# RAF Ahlhorn

Royal Air Force Ahlhorn or more simply RAF Ahlhorn, is a former Royal Air Force station located 1 mile (1.6 km) south east of the centre of Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony and 11 miles (18 km) north of Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Originally, it was a German airbase for Zeppelins. The Royal Air Force (RAF) disestablished the station and it was closed down in the autumn of 1958 and was transferred to the Bundeswehr. It was a private airport before being converted to a solar park in 2011.

## History
### First World War

Built during the First World War in the summer of 1915 for Zeppelins four large hangars were built. In two pairs, the hangars measured 240 metres (790 ft) in length, 60 metres (200 ft) in width and 35 metres (115 ft) in height. The hangars were named "Albrecht" and "Aladin" (northern pair), and "Alrun" and "Alix" (southern pair). On 5 January 1918 Ahlhorn hangars explosion that destroyed the LZ 87 (L 47), LZ 94 (L 46), LZ 97 (L 51), LZ 105 (L 58), and SL 20. Fifteen killed, 134 injured.

### Ahlhorn Hangar explosion

| Production number | Class | Tactical numbering | First flight | Remarks |
| Zeppelin LZ 87 | R | L 47 | 11 May 1917 | 18 reconnaissance missions and three attacks dropping 3,240 kg (7,140 lb) of bombs around the North Sea and England. On 5 January 1918, a giant explosion in the air base in Ahlhorn destroyed four Zeppelins (including L 47) and one non-Zeppelin built airship, housed in one adjacent hangar and two 0.5 mi (0.80 km) away. |
| Zeppelin LZ 94 | T | L 46 | 24 April 1917 | 19 reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; 3 raids on England dropping 5,700 kg (12,600 lb) of bombs |
| Zeppelin LZ 97 | U | L 51 | 6 June 1917 | 3 reconnaissance missions; one raid on the English coast, dropping 280 kg bombs |
| Zeppelin LZ 105 | V | L 58 | 29 October 1917 | Two reconnaissance missions |
| S.L.20 | (Type 'f') | L 58 | 9 September 1917 | Two missions |

### Second World War and beyond

During the Second World War the airfield was used as an Advanced Landing Ground before becoming a permanent RAF station.
| Squadron | Aircraft | From | To | To | Notes |
| No. 14 Squadron RAF | Hawker Hunter F.4/F.6 | 26 September 1957 | 15 September 1958 | RAF Gütersloh | |
| No. 16 Squadron RAF | Hawker Tempest F.2 | 8 May 1947 | 20 May 1947 | RAF Fassberg | |
| No. 20 Squadron RAF | Hawker Hunter F.6 | 23 September 1957 | 30 August 1958 | RAF Gütersloh | |
| No. 26 Squadron RAF | Hawker Tempest F.2 | 8 May 1947 | 20 May 1947 | RAF Fassberg | |
| No. 26 Squadron RAF | Hawker Hunter F.6 | 7 June 1958 | 8 September 1958 | RAF Gütersloh | |
| No. 33 Squadron RAF | Hawker Tempest F.2 | 8 May 1947 | 20 May 1947 | RAF Fassberg | |
| No. 96 Squadron RAF | Gloster Meteor NF.11 | 17 November 1952 | 12 February 1958 | RAF Geilenkirchen | Reformed here |
| No. 149 Squadron RAF | English Electric Canberra B.2 | 24 August 1954 | 17 September 1954 | RAF Gütersloh | |
| No. 193 Squadron RAF | Hawker Typhoon Ib | 30 April 1945 | 8 January 1945 | RAF Hildesheim | |
| No. 197 Squadron RAF | Hawker Typhoon Ib | 30 April 1945 | 8 June 1945 | RAF Hildesheim | |
| No. 213 Squadron RAF | English Electric Canberra B(I).6 | 1 September 1955 | 22 August 1957 | RAF Bruggen | Reformed here. |
| No. 256 Squadron RAF | Gloster Meteor NF.11 | 17 November 1952 | 12 February 1958 | RAF Geilenkirchen | |
| No. 263 Squadron RAF | Hawker Typhoon Ib | 30 April 1945 | 8 June 1945 | RAF Hildesheim | |
| No. 266 Squadron RAF | Hawker Typhoon Ib | 4 June 1945 | 8 June 1945 | RAF Hildesheim | |
| No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron | Supermarine Spitfire XVI | 16 September 1945 | 27 August 1946 | RAF Sylt | |
| No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron | Supermarine Spitfire XVI | 31 August 1946 | 7 October 1946 | RAF Hethel | |
| No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron | Supermarine Spitfire XVI | 16 September 1945 | 22 January 1946 | RAF Sylt | |
| No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron | Supermarine Spitfire XVI | 9 February 1946 | 7 October 1946 | RAF Hethel | |
| No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron | Supermarine Spitfire XVI | 15 September 1945 | July 1946 | RAF Sylt | |
| No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron | Supermarine Spitfire XVI | 16 August 1946 | 7 October 1946 | RAF Hethel | |
Units:
* No. 418 Air Stores Park between 5 and 7 May 1945
* No. 8 Section of No. 422 Aviation Fuel and Ammunition Park from 29 June 1945
* No. 6014 Servicing Echelon between 26 September 1957 and 15 September 1958 supporting 14 Squadron
* No. 6193 Servicing Echelon between 30 April and 8 June 1945 supporting 193 Squadron
* No. 6197 Servicing Echelon between 5 May and 8 June 1945 supporting 197 Squadron
* No. 6263 Servicing Echelon between 30 April and June 1945 supporting 263 Squadron
* No. 6266 Servicing Echelon between 4 and 6 June 1945 supporting 266 Squadron
* No. 6302 (Polish) Servicing Echelon between 16 September 1945 and 16 October 1946 supporting 302 Squadron
* No. 6308 (Polish) Servicing Echelon between 16 September 1945 and 7 October 1946 supporting 308 Squadron
* Ahlhorn Station Flight used Prentice T.1, Canberra T.4, Vampire T.11 & Chipmunk T.10
* 2nd Tactical Air Force Tactical Development Unit between 18 February and 19 October 1953
* No. 131 (Polish) (Fighter) Wing RAF between 12 September 1945 and 15 October 1946
* No. 146 Wing RAF between 30 April and 6 June 1945

## Current use

Jagdgeschwader 73 was formed at Ahlhorn and Oldenburg on 1 April 1959. Jagdgeschwader 71 of the German Air Force were to take residence from June 1959 with 50 Canadair Sabres, Germany's first operational jet fighter unit. They remained at Ahlhorn until 1961.

### Solarpark Ahlhorn

From 2005 the Aircraft Maintenance Service GmbH provided services on widebody aircraft but the company went bankrupt in 2009. A number of solar panels were installed on most of the airfield converting it into Solarpark Ahlhorn. Opening in 2011 the solar panels provide, 17.5 MW. There is only one airstrip in use.