HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS

After the serpentine exit from Ivančice towards Moravský Krumlov, there are flat plots of land on the left side and many of the drivers will notice a truncated-shaped concrete plinth near the fields, which protrudes from the fields. It is a remnant of a radar station, which was built here during the war by the German army. The second plinth is about 400 meters east.

At the end of August 1936, the municipal councils in Budkovice and Němčice and the inhabitants of these municipalities were unpleasantly surprised by a letter from the Ministry of Public Works dated 23 August 1936. The letter informed the council that on the lands of the municipalities of Budkovice and Němčice. At the same time, the letter called for the owners of the designated area no longer to sow.

The affected citizens defended themselves through municipal councils and other organizations, but it was futile to draft resolutions and trips to Prague to the Ministry of Agriculture and correspondence with various organizations to use other land for the construction of the airport. Although the Ministry of Public Works acknowledges by letter dated 13 April 1937 that the current owners of these lands are damaged by the removal of the land, it cannot withdraw from the construction of the airport in the given circumstances. The establishment of the Ivančice auxiliary airport on the lands of the municipalities of Budkovice and Němčice is absolutely necessary in the national interest.

The seizure of the land needed to set up the airport mainly affected citizens, who were the only source of livelihood. On April 21, 1937, the District Office in Moravský Krumlov, in the presence of an official expert, made an official estimate of the properties that could be considered for the establishment of the airport. The estimate was based on an amount of CZK 20,000 per 1 hectare, and the amount of the amount confiscated was calculated for all damaged owners according to the area of confiscated land. In the autumn of 1937, the citizens of Budkovice asked to exchange Mr. Sojka's land to the airport. It was also not complied with.

The construction of the airport began in the autumn of 1937 under the leadership of engineers of the state construction administration in Olomouc. The plots were leveled and plowed. In the spring of 1938, the area of the airport was prepared in preparation for sowing grass, and the sowing itself was attended by 12 peasants from Budkovice with covers for 14 days. The old "Vanecká" road from the northern edge of Budkovice towards the German "sandboxes" has ceased to exist.

The seizure of the land needed to set up the airport mainly affected citizens, who were the only source of livelihood. On April 21, 1937, the District Office in Moravský Krumlov, in the presence of an official expert, made an official estimate of the properties that could be considered for the establishment of the airport. The estimate was based on the amount of CZK 20,000 per 1 hectare, and the amount of the amount confiscated was calculated for all damaged owners according to the area of confiscated land. In the autumn of 1937, the citizens of Budkovice asked to exchange Mr. Sojka's land to the airport. It was also not complied with.

Due to the war tensions with Hitler's Germany, there was a military patrol at the airport, which in the period before the mobilization in 1938 was strengthened to one auxiliary company. Military observation and fighter planes landed here several times. Due to its favorable location, the airport was considered one of the best auxiliary airports in the country.

In November 1938, the field "Vanecká" road was cleared for operation through the airport, because the Munich Agreement lost its importance and was abolished. The borders of the Third Reich were only a few hundred meters from the airport. In March 1939, the area was re-measured and the land was returned to the original owners.

During the occupation, a network of air force ground radar stations was built on the territory of the Protectorate by members of the Air Liaison Force. According to importance and tactical reasons, they were divided into groups I. II. and III. The task of the stations was to provide reliable information on air traffic over the monitored area. In addition to radars, there were other buildings at the stations with operational, technical and hygienic equipment.

Such a station was built on the site of the former airport from 1940, while the land was occupied only partially for the needs of the German army. One of the first events was the provision of drinking water from the municipal well at house no. 31 (Štěpanovský) by the construction of a water supply system to the future station and the construction of wooden houses. Later that year, 50 German women joined Budkovice. The inhabitants of Budkovice and Němčice had many difficulties in building the buildings. The Germans who carried out the construction ordered the municipal authorities that local citizens, especially peasants with upholstery, had to help with the construction sites, mainly to import building materials. However, farmers did not like this, who often used field work or refused to participate in work for the Germans. However, the mayors of the municipalities could not make excuses because they were threatened with crime and the Gestapo if they did not provide the required assistance. Another is the information that the Germans paid well for this work, so there was an opportunity to earn. There was also the possibility of good earnings for craftsmanship in the construction and furnishing of all buildings.

The station fell under the Brno district, according to its importance to the 1st order with the code name Brumbär. There were 28 alarms. Two still preserved concrete plinths testify to the installation of FuMG 65 WURZBURG RIESE radars and the building (now ruins) for the Jagdschloss radar (hunting lodge).

