Alabama World War II Army Airfields

Alabama World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Map Of Major Alabama World War II Army Airfields   Third Air Force     AAF Training Command   AAF Contract Flying Schools  Air Technical Service Command
Type	Army Airfields
Site history
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-Present

Official US Army Air Force Training Command photograph of 20 Tuskegee Airmen posing in front of a plane; Tuskegee Army Air Field.

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Alabama for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of AAF 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

• Demopolis Army Air Field, 8 miles (13 km) west-southwest of Demopolis

Detachment, 39th Army Air Force Base Unit

Auxiliary of Key Field, Mississippi

Now: Demopolis Municipal Airport (ICAO: KDYA, FAA Location identifier: DYA, formerly7A2)

AAF Training Command

Eastern Flight Training Center

• Courtland Army Air Field, 1-mile (1.6 km) southwest of Courtland

446th Army Air Force Base Unit

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Danville Auxiliary Field

Trinity Auxiliary Field

Bay Auxiliary Field

Leighton Auxiliary Field

Muscle Shoals Auxiliary Field

Now: Courtland Airport (FAA Location identifier: 9A4)

• Craig Field, 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Selma

57th Army Air Force Base Unit

Free French Air Force pilot training

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Anniston Army Air Field

Selma Municipal Airport (Selfield)

Furniss Auxiliary Field

Henderson Auxiliary Field

Mollette Auxiliary Field

Autaugaville Auxiliary Field

Later: Craig Air Force Base (1947-1977)

Now: Craig Field Airport (IATA: SEM, ICAO: KSEM, FAA Location identifier: SEM)

• Gunter Field, 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Montgomery

58th Army Air Force Base Unit

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

McLemore Auxiliary Field

Elmore Auxiliary Field

Mount Meigs Auxiliary Field

Taylor Field

Dannelly Auxiliary Field

Now: Montgomery Air National Guard Base and Montgomery Regional Airport

Deatsville Auxiliary Field

Now: Gunter Annex (Non-flying USAF facility)

• Maxwell Field, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Montgomery

Headquarters, Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics

Headquarters, Air University

14th Army Air Force Base Unit

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Passmore Auxiliary Field

Troy Auxiliary Field

Autaugaville Auxiliary Field

Now: Maxwell Air Force Base (IATA: MXF, ICAO: KMXF, FAA Location identifier: MXF)

• Napier Field, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Dothan

73d Army Air Force Base Unit

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Ozark Army Air Field

Now: Cairns Army Airfield

Wiksburg Auxiliary Field

Dothan Auxiliary Field

Headland Auxiliary Field

Goldberg Auxiliary Field

Hyman Auxiliary Field

Now: Dothan Regional Airport (IATA: DHN, ICAO: KDHN, FAA Location identifier: DHN)

• Tuskegee Army Air Field, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Tuskegee

318th Army Air Force Base Unit

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Griel Auxiliary Field

Shorter Auxiliary Field

Note: See Moton Field for Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

Now: Sharpe Field (IATA: TGE, FAA Location identifier: AL73)

Contract Flying Schools

• Bates Field, 10 miles (16 km) west of Mobile

533d Army Air Force Base Unit

Under Contact to: Waterman Airlines

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

St Elmo Auxiliary Field

Later: Sub-Base of Brookley Field (ATC)

Now: Mobile Regional Airport (IATA: MOB, ICAO: KMOB, FAA Location identifier: MOB) and

Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile

• Decatur Field, 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Decatur

Under Contact to: Southern Airways

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Harris Station Auxiliary Field

Anderson Auxiliary Field

Beaver Dam Auxiliary Field

Poole Auxiliary Field

Tanner Auxiliary Field

Now: Pryor Field Regional Airport (IATA: DCU, ICAO: KDCU, FAA Location identifier: DCU)

• Roberts Field Airport, 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Birmingham

Contract Glider Training

Later: Auxiliary of Birmingham Army Air Field (ATC)

Now: Industrial site 33°31′05″N 086°52′23″W

• Hargrove Van de Graaft Airport, 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Tuscaloosa

Free French Air Force pilot training

Operated by 51st Flying Training Group, Greenville Army Air Field, Mississippi

Under Contract to: Alabama Institute of Aeronautics

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Albright Auxiliary Field

Foster Auxiliary Field

Knauer Auxiliary Field

Moody Auxiliary Field

Rice Auxiliary Field

Now: Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (IATA: TCL, ICAO: KTCL, FAA Location identifier: TCL)

• Moton Field, 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Tuskegee

Operated by Tuskegee Army Air Field

Under contract to Tuskegee Institute

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Calabee Flight Strip

Hardaway Auxiliary Field

Kennedy Auxiliary Field

Now: Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

Now: Moton Field Municipal Airport (FAA Location identifier: 06A)

Air Technical Service Command

• Birmingham Army Air Field, 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Birmingham

310th Army Air Force Base Unit

Joint USAAF/Civil Use

Also used by Third Air Force and Air Transport Command

Now: Birmingham Air National Guard Base (IATA: BHM, ICAO: KBHM, FAA Location identifier: BHM)

• Brookley Field, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Mobile.

HQ United States Army Air Corps Mobile Air Service Command

480th Army Air Force Base Unit

Also used by Air Transport Command

Was: Brookley Air Force Base (1948-1969)

Now: Mobile Downtown Airport (IATA: BFM, ICAO: KBFM, FAA Location identifier: BFM)

Minor Airfields

• Camp Silbert Army Airfield, 5 miles (8.0 km) west-southwest of Gadsden

US Army Support

Now: Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (IATA: GAD, ICAO: KGAD, FAA Location identifier: GAD)

• Fort McClellan Army Air Field, 6 miles (9.7 km) north-northeast of Anniston

US Army Support

Now: Abandoned

• Huntsville Arsenal Army Air Field, 6 miles (9.7 km) southwest of Huntsville

US Army Support

Now: Redstone Army Airfield (IATA: HUA, ICAO: KHUA, FAA Location identifier: HUA)

• Chilton CAA Intermediate Field, 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Clanton

Undetermined USAAF Use

Now: Chilton County Airport (FAA Location identifier: 02A)

• Thomas C. Russell Field, 2 miles (3.2 km) south-southwest of Alexander

Undetermined USAAF Use

• Weedon Field, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-northeast of Eufaula

Undetermined USAAF Use

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• 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 - Alabama

}}