Bremerhaven Army Airfield Bremerhaven Army Airfield is a former military airfield , located 4 . 1 km northeast of Bremerhaven in the Bremen Free State of Germany . Overview . Bremerhaven Army Airfield ( Also known as Seefliegerhorst Weddewarden ) was used by the United States Army and Air Force as a base in Northern West Germany during the Cold War to support the American presence in the Bremen area . It was headquarters of the US Army Garrison Bremerhaven which performed transshipment of supplies and military equipment and hosted transport and support units . The USAF stationed the 606th Tactical Control Squadron ( a mobile radar unit ) at the site and it was a major communications control unit . The United States Navy stationed the Weser River Patrol at the station until their task was transferred to the German Coast Guard , and operated a Naval Security Group unit in the same compound until late 1972 . The airfield was closed in 1993 as part of the US drawdown of military forces in Germany after the end of the Cold War . History . Origins . Construction of the airfield began in 1925 between the villages of Speckenbüttel and Weddewarden , north of the harbour area of Wesermünde . In the immediate surrounding area there were no buildings . A year after construction began the airfield was taken into service . In 1927 German airline Lufthansa opened a support facility at the airfield and opened services to the German Frisian islands and Helgoland . After the National - Socialists assumed power in Germany in 1933 , the decision was taken to expand the airfield into a military air base . As a consequence the airfield was taken over by the Luftwaffe in 1935 , which constructed several large hangars and barracks on the northwestern edge of the airfield . The flying occurred from a grass field , with aircraft taking off into the wind from any direction . Only the aircraft parking ramp and the ring taxiway were hardened . On the southern end of the airfield the Nordhafen was dug out . At the time it was known as the " Zeppelinhafen " ( Zeppelin - port ) or the Flugzeugträgerbecken ( aircraftcarrier dock ) , intended as berth for the German aircraft carrier " Graf Zeppelin " . To the east another dock was dug , intended for the carriers sistership ( only known as " Flugzeugträger B " ) . The carrier " Graf Zeppelin " was 85 % complete in 1940 when all work was ordered to be stopped , and the ship never was completed . World War II . During World War II the airfield was used mainly by German Navy flying units ( Seeflieger ) , and in October 1942 the Minensuchgruppe I ( Mine Searching Group I ) was established , flying Ju - 52MS aircraft , fitted with a large electromagnetic mine detonating ring to locate mines in the coastal waters of Bremen . In April 1945 the airfield became the replacement site for the development of the V - weapons . The Erprobungsstelle ( Test Unit ) Karlshagen , better known today as Peenemünde - West was in danger over being overrun by the Soviet Red Army so all of its materiel and personnel were moved west to Bremerhaven . Development of rocket weapens was to take place here from now on , and the large hangars were filled with fuselages and parts of Fi - 103 , X - 4 , BV - 346 and the gliderbomb Hs - 293 . The base was partially destroyed when British Forces moved into the area on 7 May 1945 , one day before the official German Capitulation . United States use . Although northwest Germany was to become a British occupation zone , an exclave was granted to the US Army in the area between Bremen and Nordholz . The US needed a support point with an harbour , to allow the unhindered support of US forces in the American Occupation Zone in Southern Germany . The US Army moved into the airfield as early as May 1945 , and used the port to return troops from Europe to the United States . Until 1947 the US airforce also used the Nordholz Airbase . Initially several locations were used by the Americans , but over time they were reduced in number until by the 1960s they all merged into the joint location referred to as the " Staging Area " and became home to units of the US Army Terminal Command , Europe ( USATCEUR ) , US Navy , US Coast Guard and US Air Force . In 1973 the barracks were renamed Carl Schurz Barracks . After the Cold War ended the US reduced their presence in Germany . In an effort to further reduce costs most of the goods were sent through the Dutch port of Rotterdam , ending the need for Bremerhaven . This ended the American presence and the military units were withdrawn in 1993 , leaving only a small civilian contignent to coordinate the remaining transshipments . Today , the former airfield has been redeveloped into a large storage yard for the Bremerhaven shipping facilities .