Four buildings about 400 meters apart were built in the square, the locals called them "carousels" and between them a building with another radar in the middle, in which there were various devices and dynamos for generating electricity. The current was then led to all four buildings. The land between these buildings was accessible and cultivated. The Storch aircraft, ie a light aircraft that does not require a quality airport, landed only rarely on the land. In 1944, the buildings were nearing completion and began to be used. On November 16, 1944, 150 young women arrived in Budkovice to serve the station. They were called "Blitzmädchen" after the badge on the uniform. Budkovice did not enjoy themselves much, there were several months left until the end of the war.

What was this station for? The original intention was to ensure control of air traffic over Protekrorát. After the Allied landings in Italy in July 1943 and their advance into the northern part of the country, some of the bombers began to take off from Italian airports. The main center for determining the direction, speed and number of aircraft was near Vienna. After finding out the necessary information, other centers were alerted, for example in Budkovice, which put their facilities on standby. These centers specified further data and announced air alarms in the direction of flight of Allied aircraft. The importance the Germans attached to this center is also evidenced by the acquisition of 48 telephone lines, mainly for connections with the center in Vienna.

After the radar station, only two pedestals and the ruins of the main building remained in the fields.

The stand for the radar has the shape of a truncated hexagonal pyramid. The height is 1.2 m. The inner diameter is 1.5 m. There is a square entrance on the side, originally equipped with a door, which was used to enter the lower part of the pedestal, from where the cables led from the radar. The cable openings are still preserved in the walls of the building. These are 5 tubular outlets with a diameter of 10 cm leading diagonally down to the concrete shaft. The cables led underground to the evaluator's building. The cut remains of metal bars with a diameter of 4 cm are clearly visible on the upper platform of the base.

The post-war image shows the WÜRZBURH RIESE radar, destroyed by the explosion, still standing on its concrete pedestal. The damaged antenna, the typical concrete base and the revolving cabin are clearly visible.

The ruins of another building can be seen to the right of the road leading to "Jouřov" and "Pod Vrbičky". It was a building with a concrete ceiling, the walls were concrete with brick partitions. The dimensions of the floor plan were about 20 x 20 meters. On April 16, 1945, the building was destroyed by an explosive. Because these were massive reinforced concrete blocks, only the ceiling collapsed and collapsed. Other radars were also destroyed and on April 18, the day of the liberation of Ivančice) around 10 o'clock the objects were bombed by Soviet aircraft.

So most of the equipment was destroyed, there are very few witnesses and the next generation no longer knows about the airport and the radar station. Unfortunately, there is no documentation for the airport or the interception station in the District Archive in Rajhrad, so it remains to rely only on information from municipal chronicles and the memories of witnesses. Jiří Široký

RESOURCES:

Team of authors, Ivančice, history of the city

Commemorative book of the village of Budkovice - SOkA Rajhrad

Commemorative book of the village Němčice - SOkA Rajhrad

Internet Budkovice - research room

Radar

It is a static device designed to measure the distance, height and position of aircraft. During its operation, the whole device rotated to measure the position and the dish rose to measure the height. Its main use was in the control of chasing, but also in determining the position, or. served as a warning radar when approaching aircraft. This radar was also modified and used for the Coast Guard.

Description of the device: A concrete hexagonal block served as a base, on which a rotating plate and a platform were placed. She carried a large cabin with radio equipment and staff. One pin was mounted on each side of the side, which carried a metal lattice dish. The vertical alignment of the antenna was ensured by a toothed segment (wheel). The dish had a diameter of 7.5 m and its individual parts were made of aluminum sheet. When aiming horizontally, the entire cabin rotated with a reflector on the pin, which was mounted in the radar base. The IFF antenna (own and foreign aircraft recognition as in the previous type), which was composed of two pairs of dipoles, was usually placed on top of the parabolic antenna.

Radar characteristics:

Range: about 70 km

Power: 8 kW

Repetition pulse frequency1,875 imp./s.

