Fliegerhorst Neutief was begun in 1937 near the city of Pillau in East Prussia. The air base was built with two runways cast in concrete and hangars built in brick. The northern part of the airfield was designed for a seaplane base where the calm waters of the bay served for landings. The hard runways were equipped with a heating system, so that it also could be used in the winter. Two years later the airfield was operational and quickly put into use. Flights operated from the base during the attack on Denmark and Norway in April 1940 and again in June 1941 during the attack on Russia.