ice ▁Airport ▁was ▁initially ▁used ▁by ▁German ▁soldiers . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ▁began ▁construction ▁of ▁an ▁air base ▁in ▁the ▁me adows ▁around ▁P yr z ow ice . ▁The ▁Germ ans ▁built ▁three ▁stone ▁and ▁concrete ▁a irst ri ps , ▁with ▁run way ▁lengths ▁varying ▁from ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁meters , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁around ▁ 5 0 ▁meters ▁wide . ▁The ▁air base ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁handling ▁of ▁military ▁aircraft ▁flying ▁from ▁the ▁inner ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Reich , ▁carrying ▁supplies ▁to ▁troops ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Front . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁final ▁phase ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁the ▁Mess ersch mitt ▁Me ▁ 1 6 3 ▁K omet ▁ro cket - power ed ▁aircraft ▁were ▁tested ▁here . ▁Following ▁General ▁Ernst ▁U det ' s ▁( a ▁Luft wa ffe ▁flying ▁ace ) ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁the ▁air field ▁was ▁named ▁U det feld . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁Soviet ▁soldiers ▁were ▁station ed ▁at ▁the ▁air base . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁handed ▁the ▁air base ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁Polish ▁Air ▁Force . ▁It ▁was ▁then ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁ 3 9 th ▁F ighter ▁Regiment , ▁created ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁ ▁A ▁new ▁run way ▁was ▁built