Alabama World War II Army Airfields

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Alabama for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of AAF fighters and bombers.

Alabama World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Map of major Alabama World War II Army Airfields

  Third Air Force     AAF Training Command
  AAF Contract Flying Schools
 Air Technical Service Command
TypeArmy Airfields
Site history
Built1940–1944
In use1940–present
Official US Army Air Force Training Command photograph of 20 Tuskegee Airmen posing in front of a P-40 at Tuskegee Army Air Field

Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (a predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However, the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.

It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

Major Airfields

Third Air Force

Detachment, 39th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron
Auxiliary of Key Field, Mississippi
Now: Demopolis Municipal Airport (ICAO: KDYA, FAA LID: DYA, formerly 7A2)
Support of The Chemical Warfare Service, Camp Sibert
Now: Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (IATA: GAD, ICAO: KGAD, FAA LID: GAD)

AAF Training Command

AAF Eastern Flying Training Command

Contract Flying Schools

Air Technical Service Command

Minor Airfields

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

    • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
    • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
    • Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7
    • Military Airfields in World War II - Alabama
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.