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Västgöta Wing

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Västgöta Wing
Västgöta flygflottilj
HMS Västergötland vapen.svg
Active1939–1994
CountrySweden
AllegianceSwedish Armed Forces
BranchSwedish Air Force
TypeWing
RoleLight bomb wing (1939–1946)
Attack wing (1946–1994)
Part ofSecond Air Group (1942–1948)
First Air Group (1948–1966)
Milo V (1966–1993)
Milo S (1993–1994)
Garrison/HQKarlsborg
Motto(s)Tro och vilja[1] ("Faith and will")
March"Victoria-marsch" (Korsgren)[note 1]
Insignia
RoundelRoundel of Sweden.svg
Aircraft flown
AttackA 21A, A 29, A32 A, AJ 37
Multirole helicopterHkp 2, Hkp 3, Hkp 9
ReconnaissanceS 14
TrainerSk 11, Sk 12, Sk 15, Sk 16, Sk 50
TransportTp 5, Tp 83
G 101, Se 102, Se 103, Se 104

Västgöta Wing (Swedish: Västgöta flygflottilj), also F 6 Karlsborg, or simply F 6, is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located near Karlsborg in south-central Sweden.

History

The airfield Lusharpan had been used by the army air corps of Karlsborg Fortress since 1915 to practice strafing and bombing at the artillery range. In 1936, the first steps was taken towards a permanent base by constructing hangars for two squadrons. In 1937 the grass field was extended to 1600 m x 1200 m and a maintenance shop was also put up.

The Air Wing was officially commissioned on July 1, 1939 but with only 19 staff and three officers with one Sk 9, one Sk 11 trainers and three other aircraft on loan from other wings.

With World War II breaking out on September 1, 1939, Jämtland Wing (F 4) regrouped their B 4 bombers to Karlsborg and transferred them to the F 6 wing at the same rate as the F 4 wing received their new B 5 bombers. The B 4 bombers were kept until 1941 when they were transferred to Skaraborg Wing (F 7) in favor of new B 5 bombers.

Between 1943 and 1947 the wing was equipped with B 17 dive bombers.

In 1947, the wing was redesigned as an attack wing and replaced the B 17s with A 21 aircraft, even though the tactical use of the new aircraft was the same as with the B 17s. Some of the A 21s were transferred from Skaraborg Wing. There were a total of 70 A 21s at F 6, but a staggering 30 planes were lost due to the poor condition of the grass field which was paved in 1950.

The Saab 29 Tunnan was briefly in service for four years from 1954 to 1957 until the Saab 32 Lansen was introduced and served for 20 years until 1977. The jet noise of the Saab 32 Lansen was so high that the base was forced to buy the property of complaining residents.

In 1977 the AJ 37 replaced the A 32 and was in service until the base was decommissioned on June 30, 1994.

The airfield was reopened in 2007 under the control of Life Regiment Hussars (K 3).

Discover more about History related topics

Karlsborg Fortress

Karlsborg Fortress

Karlsborg Fortress is situated on the Vanäs peninsula in Karlsborg by lake Vättern, the province of Västergötland, Sweden. Construction on the fortress began 1819 to realize the so-called central defense idea adopted by the Swedish military after the Finnish and Napoleonic Wars. The site was chosen by Baltzar von Platen in connection with the construction of Göta Canal.

De Havilland Tiger Moth

De Havilland Tiger Moth

The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. In addition to the type's principal use for ab initio training, the Second World War had RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance and defensive anti-invasion preparations; some aircraft were even outfitted to function as armed light bombers.

World War II

World War II

World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries, including all of the great powers, fought as part of two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. Many participants threw their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind this total war, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and the delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war.

Jämtland Wing

Jämtland Wing

Jämtland Wing, also F 4 Frösön, or simply F 4, is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located at Åre Östersund Airport outside Östersund on Frösön in the middle of Sweden.

Hawker Hart

Hawker Hart

The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircraft in the inter-war period, but was obsolete and already side-lined for newer monoplane aircraft designs by the start of the Second World War, playing only minor roles in the conflict before being retired.

Skaraborg Wing

Skaraborg Wing

Skaraborg Wing, also F 7 Såtenäs, or simply F 7, is a Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located near Lidköping in south-central Sweden.

Saab 17

Saab 17

The Saab 17 is a Swedish single-engine monoplane reconnaissance dive-bomber aircraft of the 1940s originally developed by ASJA prior to its merger into Saab. It was the first all-metal stressed skin aircraft developed in Sweden.

SAAB 21

SAAB 21

The SAAB 21 is a Swedish single-seat low-wing monoplane fighter and attack aircraft designed and manufactured by SAAB. It used a relatively unorthodox twin boom fuselage with a pusher engine, giving the aircraft an unusual appearance.

Saab 29 Tunnan

Saab 29 Tunnan

The Saab 29 Tunnan, colloquially Flygande tunnan or just Tunnan, is a Swedish fighter that was designed and manufactured by Saab in the late 1940s. It was the second turbojet-powered combat aircraft to be developed in Sweden, the first being the Saab 21R, and it was the first Western European fighter to be produced with a swept wing post World War II, only being preceded in Western Europe as a whole by the Me 262 built during the war. Despite its rotund appearance, from which its name is derived, the J 29 was fast and agile and served effectively in both fighter and fighter-bomber roles into the 1970s.

