Neuhardenberg: Neuhardenberg (Marxwalde) Air Base

Marxwalde, Wriezen

For historical information only, do not use for navigation or aviation purposes!
CoordinatesN523647 E0141433 (WGS84) Google Maps
Elevation 33 ft
Former East Germany (GDR)District of Frankfurt/O
Federal stateBrandenburg
RegionOder, Oderbruch
Location indicatorETWN
Map with location of Neuhardenberg Air Base, Germany
Germany during the Cold War Map
The history of the Cold War airfields: Neuhardenberg (Marxwalde)

Location

The village is located ca. 50 km east-northeast of Berlin. In former East Germany, the municipality and therefore the airfield had the name "Marxwalde". It was situated in the district (Bezirk) Frankfurt/O. After German reunification, the village was renamed back to "Neuhardenberg" and today it belongs to the Federal State of Brandenburg.

Location of airfield

The airfield is located northeast of Neuhardenberg

During World War II

Use

Luftwaffe airfield.

Situation

Neuhardenberg Air Base, Germany, on a map 1943
Neuhardenberg Air Base in World War II on a US map from 1943
Source: McMaster University Library Digital Archive, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 CC BY-NC 2.5 CA

During the Cold War

Use

Airfield of the East German Air Force (NVA LSK/LV). Base of Fighter Wing 8 (JG-8) and of the GDR governmental VIP transport, first as Independent Transport Flight Squadron, later Transport Flight Squadron 29 (TFS-29) and finally as Transport Flight Wing 44 (TFG-44, TG-44).

In the 1960s

Overview

1964
Marxwalde, GDR, on a satellite image 1964
Marxwalde, GDR, on a US satellite image from Monday 27 April 1964 - 1: airfield; 2: inner radio beacon east; 3: direction finder?; 4: outer radio beacon east; 5: inner radio beacon west; 6: barracks. Places: Altfriedland, Bärwinkel, Kiehnwerder, Neu Rosenthal, Neuhof, Quappendorf. a: Quappendorfer Kanal / Gusower Alte Oder; b: At this time the Lake Kietzer See was silted up.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Marxwalde Air Base, GDR, 1964
Airfield - 1: flightline of Fighter Wing 8; 2: ramp of Transport Flight Squadron 3: fuel dump; 4: ammunition dump; 5: earth stopping surface.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Fuel dump
Fuel dump
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Ammunition dump
Ammunition dump
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Fighter aircraft Marxwalde
Parked fighter aircraft (1)
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
East German MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-21
There are older aircrafts, probably MiG-15/MiG-17 as well as newer aircrafts, probably MiG-21.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Airplanes
Further airplanes
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Western end of the runway Marxwalde
Western end of the runway - Directly to the south a parallel grass runway was created.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Eastern end of the runway, extension
Eastern end of the runway with landing-T - Apparently the runway was lengthened in the past by about 300 to the east.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Facilities south of the runway
Facilities south of the runway
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Transport Flight Squadron ramp at Marxwalde, GDR, with Il-14 and Il-18 airplanes
Ramp of the Independent Transport Flight Squadron. - Four aircraft of type Il-14 and one Il-18 are visible.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Installations in the southeast
Further installations in the southeast
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Inner radio marker east
Inner radio marker east
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Direction finder, Marxwalde
Direction finder?
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Outer radio marker east
Outer radio marker east
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Ground markers
From the outer radio marker, the approach course is marked on the ground - At intervals of approx. 200 m there are markings - here illustrated with red dots
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Inner radio marker west
Inner radio marker west
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
National People's Army barracks Marxwalde, East Germany
Barracks
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
1965
Maxwalde 1965
Monday 03 May 1965 - The situation appears to be largely unchanged from the previous year.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
1968
Maxwalde, East Germany, 1968
The airfield on Friday 09 August 1968 - There are three dispersal areas with open aircraft revetments recognizable (1, 2, 3).
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
1969
Marxwalde Air Base, East Germany 1969
Marxwalde on Sunday, 03 August 1969
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Northwestern part
Northwestern part
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Northeastern part
Northeastern part
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Southern part
Southern part
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Ramp of Transport Flight Squadron 29 (TFS-29)
Ramp of Transport Flight Squadron 29 (TFS-29) - Next to the hangar there are 3 aircraft Il-18. The aircraft opposite the hangar could have arrow-shaped wings, i.e. a Tu-124 or a first Tu-134.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey

In the 1970s

Situation

Neuhardenberg / Marxwalde Air Base, Germany, on a map 1972
Neuhardenberg / Marxwalde Air Base on a map of the US Department of Defense from 1972
Source: ONC E-2 (1972), Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin

Overview

Satellite image of Marxwalde Airfield, 1979
Satellite image Wednesday 16 May 1979 - Compared to the situation 10 years ago, the facilities have been considerably expanded. There are aircraft shelters for two squadrons. And in the south, the "star" as parking place for helicopters of the Transport Aviation Wing 44 (TG-44) is recognizable.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey

In the 1980s and early 1990s

Overview

Marxwalde 1980
Saturday 26 July 1980
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Airfield map

Runways

  • 08/26: 2400 m x 50 m Concrete
  • 08/26: 1800 m x 40 m Grass

Radio beacons

  • RSBN
  • LOM 26: 472 "BU", 3920m to THR26
  • LMM 26: 958 "B", 930m to THR26
  • LOM 08: 472 "UB", 3900m to THR26
  • LMM 08: 958 "U", 900m to THR26
  • ILS 26: 110.9
  • PRGM

Radio communication

The airfield call sign was "BERGBAU" (German word for "mining").

