wa ffe ▁started ▁using ▁the ▁field , ▁significantly ▁expand ing ▁and ▁upgrad ing ▁the ▁base . ▁The ▁F ock e - W ulf ▁F w ▁ 1 9 0 , ▁Mess ersch mitt ▁B f ▁ 1 1 0 ▁and ▁J unk ers ▁Ju ▁ 8 8 ▁were ▁operated ▁from ▁the ▁air field , ▁and ▁anti - air craft ▁guns ▁were ▁installed . ▁A ▁railway ▁from ▁the ▁nearby ▁town ▁of ▁Wolf he ze ▁was ▁constructed , ▁initially ▁to ▁facil itate ▁the ▁transport ▁of ▁building ▁materials ▁for ▁a ▁Luft wa ffe ▁command ▁b unker ▁and ▁later ▁to ▁supply ▁the ▁base ▁with ▁m un itions . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Arn hem ▁the ▁air field ▁got ▁bom bed ▁extens ively ▁by ▁al lied ▁forces ▁and ▁flying ▁activity ▁from ▁the ▁base ▁was ▁susp ended ▁by ▁the ▁Germ ans . ▁The ▁base ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁an ▁auxili ary ▁air field ▁and ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁dep ot ▁for ▁V - 1 ▁flying ▁bomb s . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁up ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁the ▁Dutch ▁military ▁used ▁De elen ▁as ▁a ▁storage ▁facility . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁the ▁decision ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁restore ▁De elen ▁back ▁to ▁an ▁oper ational ▁air ▁base , ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁was ▁the ▁base ▁for ▁the ▁Royal ▁Netherlands ▁Air ▁Force ▁Republic ▁R F - 8 4 F ▁Th under flash ▁photo ▁reconna issance ▁aircraft .