Værløse Air Base
Vaerloese Air Base Flyvestation Værløse | |||||||||||
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AMSL 18 m / 59 ft | | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 55°46′02″N 12°20′36″E / 55.76722°N 12.34333°E | ||||||||||
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  Vaerloese Air Base Location of the former air base in Denmark | |||||||||||
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Værløse Air Base (
History
Foundation
A camp for Royal Danish Army recruits was established at the site in 1910. The airfield was built in 1934. Over the next few years, hangars and facilities for five squadrons were built. The first of these was a command squadron for the air wing. It was followed by a fighter squadron and a reconnaissance squadron of each of two army divisions.[2]
World War II
The Fokker C.V reconnaissance aircraft and Fokker D.XXI fighters stationed at the air base were tasked with the defense of Copenhagen but many of them were not combat ready at the start of World War II when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany since their locally produced machine guns had not yet been installed. At 05:25 am on 9 April 1940, the air base was attacked by Messerschmitt Bf 110 aircraft of the German Luftwaffe. During the attack, which came in five waves and only lasted about 45 minutes, almost all of the Danish aircraft were destroyed. A reconnaissance aircraft which had just taken off was shot down, killing its crew. The Germans were only aiming for aircraft, leaving the air base infrastructure intact for their own later use. The airfield was used by the Luftwaffe during the rest of the war, stationing several units there. It was also used for captured Allied aircraft, such as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of the United States Army Air Forces in 1944.[2]
Towards the end of the war, as the German Eastern Front began to collapse, flights with refugees from East Prussia and the Baltic states began coming to the airfield. At the time of the capitulation, 131 aircraft had accumulated at the base. Immediately after the war, the airfield served as a refugee camp.
Post-war history
The Danish army returned in early 1946. A Flight Mechanics School opened at the base in March 1947. The
In 1952, a planned upgrade of the runways to handle jet aircraft resulted in a lot of controversy in the Danish media. Copenhagen municipality supported the local parish council since area would stretch all the way to Søndersø Waterworks, which had just been refurbished for many millions. It was proposed to move the air base to the north of
Eskadrille 721 arrived at the airfield in May 1956. In 1974 and 1975 the airfield received another update. A new hangar and 12 concrete shelters were also built in relation with NATO's rapid response plan. A new control tower and a passenger terminal and operations bunker completed the update.
Most of Værløse Air Base was closed down on 1 April 2004. The last flying units moved to Karup, Aalborg and Skalstrup.
Residential Redevelopment
The North Camp (Nordlejren) at Værløse was built in 1912–13.
In 2013, the Danish Culture Agency took over most of the North Camp, including two large hangars which will be used for exhibitions and other cultural activities. The Danish Nature Agency took over the central green spaces. The South Camp will be redeveloped into a mixed-use residential neighbourhood by Freja Ejendomme in collaboration with Furesø municipality.[4][5]
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Buildings at Nordlejren -
Former guardhouse, Nordlejren -
One of the old hangars
References
- ^ "Historie - Flyvestation Værløse". naturstyrelsen.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ a b c "Værløselejrens Historie" (in Danish). AOK. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ^ "Flyvestation Værløse" (in Danish). Flyvevåbnet. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ^ "Flyvestation Værløse" (in Danish). Danmarks Naturfredningsforening. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ^ "Ejerskabet af Flyvestation Værløse er landet" (in Danish). Furesø Kommune. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
External links
- Buildings in the North Camp