RAF Gatow

RAF Gatow
Gatow, Berlin in Germany
The main gate of RAF Gatow in August 1983.
RAF Gatow Shown within Berlin Show map of Berlin RAF Gatow RAF Gatow (Germany) Show map of Germany
Coordinates	52°28′28″N 13°08′17″E / 52.47444°N 13.13806°E / 52.47444; 13.13806
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence (UK)
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	Royal Air Force Germany
Site history
Built	1935 (1935)
In use	1935-1995 (1995)
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: GWW, ICAO: EDBG
Elevation	49 metres (161 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 08R/26L 1,842 metres (6,043 ft) Asphalt 08L/26R  Asphalt
Note	Luftwaffe airfield opened by Adolf Hitler in 1935.[1]

Royal Air Force Gatow, or more commonly RAF Gatow, was a British Royal Air Force station (military airbase) in the district of Gatow in south-western Berlin, west of the Havel river, in the borough of Spandau. It was the home for the only known operational use of flying boats in central Europe, and was later used for photographic reconnaissance missions by de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunks over East Germany. Part of the former airfield is now called General Steinhoff-Kaserne, and is home to the Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr, the German Air Force Museum.

Also on the site of the former Royal Air Force station, but not part of General Steinhoff-Kaserne, is a school, the Hans-Carossa-Gymnasium, as well as houses for government employees of the Federal Republic of Germany. This part of the former airfield has since 2003 been part of the district of Berlin-Kladow.