South Carolina World War II Army Airfields

South Carolina World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Map Of Major South Carolina World War II Army Airfields Third Air Force AAF Training Command AAF Contract Flying Schools Multiple Commands
Type	Army Airfields
Site history
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-present

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

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) and Air Transport Command (ATC) maintained a large base in Charleston.

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

Multiple Commands

Charleston Army Airfield, 10.6 miles (17.1 km) northwest of Charleston

421st Base HQ and Air Base Squadron

Initially: Air Technical Service Command (29th Air Base Group, Distribution Point #2)

Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (16th Antisubmarine Squadron)

Later: Transferred to: First Air Force (113th AAF Base Unit)

Later: Transferred to: Air Transport Command (593d AAF Base Unit)

Later: Charleston Air Force Base (1952-2010)

Now:

Joint Base Charleston (2010-Present) (IATA: CHS, ICAO: KCHS, FAA LID: CHS)

Third Air Force

Aiken Army Airfield, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-northeast of Aiken

Sub-base of: Morris Army Airfield, North Carolina

359th Army Air Force Base Unit

Later: Aiken Air Force Station (1955-1975)

Now: Aiken Municipal Airport (IATA: AIK, ICAO: KAIK, FAA LID: AIK)

Columbia Army Air Base, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) southwest of Columbia

309th/329th Bombardment Group, 329th AAF Base Unit

Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command

Later: Transferred to First Air Force

129th Army Air Force Base Unit

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Barnwell Army Airfield

Johns Island Army Airfield

North Army Airfield

Walterboro Army Airfield

Now: Columbia Metropolitan Airport (IATA: CAE, ICAO: KCAE, FAA LID: CAE)

Greenville Army Airbase, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) south of Greenville

Later: Transferred to First Air Force

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Coronaca Army Airfield

Anderson Auxiliary Field

Later: Donaldson Air Force Base (1947-1963)

Now: Donaldson Center Airport (IATA: GDC, ICAO: KGYH, FAA LID: GYH)

Congaree Army Airfield, 14.5 miles (23.3 km) east-southeast of Columbia

Later: Transferred to: United States Marine Corps

Now:

McEntire Joint National Guard Base (IATA: MMT, ICAO: KMMT, FAA LID: MMT)

Florence Army Airfield, 2.3 miles (3.7 km) east-southeast of Florence

Later: Transferred to First Air Force

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Hartsville Army Airfield

Hartsville Auxiliary Field

Now: Florence Regional Airport (IATA: FLO, ICAO: KFLO, FAA LID: FLO) i

Myrtle Beach General Bombing and Gunnery Range, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west-southwest of Myrtle Beach

Later: Myrtle Beach Army Airfield

519th Army Air Force Base Unit

Later: Transferred to First Air Force

136th Army Air Force Base Unit

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Ocean Drive Flight Strip

Later: Myrtle Beach Air Force Base (1956-1993)

Now: Myrtle Beach International Airport (IATA: MYR, ICAO: KMYR, FAA LID: MYR)

AAF Training Command

Eastern Flight Training Center

Shaw Army Airfield, 8.4 miles (13.5 km) west-northwest of Sumter

Army Air Force Flying School (Basic)

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Burt Gin Auxiliary Field

Rembert Auxiliary Field

Monaghan Auxiliary Field

Sumter Municipal Airport

Now:

Shaw Air Force Base (IATA: SSC, ICAO: KSSC, FAA LID: SSC)

AAF Contract Flying Schools

Greenville Municipal Airport, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of Greenville

Southern Airways Contract Glider Pilot Training School (1941-1943)

Later: Transferred to: Air Technical Service Command (1943-1945)

529th Army Air Force Base Unit

Joint Civil/USAAF Use

Now: Greenville Downtown Airport (IATA: GMU, ICAO: KGMU, FAA LID: GMU)

Palmer Field, 2.8 miles (4.5 km) west of Bennettsville

Georgia Air Service, Inc & Southeastern Air Service, Inc.

Now: Marlboro County Jetport (IATA: BTN, ICAO: KBBP, FAA LID: BBP)

Hawthorne School of Aeronautics, 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Orangeburg

Free French Air Force pilot training

58th Flying Training Detachment

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Jennings Auxiliary Field

Hagood Auxiliary Field

Kennedy Auxiliary Field

Now: Non-aviation use

Woodward Field Airport, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northeast of Camden

(IATA: CDN, ICAO: KCDN, FAA LID: CDN)

Southern Aviation School

Minor Airfields

Chinquapin Airport, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of Greenwood

Preflight cadet pilot screening

Now: Non-aviation use

Columbia Municipal Airport, 3.1 miles (5.0 km) southeast of Columbia

Used for training of observation pilots (3d AF); supported Fort Jackson; US Navy use.

