History
The Marienburg, Germany, area had a 1929 civilian airfield near Königsdorf that was acquired by the Luftwaffe in 1934. Near the airfield was a 100-acre (0.40 km2) Focke-Wulf plant that had been moved from Bremen and which produced approximately half of all Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, and the Stalag XX-B POW camp was nearby. A US Eighth Air Force air raid of the on October 9, 1943, by 96 B-17 Flying Fortresses was called the Marienburg raid by Life magazine. The plant was attacked a 2nd time by 98 B-17s on April 9, 1944.
For the FMPU film which includes footage of the Marienburg raid in 1943, see Target for Today.Post-war, Marienburg, Germany, became Malbork, Poland; and Soviet Air force units were based there for a few years. In 1952 the 41st Fighter Aviation Regiment was formed to be based there, initially equipped with Mig-15 fighters, later replaced with Mig-17s, and from 1964 Mig-21s. In 2001 the regiment was dissolved and its ground and air components separated, to form the 22 Air Base and 41st Air Tactical Squadron respectively. In 2003 the last Mig-21s were retired, and in 2004 the squadron was rearmed with refurbished Mig-29s obtained from Germany.
Read more about this topic: 22nd Air Base
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