Features

SCHONHAGEN AND THE LAST CALL-UP.

Reprinted with kind permission of FLIEGERREVUE, the flying magazine from Germany's Capital, BERLIN. Schönhagen is now one of the most frequented Regional airfields in the Bundesrepublik. There is much interest in its history. The article was written by Hannes Höntsch and the drawings are by M.Meyer.

"The airfield almost touches the buildings of the village of the same name. Until Autumn 1989, this was the GST Flying School, which later was the GST Fliegerschule Schönhagen, which was known as the Airsport Training Centre at home". (Until the above date, it was in East Germany CW).

A further building complex in the village accommodated the "Technical Workshop", and a section for aeromodelling. This, as "Object 2" with its installations, was the old "Trebbin Gliding School".

In 1936, the then new airfield started gliding operations. Soon, the area became known for its excellent thermal conditions which were favourable for performance achievements. .

FROM 1942.... It was "The REICHSSEGELFLUGSCHULE TREBBIN." ( One of the German State's Gliding Schools CW).

At the beginning of the war, where the airfield's buildings now stand, there began the construction of a school building, which included the installation of the "Development and Test Centre" ("Entwicklungs und Eroprobungs Stelle" ie.E-E Stelle). In 1942, the installations received the title of "Reichssegelflugschule of the NS Fliegerkorps".(Gruppe 4 Berlin-Brandenburg). In the late summer of 1939, the high performance flying had to give way to the training of air minded youth for the Luftwaffe. During these courses, the glider pilots were to receive their final training before being inducted into the military.

In 1943, the time of free airspace over the Reich was past. The British RAF's night bombing attacks, and those of the USAAF by day, gave fuel to the thought of a "Peoples Fighter", of the simplest construction, to be mass produced and flown by selected members of the Flying Hitler Youth. At the beginning of 1944, the NSFK Leadership at the Trebbin E-E Stelle received the order to modifify sailplanes for kneeling prone pilotage, and to carry out appropriate tests. The expected high speed of the future jet and rocket propelled aircraft, ME 262, ME 163 and the manned glider bombs was being anticipated.

FLIGHT TESTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIMENTAL CENTRE.

(E-E Stelle)

First tests had to be carried out concerning the improved resistance to G-forces of pilots lying prone. For this end, some Kranich 2s were modified. The pilot in front was lying kneeling prone, while the pilot behind sat normally, to observe the reactions to G-force of the pilot in front. Next, a DFS Habicht, a 13.6 m span aerobatic sailplane, had to be modified for prone pilotage. This was carried out and Edmund Schneider at Grunau (now Jesow) was to build a small number of them. E.G. Haase, the well known glider pilot, tested both to find out what was involved. The flying of both these aircraft was more difficult than expected. The training on the aircraft had to be initiated in a short time. No one knew definitely what aircraft this training was for. Possibly the trainees were to fly the BV 40 "Battle glider". It was forseen that this aircraft would be aerotowed by an ME 109G in rigid bar tow, to a height of 250 to 750 m. above the bombers. After release, the glider was to dive, firing, through the bomber formation. The attack could only be made once per flight. The height of the bomber formations and their long range escort fighters, and the relative practical maximum height of the towing aircraft made the project worthless. Of the four prototypes, only one was test flown. At the end of the war, there was a prototype of the dive bomber Hs 132, which had a prone pilot, but this was captured by the Russians before it was flown. In 1944, the ME 163 (also known as the "Power Egg") was the great hope to fight the overwelming bomber formations of the Allies. Its incredible climbing speed and its good flight handling were offset by the short running time of its rocket motor, its high landing speed and the possibility of the fuel exploding before take off or during a bad landing, if there was any fuel left. "Exact" landings were asked for. The training of the Luftwaffe pilots began on the ME 163A-O without powerplant.Ten examples of this type were built by Wolf Hirth GmbH, Nabern/Teck -(? C.W.). Flying the ME 163 was similar in certain respects to a sailplane. In spite of its not simple control technique, the majority of the future pilots of the Flying Hitler Youth had to fly it. The main object of these special courses, was to learn how to spot land. High Speed landings were taught with with the "Stummelhabicht". For this, selected fighter pilot trainees came to Trebbin from other gliding fields. At the end of 1944, glider training at Trebbin was reduced to an absolute minimum. Flying took place on very different types. For power flying training, there was a Grunau Baby 2B with a fixed two wheel undercarriage. There were also Grunau Baby 2bs flown with Seat Back Main Bulkheads marked in red "Aerobatic Baby". Great value was put in learning to land without brakes by side slipping. With a view to landing the ME 163, there was the saying " Practise spot landings men, if you love life !!! "After short aerobatic instruction, pilots were converted on to the "Stummelhabichts" with 8 and 6 metre wingspans. After five or six take- offs with the 6 metre span "Stummelhabicht", aerobatic training was finished, and pilots went into the Luftwaffe. At the end of December 1944, there was a fatal accident. The pupil Heinz Hanke did not succeed in getting an 8 m.span "Stummelhabicht" out of a spin. The machine hit the ground at the foot of the Kienberg

.A PLACE IN THE FIGHTER EMERGENCY PROGRAMME.