Now: Jim Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport (IATA: CUB, ICAO: KCUB, FAA LID: CUB)

Lane Intermediate Field (CAA Site #24), 48 miles (77 km) north of Charleston

Auxiliary fighter pilot training field

Abandoned 1983

Manning Airfield, 1.7 miles (2.7 km) south of Allendale

Undetermined usage by AAF

Abandoned, undetermined history 33°01′13″N 081°16′58″W / 33.02028°N 81.28278°W

Roddey Airport, 1.9 miles (3.1 km) south-southwest of Rock Hill

Likely Emergency landing airfield

Abandoned approx 1965. 34°54′02″N 081°02′33″W / 34.90056°N 81.04250°W

Spartanburg Memorial Airport, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) south-southwest of Spartanburg

Joint Civil/USAAF airfield; supported Army Camp Croft Infantry Replacement Training Center

Transferred to: United States Navy 1943

(IATA: SPA, ICAO: KSPA, FAA LID: SPA)

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 - South Carolina

External links

Army Air Forces Training Command

Flying Training

Flying Schools	Eastern Flying Training Command Central Flying Training Command Western Flying Training Command
Specialized Schools	Bombardier Contract Flying Glider Training Gunnery Navigator

Technical Training

USAAF First Air Force in World War II

Airfields

First Air Force Group Training Stations
First Air Force Replacement Training Stations
First Air Force Tactical Airfields
Freeman Army Airfield
Godman Army Airfield
Selfridge Field

Units

Commands

Wings

Groups

Bombardment	2d Bombardment 13th Bombardment 22d Bombardment 34th Bombardment 43d Bombardment 45th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 302d Bombardment 400th Bombardment 402d Bombardment 455th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 471st Bombardment
Combat Cargo	1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 4th Combat Cargo
Fighter	8th Fighter 31st Fighter 33d Fighter 52d Fighter 56th Fighter 57th Fighter 58th Fighter 59th Fighter 79th Fighter 80th Fighter 83d Fighter 87th Fighter 324th Fighter 325th Fighter 326th Fighter 327th Fighter 332d Fighter 348th Fighter 352d Fighter 353d Fighter 355th Fighter 356th Fighter 358th Fighter 359th Fighter 361st Fighter 362d Fighter 365th Fighter 366th Fighter 368th Fighter 370th Fighter 371st Fighter 373d Fighter 402d Fighter 413th Fighter 476th Fighter
Reconnaissance	26th Reconnaissance 73d Reconnaissance
Troop Carrier	10th Troop Carrier 60th Troop Carrier 61st Troop Carrier 62d Troop Carrier 63d Troop Carrier 89th Troop Carrier 313th Troop Carrier 314th Troop Carrier 315th Troop Carrier 316th Troop Carrier 317th Troop Carrier 349th Troop Carrier 375th Troop Carrier 403d Troop Carrier 433d Troop Carrier 434th Troop Carrier 435th Troop Carrier 436th Troop Carrier 437th Troop Carrier 438th Troop Carrier 439th Troop Carrier 440th Troop Carrier 441st Troop Carrier 442d Troop Carrier
Other	1st Search Attack 477th Composite
Incidents	Freeman Field Mutiny

United States Army Air Forces

USAAF Third Air Force in World War II

Airfields

Group Training Stations
Replacement Training Stations
Tactical Airfields

Units

Commands

Divisions

III Tactical Air Division

Wings

Groups

Air Commando	2nd Air Commando 3rd Air Commando
Bombardment	3rd Bombardment 12th Bombardment 17th Bombardment 21st Bombardment 29th Bombardment 30th Bombardment Group 38th Bombardment 44th Bombardment 46th Bombardment 47th Bombardment 85th Bombardment 88th Bombardment 90th Bombardment 91st Bombardment 92nd Bombardment 93rd Bombardment 94th Bombardment 95th Bombardment 97th Bombardment 98th Bombardment 99th Bombardment 100th Bombardment 309th Bombardment 310th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 319th Bombardment 320th Bombardment 321st Bombardment 322d Bombardment 323d Bombardment 335th Bombardment 336th Bombardment 340th Bombardment 344th Bombardment 345th Bombardment 386th Bombardment 387th Bombardment 391st Bombardment 394th Bombardment 396th Bombardment 397th Bombardment 409th Bombardment 410th Bombardment 411th Bombardment 416th Bombardment 417th Bombardment 418th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 454th Bombardment 463rd Bombardment 483rd Bombardment 488th Bombardment
Fighter	20th Fighter 31st Fighter 49th Fighter 50th Fighter 53rd Fighter 54th Fighter 56th Fighter 59th Fighter 79th Fighter 80th Fighter 81st Fighter 84th Fighter 85th Fighter 311th Fighter 332nd Fighter 337th Fighter 338th Fighter 339th Fighter 361st Fighter 369th Fighter 372nd Fighter 404th Fighter 405th Fighter 408th Fighter 414th Fighter 506th Fighter
Fighter-Bomber	27th Fighter-Bomber 48th Fighter-Bomber 86th Fighter-Bomber 406th Fighter-Bomber 407th Fighter-Bomber
Reconnaissance	2d Reconnaissance 9th Reconnaissance 10th Reconnaissance 26th Reconnaissance 65th Reconnaissance 67th Reconnaissance 68th Reconnaissance 69th Reconnaissance 70th Reconnaissance 75th Reconnaissance 77th Reconnaissance 423d Reconnaissance 424th Reconnaissance 426th Reconnaissance

United States Army Air Forces

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