Draft:Colorado World War II Army Airfields

  • Comment: Please cite everything. Tavantius (talk) 04:34, 19 October 2024 (UTC)

Colorado World War II Army Airfields were major United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training centers for pilots and aircrews.

During World War II these Colorado 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

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Assigned to 4th Technical District/AAF Western Technical Training Command
AAF Technical School (Armament #2); 1 April 1942-7 September 1946
336th Air Base Squadron / 336th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 1 April 1942-30 April 1944
3702nd AAF Base Unit; 1 May 1944-7 September 1946
311th Reconnaissance Wing (Mapping and Charting); 24 Nov 1944-17 Apr 1946[1]
Was: Naval Air Station Denver (1947-59); Buckley Air National Guard Base (1959-2000)
Now:   Buckley Air Force Base
  • Lowry Field, Denver, Colorado
Assigned to 4th Technical District/AAF Western Technical Training Command
Air Corps Technical School/Army Air Forces Technical School (Armament #1, Photographic #1)/Air Force Technical School; 15 October 1938-1991
21st Air Base Squadron/21st Air Base Squadron (Special); 15 October 1938-1 September 1940[2]
22nd Air Base Squadron / 22nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 1 September 1940-18 Jan 43
3705th AAF Base Unit / 3705th AF Base Unit; 1 May 1944-28 August 1948
Was Lowry Air Force Base (1938-1994) with Lowry Technical Training Center
Now: Part of Denver urbanized area.
Remains: Air Reserve Personnel Center and Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Assigned to Third Air Force, then Second Air Force[3]
373rd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 20 June 1942-25 March 1944
260th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 25 March 1944-2 January 1946
Now:   Peterson Air Force Base
Emergency Landing Airfield
Now: no trace of facility. Completely returned to natural state.

Air Technical Service Command

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Assigned to West Coast AAF Training Center/AAF Western Flying Training Command
AAF Advanced Flying School (Two Engine)/ AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Two Engine) / :AAF Pilot School, (Advanced, Four Engine); 4 August 1942-30 June 1945
402nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 12 August 1942-30 April 1944
3020th AAF Base Unit; 1 May 1944-30 June 1945
Now: La Junta Municipal Airport (IATA: LHX, ICAO: KLHX)
Assigned to Second Air Force[4]
360th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 30 September 1942-1 April 1944
215th AAF Base Unit; 1 April 1944-March 1946
Now: Pueblo Memorial Airport (IATA: PUB, ICAO: KPUB)

References

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  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ Maurer (1983), p. 420
  2. ^ Clay (2010), p.1640
  3. ^ Maurer (1983), p. 454, 458
  4. ^ Maurer (1983), p.384
  • Clay, Steven E. (2010). US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941. Vol. 3 (The Services: Air Service, Engineers and Special Troops, 1919-1941). Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 1-51871-097-2
  • 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
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World War II World War II World War II Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the United States by state Category:United States World War II army airfields Category:Military history of Colorado WWII