Herdla Airport

Herdla Airport
The airport under attack during Operation Archery in 1941
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Serves	Bergen, Norway
Coordinates	60°34′34″N 4°57′25″E / 60.576°N 004.957°E / 60.576; 004.957Coordinates: 60°34′34″N 4°57′25″E / 60.576°N 004.957°E / 60.576; 004.957
Map
Herdla
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 850 2,790 Wood 1,000 3,280 Wood

Herdla Airport (Norwegian: Herdla flyplass; German: Flugplatz Herdla) was a military air base situated on the island of Herdla in Askøy, Norway. It consisted of two wooden runways, 1,000 and 850 meters (3,280 and 2,790 ft) long, respectively, in addition to wharfs for a water aerodrome.

Herdla was originally proposed during the 1930s as the site of the main airport for Bergen. With the German occupation of Norway, the island was seized by the German Luftwaffe. Construction started in June 1940 and the first runway opened in October. The second was completed the following year. Throughout the Second World War the airport served fighter aircraft; these were used to attack the Arctic convoys, defend German vessels from Royal Air Force raids, as well as provide an airborne defense against British bomber missions against Laksevåg.

The airport was taken over by the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1945. They retained operations until 1948 and in 1955 Bergen Airport, Flesland opened as Bergen's main airport. Herdla remained in cursory civil and military use until 1972.

Bergen had been served by the military Bergen Airport, Flatøy since the 1920s and from 1934 Bergen Airport, Sandviken, both water aerodromes. Following the establishment of Gressholmen Airport in Oslo in 1927, Parliament appointed a state committee in 1930 to consider suitable locations for the construction of more airports. Bergen was one of the cities for which an airport was considered. Bergen Municipal Council appointed a committee in 1933 to find a suitable location. The committee looked for suitable sites for a land airport, and considered both Flesland and Herdla as suitable sites.