Frontreparaturwerkstätte in Norway

German Luftwaffe 1935-1945.
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KJELLER
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Frontreparaturwerkstätte in Norway

Post by KJELLER »

I wonder if some one have information about the Frontreparaturwerkstätte at Kjeller, just outside Oslo in Norway.
Kjeller was the main aircraft workshop, an aircraft factory ,the pilot training school and an operative squadron "Flybataljonen" for the Army flying corps (Hærens flyvåpen) in Norway.
The Airfield has it heritage from 1912, Norways oldest airfield. In the morning 9 april 1940 it was bombed by the Germans, using Heinkel 111 from Kgr.100 (one of them 6N+DK) Two hangars housing the operative aircrafts was burned down, but the aircraft was already gone (Fokker C.V.E and C.V.D). The flying school was also gone, hiding at a frozen lake nearby (Tiger Moth). One none airworty Fokker was burned out and also a Tiger Moth was burned out. At the aircraft factory at least 3 Curtiss Hawk 75-A6 and a Gloster Gladiator was undergoing repair and assembely. The Hawks was later sold to the Finnish airforce.
At 08:30 10 April 1940 the Germans took over the Kjeller airfield. The Germans continued to use Kjeller as a workshop for aircraft and aircraft engines. During the summer 1940 a lot of JU52/3 was repaired here by people from Junkers at Leipzig, these ju52/3 was damaged during the occupation of Norway, mainly Fornebu. Afterward Daimler Benz and BMW set up an aircrft-engine workshop here, repaired and overhauled engines from Luftflotte 5. Brinker Eisenwerk repaired aircraft like the FW190 , ME109 and JU52/3 at Kjeller , all of them from Luftflotte 5. DEMAG had also a workshop at Kjeller.
At 11:30 18 November 1943 the Americans bombe Kjeller (78 B-24 Liberators from 44 Bomber Group). BMW was hardest hit and moved to another location at Alnabru in Oslo. After some clean up, some of the work shop started up again, but when the British bombed them at 29 April 1944 (51 Avro Lancasters from 44 sqn, 49 Sqn,97 Sqn., and 619 Sqn.)mostly of the work shop drifting was over. Kjeller is still today the main work shop for the Royal Norwegian Airforce.
If some one have more information or photos from Kjeller during the war (or before or after) please let me know. All information are of intrest!

Jo-Olav Bakken
Kjeller Norway
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