Telephone

Sondernetz S1 25738 call signs: BEIWAGEN, GRUNDLINIE (1990)

Maps

Maps from the "Directory 012" (Verzeichnis 012), containing aeronautical information about military airfields of the former East Germany National People's Army (NVA) and Border Troops (GT). The document was classified as "Secret".
Location in relation to airways.
Location in relation to airways.
Departure routes from the airfield to the airways
Departure routes from the airfield to the airways
NDB approach in main landing direction 264°
NDB approach in main landing direction 264°
NDB approach in secondary landing direction 084°
NDB approach in secondary landing direction 084°
Airfield map
Airfield map

Units

Jagdfliegergeschwader 8 (JG-8) (Fighter Wing 8) "Hermann Matern"
- Address: Postbox PF 44192
- Aircraft: MiG-21bis, MiG-21UM (1990)
Fliegertechnisches Bataillon 8 (FTB-8)
- Address: Postbox 63910
Nachrichten- und Flugsicherungsbataillon 8 (NFB-8)
- Address: Postbox 86196
Transportfliegergeschwader 44 (TG-44) (Transport Flight Wing 44) "Arthur Pieck"
- Address: Postbox 33672
- Aircraft: Tu-134A, Tu-154M, Mi-8 (1990)
Fliegertechnisches Bataillon 44
- Address: Postbox 33636

Installations

The wing command post was collocated with the Radio-technical Bataillon 61 (Radar Bataillon 61) in Müncheberg, 12 km south-southwest of the airfield.
A fuel depot was located at Trebnitz railway station, 8 km to the south. This probably served as delivery and buffer storage, as Marxwalde was one of only a few East German air bases without a direct railway connection.
Further installations:
- 05/264 Lietzen, Wassermühle: Fläche 0,2 ha, Unterkunft: 29 Plätze (JG-8)
- 05/335 Ringenwalde, Am Dolgensee: Fläche 6,9 ha (JG-8)

Additional information

Crash of MiG-21bis "844" 19FEB1990

MiG-21bis was on a training flight when it encounters an engine problem. The pilot tries to get back to the air base, but lost height continuously. He had to give up the plane and ejected late at a height of 200 m and only after resolute commands by the flight director (tower). The plane went down near Kostrzyn (Poland), ca. 30 km east-southeast of Marxwalde.
The following transcript is the radio communication of the final minutes. It starts with a call of the pilot of the "844" (call sign "487") to Marxwalde flight director (call sign "BERGBAU START"). At this time, the plane is accompanied by another MiG-21, piloted by the wing commander (call sign "402"). The transcripts ends with the message from the other MiG-21 that the ejected pilot fired a red signal light (Rotfeuer) to show his succesful landing.
Normally, radio communication was done in russian language. But in special cases like this it was permitted to use german language as well.
The transcript is courtesy of HR, thanks a lot!
Explanation
487Ejected pilot
402Second MiG-21
527, 691Other aircraft
FLFlight director (Tower), call sign "BERGBAU START"
LLLandeleiter (Final Controller)
(GE)German language
(RU)Russian language
Transkript

487BERGBAU START, 487 auf Kanal 7 im Verband mit der 402, Kurs 350, Höhe 800, leicht gleitend
FL487, habe Sie verstanden, KL7 (?) erlaubt
FL402, Sie beobachten die 487?
402Er ist zur Zeit hinter mir. Ich sehe ihn zwar noch, aber ich kann nicht halten, ja. ... Ich versuche noch mal zurück
FLIch habe verstanden
487BERGBAU START von der 487. Habe 5%? Drehzahl, 400 km/h. Läßt sich nicht beschleunigen. Komme so weit wie möglich an den Platz ran. Fahre dann ganz zum Schluß das Fahrwerk aus zur Landung.
FL487, ist Ihre Schubdüse offen?
487Nein
402Die 487 hat rechts hinten ein sehr großes Loch
FLJa ich habe verstanden
527527 25 ... (RU)
FL487, Ihre Höhe?
487350, 400 km/h, stark abnehmend jetzt
FL487, Sie bereiten das Katapultieren vor! Flugzeug in freie Richtung!
487Ja Moment noch. Geht noch
FL487, beachten Sie Höhe und Geschwindigkeit!
487487, meine Höhe jetzt 200m, Geschwindigkeit 350, stark ... 402, ist das jetzt eine freie Richtung für mich?
FL487, Sie katapultieren!
487402, kann ich hier katapultieren?
FLSie katapultieren, 487!
487Ich katapultiere.
527527, K7 ... (RU)
FLVerstanden (RU), 527 (GE)
402Schirm offen, Maschine abgestürzt und brennt.
FL402, ich habe Sie verstanden. Der Schirm ist offen, die Maschine brennt
FL402 Standort, ungefähr?
402ca. 5 km südlich Küstrin
FL402, ich habe verstanden. Beobachten Sie die Landung der 487 am Schirm!
?527 (RU)
402Sie ist gelandet!
?... (RU)
?sehe (RU)
FL... Aufgabe über Rechenwinkel zur Landung
?ja verstanden.
?6 (RU)
?10 (RU)
527FFF, ... Landung 527 (RU)
FLLandung (RU)
LLAnflug ist zu hoch, 527
?402 ... (RU)
?...
?... punkt
?360 (RU)
691691, 2., Anflug ... (RU)
?verstanden (RU)
402Überstanden, 402, Rotfeuer gezündet.

Today

Use

General aviation.

Links

Bibliography

  • Ries, Karl; Dierich, Wolfgang: "Fliegerhorste und Einsatzhäfen der Luftwaffe" Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1993 - Allied map
  • Lang, Dietbert; Materna, Horst: "Der Flugplatz Neuhardenberg Marxwalde Neuhardenberg" Verlag Willmuth Arenhövel, Berlin 1998 - Vom geheimen Einsatzhafen des Dritten Reichs zum Regierungsflugplatz der DDR

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