Tennessee World War II Army Airfields

Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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); 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

Army Air Force Training Command
AAF Southeast Training Center

• Nashville AAC, Nashville (Non-Flying Facility)

Aviation Cadet Classification Center

526th Army Air Force Base Unit

Eastern Flying Training Command

• Smyrna AAF, Smyrna, Tennessee

313th Army Air Force Base Unit

Was: Sewart AAF until 1947, then Sewart Air Force Base (1947-1971)

Now: Smyrna Airport and Army Aviation Support Facility #1, Tennessee Army National Guard

William Northern Field, Tullahoma

Sub-base of Smyrna AAF

343d Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Tullahoma Regional Airport

Air Transport Command

• Memphis AAF, Memphis

4th Ferrying Group

Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport/US Navy

346th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Memphis International Airport and Memphis Air National Guard Base

• Berry Field/Nashville Municipal Airport, Nashville, Tennessee

20th Ferrying Group

Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport

508th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now Nashville International Airport and Berry Field Air National Guard Base

Third Air Force

• Dyersburg Army Air Base, Halls, Tennessee

B-17/B-24 Pilot training facility

346th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy

419th Army Air Force Base Unit

451st Bombardment Group, Heavy

Reopened as Arnold Field (Tennessee)

References

• 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 - Tennessee