wright Flyer
The Wright Flyer was the first powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it four times on December 17, 1903 near the Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.The U.S...
.
A German commercial airport was erected on the site in 1922 and a modern European international airport was established in 1934. Ernst Sagebiel
Ernst Sagebiel
Ernst Sagebiel was a German architect.- Life :Sagebiel was a sculptor's son, and after his Abitur in 1912, he began his studies in architecture in Braunschweig...
designed Tempelhof's futuristic airfield facilities and terminal 1934-1936, and converted it into a major European and international airport. Tempelhof Airport officially opened in 1936, with peak passenger traffic attained in 1938-1939.
Cold War
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Red Army in April, 1945 and turned over to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in July 1945 with the division of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
into occupation zones.
TCA was established as an aerial port on 2 July 1945, being designated Tempelhof Airdrome (Code Number R-95). The first USAAF unit assigned to Templehof was the 715th Air Service Squadron, being transferred to the airfield on 2 July 1945 from Halle, Germany. This was quicky followed by the 473d Air Service Group, establishing headquarters on 5 July and assuming host duties.
Reconstruction of the facility began on 3 July 1945. The 852nd Engineer Aviation Battalion arrived at Tempelhof on 10 July 1945 and conducted the original repairs. The first USAAF flying unit assgned was the 301st Troop Carrier Squadron, with its ground echelon arriving on 4 July 1945 and beginning operational use in August.
In September, Templehof began routine military passenger service as the Berlin center for the European Air Transport Service (EATS) until March 1948. The first major Allied use of the airfield was for the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
, being held from July 16 to August 2, 1945.
On 9 September 1946 it was renamed Tempelhof Army Air Base, and it supported the mission of the Office of the High Commissioner of Germany
Allied Commission
Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allied Powers were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far Eastern Advisory Commission to make recommendations...
(HICOG). It was redesignated Tempelhof Air Base on 9 November. The base also housed an air-sea rescue operations center when USAFE assumed the direct responsibilities of EATS on 20 December 1947.
With the formation of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in 1947, Tempelhof became a USAF
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base. The United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
(USAFE) renamed the facility Tempelhof Air Force Base on 1 July 1948 (the designation was reverted back to Tempelhof Air Base on 1 May 1950).
Soviet troops closed off all surface routes into West Berlin on 20 June 1948, compelling the Western Allies to establish the greatest military airlift in history, the Berlin Airlift, flying millions of tons of fuel, clothing, and food into Tempelhof for the beleaguered West Berliners. Engineers constructed a new 6,000-ft runway between July and September 1948 and another between September and October 1948 to accommodate the expanding requirements of the airlift. The last airlift transport touched down at Tempelhof on 30 September 1949. In 1971 one of the pilots during the Berlin Airlift, and the original Candy Bomber, Gail Halvorsen
Gail Halvorsen
Colonel Gail Halvorsen is a retired career officer and command pilot in the United States Air Force known as the original Candy Bomber or the "Rosinenbomber" in Germany. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah...
, returned to Berlin as the commander of Tempelhof Central Airport.
A civil aviation agreement allowed the major airlines to use the airport beginning on 22 May 1950, and U.S. authorities turned over the north-east corner of the airport to the City of Berlin for recreational purposes in 1950.
USAFE renamed the facility Tempelhof Central Airport on 28 February 1958, and on 15 November 1959 administration of Tempelhof was transferred to Ramstein AB
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
.
On 1 September 1975, when all civil air traffic was transferred to Berlin Tegel Airport
Berlin-Tegel International Airport
Berlin Tegel "Otto Lilienthal" Airport is the main international airport in Berlin, Germany. It lies in Tegel, a section of the northern borough of Reinickendorf, northwest of the city centre of Berlin. Tegel Airport is notable for its hexagonal terminal building around an open square, which...
. Tempelhof was then used solely as a military airport until 1985 when Tempelhof Airways, a US-registered commuter airline, resumed commercial operations with a pair of Nord 262
Nord 262
|-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–1966. London:Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965.* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–1977. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0 354 00538 3....
commuter turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
s to secondary and tertiary destinations in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
not served by any scheduled carrier from Tegel
Berlin-Tegel International Airport
Berlin Tegel "Otto Lilienthal" Airport is the main international airport in Berlin, Germany. It lies in Tegel, a section of the northern borough of Reinickendorf, northwest of the city centre of Berlin. Tegel Airport is notable for its hexagonal terminal building around an open square, which...
at that time.
With civil traffic routed to Tegel, TCA was used solely by U.S. military airlift traffic until the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Return to German control
With the fall of the Berlin WallBerlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
and the reunification of Germany
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, the presence of American forces in Berlin ended. The USAF 7350th Air Base Group at Tempelhof was deactivated on 29 January 1993. In July 1994, with President Clinton in attendance, the British, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and American air and land forces in Berlin were deactivated in a ceremony on the Four Ring Parade field at Tempelhof in accordance with the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
The Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany, was negotiated in 1990 between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic , and the Four Powers which occupied Germany at the end of World War II in Europe: France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the...
. The Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
returned a united city of Berlin to the unified German government.
The U.S. Army closed its Berlin Army Aviation Detachment at TCA in August 1994, ending a 49-year American military presence in Berlin.
External links
- A Short History Of the Berlin Command
- Installations In Berlin
- Tempelhof Central Airport http://tca.berlin-brigade.com/