Trondheim Airport, Øysand

Historie

Trondheim Airport, Øysand was a military air base situated at Øysand in Melhus, Norway. Established by Luftwaffe in 1940, remained in use throughout the Second World War, until 1945. The airfield consisted of a wooden runway measuring 1800by. The airport was little used and only a squadron of meteorological observation aircraft where stationed there. Its main role thus remained as a backup of the larger air stations of Ørland and Værnes. Øysand was proposed as the site to build the German exclave Nordstern, but the plans never materialized.HistoryPlanning of Øysand commenced on 6 May 1940, just a month after the German invasion of Norway. Surveying was carried out by geologist K. Richter on behalf of Luftwaffe. He considered both Øysand and Høstad in Byneset and found the former to be most suitable. Richter proposed three different runway configurations, varying between 1800and in length. There was no German contractors available in Trøndelag at the time and therefore Luftwaffe organized construction with Norwegian workers, bused from Trondheim every day. The local school, chapel and youth center were requisitioned for storage space.The work was sufficient by August 1940 that the airport could be used. It was a "field airport", so that it was not intended to have a garrison, receiving a 1800by runway. German soldiers initially stayed at surrounding farms, until the 1941 opening of the barracks. A radio station was first established at Øyås, later moved to Finnset. Only in the summer of 1944 was the airfield upgraded to a firm, wooden structure, This was because of difficulties in procuring sufficient wood for the runway.