Beam switching width: 0 to 13 °, 0 to 7.2 ° effective

Wavelength: 0.53 to 0.67 m

Weight: 12 tum

During the occupation, a network of air force ground radar stations (FMG-St. - Funk Messgeräte Station) was built on the territory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. These stations were a continuation of the radar networks DETE I (range 150 km) and DETE II (range 200 km) built before the war along the southern and northern borders of Germany. According to their importance, they were divided into groups I, II and III for tactical reasons. They were established, operated and serviced by members of the Air Liaison Force (Luftnachrichten Gruppe). The task of the stations was to provide reliable information on air traffic over the monitored area. In addition to the radars themselves, there were other buildings at the stations with operational, technical and hygienic facilities. The most frequently used radars were Freya, Wassermann (waterman), Würzburg Riese (Obr), Jagdschloss (Hunting lodge) and small mobile Würzburg C. The staffing of a typical exchange was as follows: commander (senior officer), 5 platoon commanders and 1 junior officer, 16 swarm commanders, 12 evaluators, 3 radio operators, 7 builders, 99 guards and 14 men of other specialties. Koralle near Kolín is one of the well-known and relatively well-documented radar stations. In addition to large stations, so-called alarm sounds were built in suitable places (mostly locations with a good view). Their operators had the task of visually observing the airspace with powerful binoculars. Due to the rapidly changing situation on the fronts, stable radar exchanges were replaced at the end of the war by so-called signal trains, which mostly carried Freya and Würzburg Riese radars.

In the field near Budkovice, first on the left (when driving from Ivančice to Moravský Krumlov) is Object No. 1 - one of the concrete pedestals for the FuMG 65 WÜRZBURG RIESE radar. Object 2 is a little further east in the field. The base for the radar has the shape of a truncated hexagonal pyramid. Height is 1.2 m, inner diameter 1.5 m. On the side is a square entrance, which was originally equipped with a door (the remains of the hinges have been preserved). Apparently they served to access the bottom of the pedestal, where the cables led from the radar. The cable openings have so far been preserved in the walls of the building. These are 5 tubular outlets with a diameter of 10 cm leading diagonally down to the cable shaft, which we can only guess from the preserved remains of the walls. Furthermore, the cables apparently led underground to the evaluator's building. On the upper surface of the concrete base, the cut remains of metal bars with a diameter of 4 cm are clearly visible.

Radar characteristics:

Range: about 70 km

Power: 8 kW

Repetition pulse frequency 1.875 imp./s.

Beam switching width: 0 to 13 °, 0 to 7.2 ° effective

Wavelength: 0.53 to 0.67 m

Weight: 12 tum

During the occupation, a network of air force ground radar stations (FMG-St. - Funk Messgeräte Station) was built on the territory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. These stations were a continuation of the radar networks DETE I (range 150 km) and DETE II (range 200 km) built before the war along the southern and northern borders of Germany. According to their importance, they were divided into groups I, II and III for tactical reasons. They were established, operated and serviced by members of the Air Liaison Force (Luftnachrichten Gruppe). The task of the stations was to provide reliable information on air traffic over the monitored area. In addition to the radars themselves, there were other buildings at the stations with operational, technical and hygienic facilities. The most frequently used radars were Freya, Wassermann (waterman), Würzburg Riese (Obr), Jagdschloss (Hunting lodge) and small mobile Würzburg C. The staffing of a typical exchange was as follows: commander (senior officer), 5 platoon commanders and 1 lower officer, 16 swarm commanders, 12 evaluators, 3 radio operators, 7 builders, 99 guards and 14 men of other specialties. Koralle near Kolín is one of the well-known and relatively well-documented radar stations. In addition to large stations, so-called alarm sounds were built in suitable places (mostly locations with a good view). Their operators had the task of visually observing the airspace with powerful binoculars. Due to the rapidly changing situation on the fronts, stable radar exchanges were replaced at the end of the war by so-called signal trains, which mostly carried Freya and Würzburg Riese radars.

In the field near Budkovice, building No. 1 - one of the concrete pedestals for the FuMG 65 WÜRZBURG RIESE radar - is clearly visible on the left (when driving from Ivančice to Moravský Krumlov). Object 2 is a little further east in the field. The base for the radar has the shape of a truncated hexagonal pyramid. Height is 1.2 m, inner diameter 1.5 m. On the side is a square entrance, which was originally equipped with a door (the remains of the hinges have been preserved).

Apparently they served to access the bottom of the pedestal, where the cables led from the radar. The cable openings have so far been preserved in the walls of the building. These are 5 tubular outlets with a diameter of 10 cm leading diagonally down to the cable shaft, which we can only guess from the preserved remains of the walls. Furthermore, apparently the cables led underground to the building of the evaluators. On the upper surface of the concrete base, the cut remains of metal bars with a diameter of 4 cm are clearly visible.