Schaffen Air Base

Geschiedenis

Schaffen Air Base is a Belgian Air Force Base, located 2.1km north-northeast of Diest in Flemish Brabant, Belgium.The airfield is currently the Training Center for Parachutists (TrgC Para) of the Belgian ParaCommandos.HistoryOriginsSchaffen Air Base was originally established about 1914 by the invading Imperial German Army during World War I. The Imperial German Air Service (Die Fliegertruppen) used it as an airfield before withdrawing in November 1918 after the Armistice with Germany.Battle of BelgiumBetween the wars, the airfield was a major base for the Belgian Air Force. In early 1940, about half of the Belgian Air Force, were stationed there prior to the Battle of Belgium in May. On the early morning of 10 May, the alarm was sounded, and the pilots at Schaffen Air Base went to their aircraft, thinking it was an exercise. A few minutes later, 50 unidentified aircraft flew over the airfield. At 04:20am Belgian Hawker Hurricanes at the airfield started their engines. 12 minutes later, three Luftwaffe Heinkel He-111s were spotted, not troubled by AAA fire. The 111s strafed the airfield several times. The Belgian aircraft tried to take off through the explosions and fires. Minutes later Me-110s and Dornier Do-17s strafed and bombed the airfield. Four Hurricanes were set on fire, and 6 others were damaged. The roof of the hangar fell in and the aircraft in it were destroyed. By 5:30 AM, only five aircraft remained operational, two Hawker Hurricanes and three Glosters. After the attack, the survivors were flown off and the airfield abandoned.