Saab 32 Lansen

Saab 32 Lansen

The Saab 32 Lansen is a two-seat, transonic military aircraft designed and manufactured by Saab AB from 1955 to 1960 for the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet). Three principal variants of the Lansen were built for attack, fighter, and reconnaissance. During its long operational life, the Saab 32 also served in the electronic warfare role and as a target-tug.

Saab 37 Viggen

Saab 37 Viggen

The Saab 37 Viggen is a retired Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range multirole combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and, following the selection of a radical delta wing configuration, the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967 and entered service in 21 June 1971. It was the first canard design produced in quantity. The Viggen was also the most advanced fighter jet in Europe, albeit slower than the earlier MiG-21bis, until the introduction of the Panavia Tornado into operational service in 1981.

Life Regiment Hussars

Life Regiment Hussars

The Life Regiment Hussars is one of the world's oldest regiments still active. The regiment descends directly from units set up by King Gustav I of Sweden in 1536, when Sweden set up a draft of horses and men north and south of Stockholm. The regiment was very active in the 1600s and 1700s and helped win several key battles for Sweden on the European continent. Today, the regiment plays a central role in the Swedish Armed Forces and is the most active regiment in Swedish military international engagements.

Barracks and training areas

Barracks

Among other things, the wing took over the premises of the Infantry Volunteer School (Infanterivolontärskolan) in Karlsborg. The runway, which runs in a north-south direction, was built in 1936-39 and extended in 1956. New hangars were built in 1961 and 1979.[3]

Training areas

Rissnäset and Perstorp north of Karlsborg.[3]

Heraldry and traditions

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the Västgöta Wing was used from 1939 to 1994. Blazon: "The provincial badge of Västergötland, per bend sinister sable and or, a lion rampant counterchanged, armed and langued gules between two estoiles argent in the first field".[4]

Colours, standards and guidons

The colour was presented to the wing on 5 December 1940 by His Royal Highness Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten. Blazon: "On blue cloth in the centre the badge of the Air Force; a winged two-bladed propeller under a royal crown proper, all yellow. In the first corner the lion of the provincial badge of Västergötland; bended sinister in yellow and white, armed and langued red, between two white estoiles".[1]

March

”Victoria-marsch” was composed in the 1890s by the civil engineer Gustaf (Gösta) Korsgren. It was adopted on 4 April 1986. The march is also adopted as march of the Voluntary Officer Training (Frivilliga Befälsutbildningen, FBU) in 1977.[3]

Commanding officers

Commanding officers from 1939 to 1994.[3] The commanding officer was referred to as wing commander and had the rank of colonel.

  • 1939–1941: John Stenbeck
  • 1941–1950: Gösta Hård
  • 1950–1960: Anders ("Ante") Söderlindh
  • 1960–1971: Nils Hansson
  • 1971–1977: Hans Sjövall
  • 1977–1986: Gunnar Hovgard
  • 1986–1989: Göran Tode
  • 1989–1993: Sten Öhlander
  • 1993–1994: Claes Bjärle (acting)

Names, designations and locations

Name Translation From To
Kungl. Västgöta flygflottilj Royal Västgöta Wing 1939-07-01 1974-12-31
Västgöta flygflottilj Västgöta Wing
Blekinge Air Group[5]
1975-01-01 1994-06-30
Designation From To
F 6 1939-07-01 1994-06-30
Location From To
Karlsborg Airport 1939-07-01 1994-06-30

Source: "Västgöta Wing", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 16th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Västgöta_Wing.

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Footnotes
  1. ^ The march was adopted and established on 4 April 1986.[2]
References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Braunstein 2005, p. 59
  2. ^ Sandberg 2007, p. 44
  3. ^ a b c d Braunstein 2005, p. 60
  4. ^ Braunstein 2006, p. 59
  5. ^ Appich 1988, p. 41

Print

  • Braunstein, Christian (2005). Svenska flygvapnets förband och skolor under 1900-talet (PDF). Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 8 [dvs 9] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 9197158488. SELIBR 9845891. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2021.
  • Braunstein, Christian (2006). Heraldiska vapen inom det svenska försvaret [Heraldry of the Swedish Armed Forces] (PDF). Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 9 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 91-971584-9-6. SELIBR 10099224.
  • Sandberg, Bo (2007). Försvarets marscher och signaler förr och nu: marscher antagna av svenska militära förband, skolor och staber samt igenkännings-, tjänstgörings- och exercissignaler (in Swedish) (New ed.). Stockholm: Militärmusiksamfundet med Svenskt marscharkiv. ISBN 978-91-631-8699-8. SELIBR 10413065.

Web

Further reading
  • Hansson, Karl-Axel, ed. (1989). Flyget på Karlsborg: Västgöta flygflottilj : 1939-1989 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Prisma. ISBN 9151823136. SELIBR 7407646.
  • Ignell, Ragnar; Räftegård, Börje (1999). Västgöta flygflottilj - F 6 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Allt om hobby. ISBN 9185496472. SELIBR 7749569.

Coordinates: 58°31′10″N 14°31′25″E / 58.51944°N 14.52361°E / 58.51944; 14.52361

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