Asch Airfield
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Zutendaal Air Base (Advanced Landing Ground Y-29) |
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Location | Zutendaal, Belgium | ||||||||||
| Built | 1917 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 312 ft / 95 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°56′51″N 005°35′26″E / 50.94750°N 5.59056°ECoordinates: 50°56′51″N 005°35′26″E / 50.94750°N 5.59056°E | ||||||||||
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 EBSL
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Sources: Belgian AIP
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Zutendaal Air Base (ICAO: EBSL) is a reserve Belgian Air Component base, located 4 mi (6.4 km) east-southeast of Genk (Limburg), approximately 50 mi (80 km) east-northeast of Brussels.
The base is in reserve status, its primary use being to store retired Agusta helicopters. Since 2009, it has been open to limited civilian recreational flying; it is home to a gliding club, operating in the weekends.
Zutendaal Air Base's origins date to March 1917 when it was originally constructed by the German Army Air Corps as "Flieger Schießschule". it was established for observers destined for artillery units. Near this airfield, the Germans selected a large heath area (between Houthalen, Genk, As, Peer and Opglabbeek) where they installed a firing range.
After World War I, the name of the airfield was changed to Asch (as it was spelled at the time) and it became the Flying School of the Belgian Military Aviation, later in March 1920 called Aéronautique Militaire. Situated 2 km SW of the town centre of As, this school had a large 1100 by 800 metres grass airfield at its disposal and several metal hangars and brick support buildings. After the Flying School was abandoned in 1924, the airfield was closed to make room for the proposed construction of a canal, and moved to Wevelgem, the field gradually became a dense wooded area.
In November 1944 a new airfield near the World War I aerodrome was constructed by the United States Army Air Forces IX Engineer Command, 852nd and 846th Engineer Aviation Battalions. Known as Advanced Landing Ground "Y-29", the airfield consisted of a single 5000 foot (1500m) Sod runway aligned 06/24. In addition, tents were erected for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump was created for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water; and a minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting was installed.
Asch was home to North American P-51 Mustangs of the 352nd Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force (which included the 328th Fighter Squadron, led by George Preddy); and P-47 Thunderbolts from 366th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, from 19 November 1944 - 11 April 1945. The 406th Fighter Group, also flew from the airfield in P-47s from 8 February - 15 April 1945. The fighter planes flew support missions, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead; strafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops when spotted.
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Wikipedia