Arizona World War II Army Airfields

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Arizona for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth 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

Air Transport Command

• Coolidge Army Air Field, southeast of Coolidge

Now: Coolidge Municipal Airport

• Winslow Municipal Airport, Winslow

Now: Winslow–Lindbergh Regional Airport

Fourth Air Force

• Davis–Monthan Field, Tucson

32nd Air Base Squadron / 32nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 20 April 1941–1 April 1944

233rd Army Air Force Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Very Heavy)(Second AF); 1 April 1944–16 November 1945

Now: Davis–Monthan Air Force Base

* Sahuarita Flight Strip ( east of Sahuarita)

: Aux to Davis–Monthan AAF

: Now: S. Sahuarita Park Rd.

Air Technical Service Command

• Tucson Army Air Field, Tucson

Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport

Now: Tucson International Airport and Morris Air National Guard Base, home to the 162d Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard

Civilian Pilot Training Program

• Ernest A. Love Field, Prescott

Joint Use USAAF/USN/Civil Airport

Now: Prescott Municipal Airport

Army Air Forces Training Command

• Douglas Army Air Field, north-northwest of Douglas

Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School (Two Engine) / Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced, Two Engine) (West Coast AAF Training Center); October 1942–23 October 1945

461st Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 1 November 1942–30 April 1944

3014th Army Air Force Base Unit; 1 May 1944–1 November 1945

Now: Bisbee Douglas International Airport<br />

* Hereford Army Airfield, west-southwest of Hereford

: Auxiliary of Douglas Army Air Field

: Now: Airfield closed and abandoned

• Falcon Field Army Air Field, Mesa

Western Flight Training Center

Now: Falcon Field Airport

• Kingman Army Airfield, northeast of Kingman

Army Air Forces Gunnery School/Army Air Forces Flexible Gunnery School; 4 August 1942–30 June 1945

460th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 26 December 1942–30 April 1944

3018th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–30 June 1945

Now: Kingman Airport and Industrial Park

* Yucca Army Airfield, west of Yucca

: Sub-base of Kingman Army Airfield

: Now: Chrysler Arizona Proving Ground (Non flying facility)

• Luke Field, Glendale

Air Corps Advanced Flying School (Single Engine)/Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School (Single Engine)/AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Single Engine); 20 May 1941–4 July 1946

66th Air Base Squadron/66th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 15 June 1941–30 April 1944

3028th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–30 November 1946

Now: Luke Air Force Base

* Ajo Army Air Field, north of Ajo

: Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School, Fixed Gunnery; 29 August 1942–15 December 1945

: 472nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 29 August 1942–30 April 1944

: 3011th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–15 December 1945

: Now: Eric Marcus Municipal Airport

* Gila Bend Army Air Field, southeast of Gila Bend

: Sub–base of Luke Army Airfield

: 492nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 25 January 1943–30 April 1944

: 3029th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–15 January 1945

: Now: Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field

Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command

• Marana Army Air Field, northwest of Marana

Army Air Forces Basic Flying School / Army Air Forces Pilot School (Basic); 8 July 1942–15 September 1945

389th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 8 August 1942–30 April 1944

3024th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–1 November 1945

Now: Pinal Airpark

; Auxiliaries of Marana Army Air Field

* Marana Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 1, aka Picacho Field in Picacho

: Now: Picacho Stagefield ARNG Heliport

* Marana Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 2, aka Rillito Field in Marana

: Now: Marana Regional Airport

* Marana Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 5, aka Sahuaro Field in Pima County

: Now: El Tiro Gliderport

• Ryan Army Airfield, Tucson

Contract Primary Flying Training; 25 June 1942–September 1944

11th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Primary); 10 July 1942–30 April 1944

3049th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–September 1944

Today: Ryan Airfield

• Thunderbird Field No. 1, Glendale

Contract Primary Flying Training; 12 July 1941–1 May 1945

Air Corps Training Detachment/6th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Primary); 12 July 1941–30 April 1944

3040th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–27 June 1945

Now: Arizona Christian University (Non flying facility)

• Thunderbird Field No 2, Scottsdale

Contract Primary Flying Training; 24 June 1942–16 October 1944

12th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Primary); 10 July 1942–30 April 1944

3048th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–16 October 1944

Now: Scottsdale Airport

• Williams Field, Mesa

Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School (Two Engine)/Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced, Two Engine); 26 June 1941–1 June 1948

89th Air Base Squadron/89th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 4 December 1941–30 April 1944

3010th Army Air Forces Base Unit/3010th Air Force Base Unit; 1 May 1944–28 August 1948

Was: Williams Air Force Base (1947–1993)

Now: Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport

;Auxiliaries of Williams Air Force Base

* Williams Field Auxiliary No. 2 aka Rittenhouse Field in Queen Creek

: Now: Rittenhouse Army Heliport

* Williams Field Auxiliary No. 3 aka Casa Grande Field in Casa Grande.

: Today: Casa Grande Municipal Airport

* Williams Auxiliary Airfield No. 5 aka Goodyear Auxiliary Airfield in Gila River Indian Reservation

: Now: Gila River Memorial Airport

• Yuma Army Air Field, south of Yuma

AAF Advanced Flying School (Single Engine)/AAF Pilot School (Advanced Single Engine)/AAF Flexible Gunnery School/AAF Radar Observer School; September 1942–1 November 1945

403rd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; September 1942–30 April 1944

3036th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944–1 November 1945

Was: Vincent Air Force Base (1951–1959)

Now: Marine Corps Air Station Yuma

; Sub-bases of Yuma Army Air Field

* Dateland Army Air Field, east of Yuma

: Now: Airfield closed and abandoned

* Laguna Army Airfield, northeast of Yuma

: Now: Laguna Army Airfield

* Yuma Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 1

: Now: Redeveloped as part of Fortuna Foothills

* Yuma Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 2

: Now: Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Auxiliary Airfield on the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range

* Yuma Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 3

: Now: Redeveloped as agricultural fields

* Yuma Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 4 aka Rolle Field, south of Yuma

: Now: Rolle Airfield

* Yuma Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 5 in Wellton

: Now: Airfield closed and abandoned

* Yuma Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 6, aka Colfred, east of Yuma, later used as a drone and hawk missile testing site.

: Now: Airfield closed and abandoned

* Yuma Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 7 in Stoval

: Now: training field on the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range

See also

• Arizona during World War II
• Echeverria Field

References

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
• Thole, Lou (1999). Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now, Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub .
• Military Airfields in World War II – Arizona
• Marana Arizona Airport History
• History of Ernest A. Love Field
• Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields

External links

• AerospaceArchaeology
• World War II Arizona Army Air Fields, Aircraft Wrecks and Internment Camps. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2012.