- Joined
- Jan 20, 2014
- Messages
- 398
- Reaction score
- 891
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Kamp-Lintfort/Germany
- Website
- www.tomvandutch.de
In 1911 the airfield was built on a cavalry parade ground by the Austrians as a military airfield and opened in January 1912. Until 1915 it served exclusively for pilot training.
Between 1915 and 1923 it was not used or was inactive.
The Italian Air Force then began to rebuild and expand the airfield. A reconnaissance squadron and a fighter squadron were stationed there. Furthermore, the headquarters of the 3rd Air Brigade and the 1st Air Division were stationed in Goricia.
Duke Amadeus of Savoy-Aosta (the duke was a member of the Italian royal family)
successively commanded the 21st and 4th squadrons, the 3rd Brigade and the 1st Air Division. Since 1942 the airfield has borne the name of the duke who died in Nairobi as a prisoner of war.
Air torpedoes from the Whitehead company from Fiume (today Rijeka) were tested here from 1935. This then led to the founding of the torpedo bomber school in July 1940.
Since the 1930s, the airfield has been one of the most important military airfields in Italy, due to its location and the units and units stationed there.
Towards the end of the war, 4 additional satellite airfields and decentralized parking areas were set up. After the Italian armistice in September 1943, Yugoslav partisans plundered the airfield before it was captured by German units 4 days later.
On the morning of March 18, 1944, American bombers attacked Gorizia airfield in two waves and largely destroyed it. In addition to the airfield and the aircraft parked there, the three Lancini hangars on the south side and the headquarters in the east were particularly affected. At least 150 civilians died in the bombardment.
After another bomber attack in August 1944, the airfield was completely abandoned, the facilities were largely dismantled and some were taken to Germany to extract raw materials. The architecturally significant Gliwice hangar has been preserved.
In April 1945 the abandoned airfield was bombed again and on May 1st it was occupied by units of the Yugoslav Army. A few days later, parts of the British Army then took over units of the 91st, 34th and 88th US Infantry Divisions. The US Army restored it to service. Since the Paris Peace Treaty, the runway has been about 150 meters from the border. In 1947, the Allied occupying troops withdrew from Italy and thus also from the Goricia airfield.
From 1947 to 1961, the airfield, with its grass runways, was used by SISA as a commercial airfield.
The Italian Air Force maintained only an airfield command and a weather station at the airfield right on the border until the end of 1966, then until 1975 a small flight school, which was intended to inspire young people to fly with Piaggio P.148.
On November 4, 1961, a statue of the Duke was unveiled on the spot where Amadeus of Savoy-Aosta had his desk in the command building, which no longer exists. A plaque with the names of the fallen pilots of the 1st and 4th Fighter Squadrons was installed on the other side of State Road 55.
In the summer of 1979 a Grumman HU-16 arrived in Gorizia, which had been discarded by a squadron in Rome and the Gorizia Aeroclub, re-established here in September 1949. was given to the exhibition.
In 1991-1992, the military, along with civil defense, temporarily returned to the airfield because of the wars in Yugoslavia.
After that, the airfield was used in different ways and also closed several times.
After signing a twenty-year concession, Goricia Aerodrome was reopened on April 22, 2017.
Between 1915 and 1923 it was not used or was inactive.
The Italian Air Force then began to rebuild and expand the airfield. A reconnaissance squadron and a fighter squadron were stationed there. Furthermore, the headquarters of the 3rd Air Brigade and the 1st Air Division were stationed in Goricia.
Duke Amadeus of Savoy-Aosta (the duke was a member of the Italian royal family)
successively commanded the 21st and 4th squadrons, the 3rd Brigade and the 1st Air Division. Since 1942 the airfield has borne the name of the duke who died in Nairobi as a prisoner of war.
Air torpedoes from the Whitehead company from Fiume (today Rijeka) were tested here from 1935. This then led to the founding of the torpedo bomber school in July 1940.
Since the 1930s, the airfield has been one of the most important military airfields in Italy, due to its location and the units and units stationed there.
Towards the end of the war, 4 additional satellite airfields and decentralized parking areas were set up. After the Italian armistice in September 1943, Yugoslav partisans plundered the airfield before it was captured by German units 4 days later.
On the morning of March 18, 1944, American bombers attacked Gorizia airfield in two waves and largely destroyed it. In addition to the airfield and the aircraft parked there, the three Lancini hangars on the south side and the headquarters in the east were particularly affected. At least 150 civilians died in the bombardment.
After another bomber attack in August 1944, the airfield was completely abandoned, the facilities were largely dismantled and some were taken to Germany to extract raw materials. The architecturally significant Gliwice hangar has been preserved.
In April 1945 the abandoned airfield was bombed again and on May 1st it was occupied by units of the Yugoslav Army. A few days later, parts of the British Army then took over units of the 91st, 34th and 88th US Infantry Divisions. The US Army restored it to service. Since the Paris Peace Treaty, the runway has been about 150 meters from the border. In 1947, the Allied occupying troops withdrew from Italy and thus also from the Goricia airfield.
From 1947 to 1961, the airfield, with its grass runways, was used by SISA as a commercial airfield.
The Italian Air Force maintained only an airfield command and a weather station at the airfield right on the border until the end of 1966, then until 1975 a small flight school, which was intended to inspire young people to fly with Piaggio P.148.
On November 4, 1961, a statue of the Duke was unveiled on the spot where Amadeus of Savoy-Aosta had his desk in the command building, which no longer exists. A plaque with the names of the fallen pilots of the 1st and 4th Fighter Squadrons was installed on the other side of State Road 55.
In the summer of 1979 a Grumman HU-16 arrived in Gorizia, which had been discarded by a squadron in Rome and the Gorizia Aeroclub, re-established here in September 1949. was given to the exhibition.
In 1991-1992, the military, along with civil defense, temporarily returned to the airfield because of the wars in Yugoslavia.
After that, the airfield was used in different ways and also closed several times.
After signing a twenty-year concession, Goricia Aerodrome was reopened on April 22, 2017.
