Luftwaffe Airfield Bergen - Alkmaar

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Fliegerhorst Bergen near Alkmaar was originaly a Dutch airfield of the Airforce. It was built in 1938. The airfield was bombed on the day of the German invasion, May 10, 1940. On 15 May 40, the Luftwaffe took possession of the airfield and began constructing a perimeter track, shelters, aircraft dispersal/parking areas and improved the landing facilities by installing luminous artificial horizon equipment. The infrastructure was extensively camouflaged, including the 6 hangars. The runway remained grass and this caused unresolved drainage problems throughout the war. It was used almost exclusively by fighters and night fighters from 1940 to 1944.

During the final days of the war, in May of 1945, the airfield was used as a dropzone for Operation Chowhound, the USAAF part of a joint RAF/USAAF effort between 29 April and 7 May to bring food to 3 million Dutchmen (including a child we've come to know as Audrey Hepburn) that were suffering a famine. Ten B-17 Bomb groups of the 3rd Air Division of the USAAAF flew 2200 missions to designated dropzones, sometimes flying as low as 400 feet. 2268 sorties were flown by USAAF, starting 1 May, delivering 4000 tons of food, including K-rations. Although they were not considered combat sorties by the British and American High Command, they were still dangerous.

Today still a lot remains of the old Fliegerhorst. Around 300 bunkers were built by the Germans of which around 200 still excist. There were 10 light Flak positions within 1.5 km of the airfield in Feb 44. Five of these positions were emplaced in 11 Flak towers on Nov 42, this being increased to some 20 Flak towers by Aug 43. Seven Widerstandsnester (resistance nests), with a few dozen Küver bunkers were built around the airfield. Their main function was anti-aircraft defense and the sites included depots for ammunitions and provisions. West of the airfield proper the Germans built an anti-aircraft emplacement with Küver bunkers (Küsten-Verteidigung), a type that was very common around airfields in the Netherlands. Widerstandsnest 7 is remarkable in that virtually all the works in this complex are rather well-preserved. In addition to bunkers, there is an Einjägerwarmhalle: a heated hangar, for easier starting of cold fighter plane engines. The old wooden doors are still there. The intermingling of shelters with rooftop anti-aircraft emplacements, authentic below-grade ammunition alcoves and storage spaces makes for an interesting cluster of defense works.

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