This was of special significance for the Schönhagen Gliding Centre. On the 25th of June 1944, Hitler initiated the requirement for an "Emergency Fighter". On the 8th September 44, the contest was for a small fighter and Heinkel won it with his Project 162. Work on the HE 162 "Volksjaeger" (Peoples' fighter) soon attained considerable momentum and the NSFK was to play an important part in it. In a report from the Equipment Staff of the 21st October 1944, this was made clear. The training HE 162S, without power units, would be built by the NSFK Groups themselves, after brief training courses. It was concluded that the glider HE 162S, would be replaced by ready for action powered versions, without intermediate further training on powered aircraft. The first glider version of the HE 162 had to be ready, at the latest, by the beginning of January 1945.! The unpowered HE 162 was to be known as the HE 162S (S meaning Segelflug ie. Gliding CW). The wooden HE 162S was to be a tandem two seater fitted with a rigid tricycle undercarriage. The planned armour around the cockpit of the powered version , was to be replaced in the HE 162S by very thick layers of Beech Wood. (TVBU) The basic boards on which minor assemblies (such as ribs etc) were to be built, came with photographically reproduced contours for these assemblies, to the builders. The bulkheads were to be built from endless rolls of plywood strips. In November 1944, the building programme was taking place in various workshops around the country but was centred in Saxony. At the end of February, the whole production was moved to Vienna Schwechat. The move was dictated in reality by the Red Army arriving on the 3rd of February 1945 at Frankfurt an der Oder.(70 kms(42 miles) East of Berlin -CW). Because of this, only the prototypes of HE 162S were built.

THE LAST SPECIAL COURSE. (THE LAST CALL UP) On the 21st of March, there began the last Course "for a special purpose" under the title S.3/45. The leader of the E-E Stelle, E.G.Haase, tested the prototype of the HE 162S on the 28th of March 1945. On the 8th April, Hanna Reitsch tested its flying characteristics on aerotow. In the literature, the E-E Stelle Trebbin is listed as the manufacturer of the first HE 162S. According to documents, this is doubtful. At the same time as the testing of the HE 162S, the E-E Stelle was carrying out tests with Bucker Bü 181 "Bestmann" aeroplanes. These were to be sent into action against ground targets with four Panzerfaust rockets mounted under and above their wings. (These were small rockets, which were light enough to be used by women and children against tanks. (They were likely to destroy all armoured vehicles if they were fired at close range. CW) Aiming was by simple sights on the noses of the Bestmanns and they were to be fired by cable. After three brief practice flights, training was concluded. The personnel of the school had now risen to 500. On the 1st April 1945, a DFS"Olympia Meise had the last school launch. Further training was with rifles and "Panzerfausts. The airfield was to be defended with one-man fox holes and anti-aircraft machine gun positions. On the 21st April, the Armed Forces High Command began to move its headquarters from the Maibach Bunker Complex near Zossen/Wunsdorf to Berchtesgarten. (the Alpine Redoubt CW). On the morning of the 21st April, there took off from Trebbin, Bü 181 Bestmanns ready for action to fight Soviet tanks. Every machine was shot down and only one pilot survived. During the evening, the anti-tank unit south of the airfield at Ahrensdorf, had the first contact with the Red Army. Two Companies of the Flying Hitler Youth were lost. At 3 o'clock early in the morning of the 22nd April, a T.34 tank arrived before the airfield. Its first shot hit the glider hangar, which at once went up in flames. Afterwards, the Trebbin Gliding School became a repair depot for the Red Army's tracked vehicles. Later, it became living quarters for many families. After a painstaking construction, the veteran glider pilot Karl Liebeskind had the first glider flight after the war in an SG 38, at Trebbin, on the 31st of January 1952. Translated by C.Wills.

The most important glider distance flights from Trebbin happened on the 24th of May 1939. A Minimoa was flown 523 kms to Tiefenried by Eric Vergens. This was the longest distance flight ever accomplished within the frontiers of Germany and it stood as the National Distance Record for at least 30 years. It is also probably the longest distance ever flown by a Minimoa. A Mü 13 was flown by Kurt Schmidt 482 kms to his adopted home at Holzkirchen in Bavaria. (He had originally come from East Prussia.) This was the German Goal flight record and was probably the longest distance flight ever accomplished in a Mü 13. An Olympia Meise was flown by Seff Kunz 348 kms to Nurnberg. This was also a Goal Flight by the person who originally pushed the Olympic sailplane idea. C.W.