Fliegerhorst Grove.

 
         
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Platzschutz-Freya.

 
         
 

Part 20.

 
         
 

In the winter of 1944/45 air attacks on German airfields by fighter bombers and roving USAAF fighters had become a major concern.  Ever since the start of the war, the airfields had received early warning from the nearby FLUKO, but for some reason this was now deemed insufficient.  Accordingly each Geschwader and Gruppe, subordinate to I and II JK, had a Freya assigned for early warning (BAMA RL 8/100).  The radars were provided from the Flugmeldemess Stellungen, the personnel were to consider themselves on temporary duty under tactical control of the flying unit and under administrative control of the FlH Kommandant.  Since the remains of a Freya LZ was found at Grove after the war, it was reasonable to assume the Grove was included in the above arrangement.

 
         
   
     
  A dis-assembled Freya-LZ at Grove.  Four legs, three mast-sections, the bottom of the operators cabin and various cabinets for equipment.  
         
   

 
         
 

Picture of the plotting boards in the FLAGRUKO housed in the L 408A.  The left hand map was used for local warning based on radar plots from the Freya LZ.  The right hand map was used for early warning received from two Flugmeldemess Stellungen at the coast. Photo courtesy of US National Archives via Bill Cahill.

 

Detail of the Spinne Karte.  The position of the center is the radar location at 05 ON LT 74g, which is a square of about 90 x 90 m.  The sharp eyed will notice a Flak Stellung symbol North of the airfield symbol.  This is the 2 cm Flak Stellung in this area: Part 16. V-1 at Grove?  again indicating the importance of the area.

 
         
 

   
         
 

The left hand side of the board depicted above.  It was located just inside the entrance to the Funkmessgeräte Auswerteraum, the central room in a L 408A. The board on the left was used to plot tracks from two RINGELNATTER and LAMA, from a Kriegsmarine Freya in the Esbjerg area and a Freya attached to a Flak Stellung at Søsterhøj, Århus.  Photo courtesy of US National Archives via Bill Cahill.

 

and there are still several holes in the ceiling, where the board was mounted and edges of paint where the ceiling was painted on each side of the board.  Date of photo 2008-10-05 :-).

 
         
 

 

 
         
  Most probable location of the Freya LZ. There is a building (barrack?) on the picture, which is no longer there, there is a "blob" and a faint shadow just to the east of it, traces of the road can be seen on Google Earth at position 56°16'45.53"N 009° 0'33.00''E.   A Freya LZ A.