The Kingsville Outlying Landing Fields in Corpus Christi, Texas are a complex of over 50 naval outlying landing fields built during World War II to support navy flight training. It was decommissioned in the 1950s when demand for Navy training had diminished post-war.
During the onset of World War II, the Kingsville Outlying Landing Fields were built due to the need for naval aviators. It began consturction in 1941, and aimed to facilitate naval flight training, primarily from NAS Kingsville, NAAS Rodd Field, NAAS Cuddihy Field, and NAAS Waldron Field. In order to facilitate the construction of the naval outlying landing fields (NOLF), thousands of acres owned by the King Ranch were acquired by the U.S. Government under several leases. On 1 April, 1941, the U.S. Government acquired 2,140 non-contiguous acres under lease number NOd-2005 from the King Ranch, allowing multiple NOLFs to be built. Each site would have encompassed 250 acres. These NOLFs primarily serviced emergency landings, refueling, bombing and gunnery operations. Each site was equipped with drainage, perimeter fencing, and sometimes a shelter house and observation hut.
The Kingsville Naval Outlying Landing Fields were primarily used for touch-and-go landings by naval pilots. Additionally, these fields would serve a dual function by acting as a target for radio-controlled rocket strafing and bombings. This would be guided by a bulls-eye target, lead-in target, and were typically equipped with observation huts.
At the end of World War II, the usage and demand of these NOLFs diminished. Lease NOd-2005 was terminated on 30 June, 1947, effectively deactivating every NOLF that was constructed under the lease. In the 1950s, the Government Services Administration found that most fields were surplus to the needs of the government, and subsequently began selling and returning each of these properties. However, some remained as a navy bombing target. Today, there are no more fields left operational, with every site returned to cultivation for agriculture and cattle grazing.
Many of these airfields either used a circular landing mat measuring 450 meters in diameter, or a similar fan-shaped circular landing mat with 4 extended runways. Airfields also used 8 runways in a star-shaped format, which could accommodate landing and takeoffs from any wind directions. At-least 7 fields had used this method, and was also used in other airfields outside of the complex. Smaller fields did not have a paved landing pad, and rather used a rudimentary grass field. Sometimes, a Naval Outer Landing Field was constructed parallel to an existing field, essentially being referred to as a twin airfield. The NOLFs were originally designated by the Bureau of Aeronautics, and field numbers were assigned later onwards.
Seven of these outlying fields were assigned to NAAS Cuddihy Field. Eight of these outlying fields were assigned to NAAS Rodd Field.