Förderverein Ehemaliger Fliegerhorst Venlo e.V.

History

As soon as a German air defence system was set up in the Netherlands in the autumn of 1940, the German Luftwaffe needed airfields as well for their night fighter units. On orders from a ‘Bauleitung der Luftwaffe’, the small landing ground in Venlo expanded to a large airbase after October 1940. Thousands of Dutch workers and contractors were the main builders who had been billeted in Venlo and surrounding areas. In March 1941, before completion, black camouflaged night fighters from the I.NJG 1 arrived on the 1800 ha large airfield. This unit was commanded by Hauptmann (Captain) Werner Streib, with 10 aerial victories the first German night fighter ace.