Did you know that Katterbach Kaserne started as a Luftwaffe airfield? Now, let’s explore Katterbach Kaserne. It is a U.S. Army facility in Germany. Katterbach is located in the village of Katterbach. This village is about 3 miles east-northeast of Ansbach. Ansbach is in Bavaria. Katterbach is about 250 miles south-southwest of Berlin.
Katterbach Kaserne is part of the United States Army Garrison Ansbach. The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade is stationed here. This brigade is part of V Corps. It includes an attack helicopter battalion. There are also aviation and maintenance support units. A U.S. Air Force liaison squadron is present too. It is Det. 4, 7th Weather Squadron.
Family housing is available in Katterbach. There are two schools. These are Ansbach Elementary School and Ansbach Middle High School. Katterbach also has two banking facilities. You can find AAFES facilities here. The commissary offers essential services. SATO travel and Army Community Services are also available.
Bismarck Kaserne is across German Federal Highway 14. It provides key services. These include the AAFES Post Exchange. You can also find a car care center and gas station. Family and guest housing are available too.
Katterbach Kaserne has a rich history. Construction began in 1935. It was built as a Luftwaffe airfield. The original name was Fliegerhorst Ansbach. Construction finished in 1938. The airfield served primarily as a bomber base. Kampfgeschwader 155 was the first unit assigned in April 1936. They used Dornier Do 23 and early Dornier Do 17E aircraft. Other prewar bomber units included KG 355 and KG 53. These units participated in the German invasion of Poland in September 1939.
During World War II, Ansbach formed and equipped bomber units until mid-1943. Units like KG 2, KG 77, KG 6, and KG 76 were stationed here. They flew missions to France, England, and Russia. These units used various bombers. These included Do 17 and Ju 88s.
In late summer 1943, Ansbach joined the “Defense of the Reich” campaign. Day interceptor fighters were assigned to counter Allied bomber attacks. Numerous Luftwaffe fighter units were assigned between 1943 and late 1944. Allied attacks eventually made the airfield unusable. ZG 76, JG 3, JG 4, and JG 300 were among the units assigned. The last operational unit, KG 101, moved out in August 1944. Luftwaffe ground units then occupied Ansbach. In April 1945, FBK 14/VII destroyed the runway, hangars, and technical buildings.
Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauder medium bombers and P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers attacked Ansbach airfield in early 1945. This was part of the effort to deny the Luftwaffe use of the airfield. The United States Third Army seized the airfield in late April. The IX Engineering Command’s 831st Engineering Aviation Brigade arrived on April 23, 1945. They repaired facilities and cleared mines. On April 29, the airfield was operational. It was designated Advanced Landing Ground “R-45 Ansbach.”
The Ninth Air Force 354th Fighter Group flew P-47 Thunderbolts from April 30. They continued combat operations until the German capitulation on May 7, 1945. In May 1945, combat units moved out. The facility became a maintenance and supply depot under the 42d Air Depot. In late May 1947, United States Army units moved in. They used the airfield as a garrison post. It became part of the American Zone of Occupation. The facility was renamed Katterbach Kaserne.
After the U.S. occupation ended in 1949, Katterbach Kaserne became a NATO facility. It housed the European Exchange System until the 1960s. The first Army Aviation unit arrived then. This was A Company 504th Aviation Battalion, 4th Armored Division. In 1971, Katterbach became the home of the U.S. Army 1st Armored Division. In 1977, it became a combat helicopter airfield. The number of personnel and helicopters decreased after 1993. This was due to USAREUR restructuring after the Cold War. Elements of 1st Infantry Division Aviation units occupied the Kaserne until 2006. The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade was activated after aviation restructuring.
Today, Katterbach Kaserne has little resemblance to the original Luftwaffe airfield. It retains its circular support area. Hangars and warehouses remain from its time as an air depot. The Army constructed a large concrete ramp for helicopter parking. The original wartime 4000′ concrete runway is gone. A short 1212′ asphalt runway replaced it. It is aligned 08/26 for helicopter use. The wartime taxiways and aircraft parking dispersals have been removed. Postwar construction replaced the support area buildings. They were built in a traditional German architectural style. Katterbach Kaserne stands as a testament to its evolving role over the decades.