South Carolina World War II Army Airfields

Infobox Military Structure
name=South Carolina World War II Army Airfields
partof = World War II
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type=Army Airfields
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built=1940-1944
builder=
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used= 1940-Present
demolished=
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events=During World War II, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) established numerous airfields in South Carolina for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and 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

Third Air Force
* Columbia Army Air Base, Cayce: 96th Army Air Force Base Unit
* Congaree AAF, Eastover: 424th Army Air Force Base Unit: Now:
* Greenville AAF, Greenville: 342d Army Air Force Base Unit: Was: Donaldson Air Force Base (1947-1963)
* Florence AAF, Florence: 407th Army Air Force Base Unit
* Myrtle Beach AAF/Bombing Range, Myrtle Beach: 519th Army Air Force Base Unit: Was: Myrtle Beach Air Force Base (1956-1993)
* Shaw Field, Sumter: 77th Army Air Force Base Unit: Now:
* Walterboro AAF, Walterboro: 536th Army Air Force Base UnitAir Transport Command
* Charleston AAF, Charleston: 421st Army Air Force Base Unit: Now:

Army Technical Service Command
* Greenville Municipal Airport, Greenville: Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport: 529th Army Air Force Base Unit

Army Air Force Training Command
AAF Southeast Training Center
* Hawthorne AAF/Orangeburg Municipal Airport, Orangeburg: Joint use USAAF/Contract Flying School, Operated by Hawthorne School of Aeronautics

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
* Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1575100517
* [http://www.airfieldsdatabase.com/WW2/WW2.htm Military Airfields in World War II - Souh Carolina]

External links