The aerodrome was constructed by the German
Wehrmacht during
World War II. After the 1944
liberation of Belgium, Melsbroek was operated by the
Royal Canadian Air Force and the
Royal Air Force when it was known as
B58 Melsbroek.
Operation Bodenplatte, the German aerial attack of 1 January 1945, hit Melsbroek hard. According to
Emil Clade (leading III./
JG 27), the AAA positions were not manned, and aircraft were bunched together or in lines, which made perfect targets. The attack caused considerable damage among the units based there and was a great success. The
Recce Wings had lost two entire squadrons worth of machines.
No. 69 Squadron RAF lost 11
Vickers Wellingtons and two damaged. Possibly all
No. 140 Squadron RAF′s
de Havilland Mosquito aircraft were lost. At least five
Supermarine Spitfires from
No. 16 Squadron RAF were destroyed.
No. 271 Squadron RAF lost at least seven
Handley Page Harrow transports "out of action". A further 15 other aircraft were destroyed.
139 Wing reported five
North American B-25 Mitchell bombers destroyed and five damaged. Some 15 to 20
United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) bombers were also destroyed. Another source states that 13 Wellingtons were destroyed, as were five Mosquitoes, four
Austers and five
Avro Ansons from the Tactical Air Forces 2nd Communications Squadron. Three Spitfires were also lost and two damaged. At least one
RAF Transport Command Douglas Dakota was destroyed. After the war, Melsbroek replaced
Haren Airfield as the Belgian national airport. That title is now carried by the
Zaventem terminal on the same aerodrome, built for the
1958 world exposition. At that time, the existing terminal was taken over by the then Belgian Air Force. When
Trans European Airways existed, its head office was in Building 117 of Melsbroek Airport. When
CityBird existed its head office was in Building 117D. ==See also==