Indiana World War II Army Airfields

Indiana World War II Army Airfields
Indiana World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
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 Indiana for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

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

Troop Carrier Command

Baer Army Air Base, Fort Wayne

I Troop Carrier Group

45th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now:

Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station (IATA: FWA, ICAO: KFWA, FAA LID: FWA)

Stout Army Air Field, Indianapolis

Headquarters, Troop Carrier Command, Glider Ferrying & Pickup facility

I Troop Carrier Group

362d Army Air Force Base Unit

Used by Indiana Air National Guard until 1961. Now closed and part of urbanized Indianapolis area

Air Transport Command

Bendix Field AAF, South Bend

Now: South Bend Regional Airport (IATA: SBN, ICAO: KSBN, FAA LID: SBN)

Air Technical Service Command

Evansville MAP, Evansville

Now: Evansville Regional Airport (IATA: EVV, ICAO: KEVV, FAA LID: EVV)

Freeman Army Airfield, Seymour

Southeast Training Center

447th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Freeman Municipal Airport (IATA: SER, ICAO: KSER, FAA LID: ESER)

Army Air Force Training Command

Atterbury Army Airfield, Columbus

Sub-base of George AAF, Illinois (now: Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport (IATA: LWV, ICAO: KLWV, FAA LID: LWV))

304th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Columbus Municipal Airport (IATA: CLU, ICAO: KBAK, FAA LID: BAK)

Other

Note: Bunker Hill Air Force Base / later Grissom Air Force Base, now Grissom Air Reserve Base, was a United States Navy airfield known as Naval Air Station Bunker Hill during World War II.

References

Brooks, David W. (November 19, 2011). "Military Airfields in WW2". Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 1-47768-565-0.
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.