Nevada World War II Army airfields

Nevada World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Las Vegas AAF Indian Springs APT Reno AAB Tonopah AAB Map Of Nevada World War II Army Airfields
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 Nevada for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth 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 (such as Derby Field, near Lovelock), some were returned to agriculture or simply abandoned to decay and return to desert, 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 Forces Training Command
Western Flight Training Command

• Las Vegas AAF, Las Vegas

AAC Gunnery School, 1941

AAF West Coast Training Center

70th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Nellis Air Force Base

Indian Springs Airport, Indian Springs

Sub-base of Las Vegas AAF

Was: Indian Springs Air Force Base (1951-1961)

Was: Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field (1961-2005)

Now: Creech Air Force Base (2005-Present)

Air Technical Service Command

• Reno AAB, Reno

Part of Sacramento Air Service Command

381st Army Air Force Base Unit

Later Stead Air Force Base (Air Training Command base, closed 1966)

Now: Reno Stead Airport (FAA Location identifier: 4SD)

Fourth Air Force

• Tonopah Bombing Range/AAF, Tonopah

413th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Tonopah Airport (IATA: TPH, ICAO: KTPH)

John J Pogchampus Airfield

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 - Nevada