Kansas World War II Army Airfields
Encyclopedia
During World War II
, Kansas
was a major United States Army Air Force (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Kansas was a favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions. The sparsely populated land made ideal locations for gunnery, bombing, and training ranges.
The training that was given to the airmen stationed at these airfields gave them the skills and knowledge that enabled them to enter combat in all theaters of warfare, and enabled the Allies to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
The majority of these airfields were located in rural farmland, near small farming towns. The effect of stationing thousands of airmen brought the reality of war to rural and small town Kansas. In addition to providing training for servicemen, the air bases provided jobs for many civilians. Civilians were employed in maintenance, repair, and secretarial work.
Marshall AAF is located at Fort Riley
. It is still in use by the United States Army
as a military airfield and is not open to the public.
Sherman AAF is located at Fort Leavenworth
. Although the airfield is within the confines of a United States Army post and is still used by the military, it has agreement with the city of Leavenworth to permit civilian use at all hours.
Smoky Hill AAF and Topeka AAF became major United States Air Force
Strategic Air Command
(SAC) bases (Shilling AFB
, Forbes AFB). In the 1960s and early 1970s they were taken off active duty and were turned over to the local communities for redevelopment. Both are still in use by the Air National Guard
.
McConnell AFB
was not an active USAAF installation during World War II. It is located at the site of Wichita
's original municipal airport, which shared a runway with the Boeing Aircraft Wichita facility
. Boeing produced B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-29 Superfortresses at Wichita, and the USAAF Air Materiel Command
took over control of the airport in 1942 to accept, service and coordinate the transfer of newly-produced aircraft to other installations. It was returned to civilian jurisdiction in 1946. Wichita Municipal Airport was acquired by the United States Air Force
in 1951, and it eventually became McConnell AFB.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
was a major United States Army Air Force (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Kansas was a favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions. The sparsely populated land made ideal locations for gunnery, bombing, and training ranges.
The training that was given to the airmen stationed at these airfields gave them the skills and knowledge that enabled them to enter combat in all theaters of warfare, and enabled the Allies to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
The majority of these airfields were located in rural farmland, near small farming towns. The effect of stationing thousands of airmen brought the reality of war to rural and small town Kansas. In addition to providing training for servicemen, the air bases provided jobs for many civilians. Civilians were employed in maintenance, repair, and secretarial work.
Major Airfields
| USAAF Name Current Name |
Mission | Host Unit | Location | Coordinates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffeyville Army Airfield Coffeyville Municipal Airport Coffeyville Municipal Airport Coffeyville Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located four miles northeast of the central business district of Coffeyville, a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States.-History:... |
Phase 2 Basic flying training | Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II.... 47th Basic Flying Training Group |
Coffeyville Coffeyville, Kansas Coffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295... |
37°05′39"N 095°34′19"W | Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants, BT-14s and BT-15s. Closed 1945. Now Coffeyville Municipal Airport (CFV) |
| Dodge City Army Airfield Dodge City Army Airfield Dodge City Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located in Ford County, northwest of Dodge City, Kansas.-History:... |
Specialized 2-Engine flying training school | Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II.... 455th Army Air Force Base Unit |
Dodge City Dodge City, Kansas Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of... |
37°47′53"N 100°07′00"W | Originally trained Royal Air Force and Free French pilots in basic flight training. In addition was a training facility for Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs) Closed 1945. Now abandoned. |
| Fairfax Army Airfield Fairfax Airport Fairfax Airport Fairfax Airport was an airport in Kansas City, Kansas from 1921 until it closed in 1985. It is most famously associated with the construction of most of the B-25 Mitchell bombers.... |
B-25 Mitchell manufacturing | Air Technical Service Command delivery and checkout facility | Fairfax Fairfax, Kansas The Fairfax District is an industrial part of Kansas City, Kansas, United States along the Missouri River.-River Bridges:The Fairfax Bridge is a truss bridge over the Missouri River that handles southbound U.S. Route 69 from Platte County, Missouri to Wyandotte County, Kansas... |
39°08′53"N 094°35′58"W | Manufactured 2/3 of all B-25's built during war. Later became GM Buick assembly plant. Airport closed on April 1, 1985. |
| Garden City Army Airfield Garden City Regional Airport Garden City Regional Airport -History:During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces used Garden City Airport as a training airfield by the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, Gulf Coast Training Center... |
Phase 2 Basic flying training | Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II.... 49th Basic Flying Training Group |
Garden City Garden City, Kansas Garden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,658. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richardson Zoo, the largest zoological park in western Kansas.-History:In February 1878, James... |
37°55′39"N 100°43′28"W | Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants. Closed 1945. Now Garden City Regional Airport (GCK) |
| Great Bend Army Airfield Great Bend Army Airfield Great Bend Army Airfield is a closed United States Air Force base. It is located west-southwest of Great Bend, Kansas, and was closed in 1946. Today it is used as Great Bend Municipal Airport.... Great Bend Municipal Airport Great Bend Municipal Airport Great Bend Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located four nautical miles west of the central business district of Great Bend, a city in Barton County, Kansas, United States. It is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline... |
B-29 Superfortress bomber training | Second Air Force Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... 17th Bombardment Training Wing |
Great Bend Great Bend, Kansas Great Bend, named for its location at the historic big bend of the Arkansas River, is the most populous city in and the county seat of Barton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,995.-History:... |
38°20′47"N 098°51′55"W | One of three B-29 training bases in Kansas for the 58th Bombardment Wing, the first B-29 combat unit of World War II. Closed 1945. Now Great Bend Municipal Airport (GBD) |
| Herington Army Airfield Herington Regional Airport |
B-24, later B-29 Aircraft staging/modification base | Air Technical Service Command 274th Army Air Forces Base Unit |
Herington Herington, Kansas Herington is a city in Dickinson and Morris counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. Named after its founder, Monroe Davis Herington. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,526.-19th century:... |
38°41′41"N 096°48′29"W | Closed October 1945. Now Herington Regional Airport (HRU) |
| Independence Army Airfield Independence Municipal Airport (Kansas) Independence Municipal Airport (Kansas) Independence Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located southwest of the central business district of Independence, a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States.-History:... |
Phase 2 Basic flying training | Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II.... 48th Basic Flying Training Group |
Independence Independence, Kansas Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,483.-Geography:... |
38°41′41"N 096°48′29"W | Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants, BT-14s and BT-15s. Closed 1945. Now Independence Municipal Airport (IDP) |
| Liberal Army Airfield Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport |
Specialized 4-Engine flying training school (B-24, B-29) | Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II.... 2425th Army Air Force Base Unit |
Liberal Liberal, Kansas Liberal is the county seat of Seward County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,525.- History :S.S. Rogers built the first house in what would become Liberal in 1872. Rogers became famous in the region for giving water to weary travelers... |
37°02′39"N 100°57′36"W | Closed 1945. Now Liberal Mid-America Regional Airportt (LBL) |
| Marshall Army Airfield Marshall Army Airfield Marshall Army Airfield is a military airfield located on Fort Riley, Kansas. It was opened in 1921. The primary mission for MAAF is to provide fully integrated fixed base helicopter operations for the Combat Aviation Brigade.... |
Used by Fort Riley for light observation aircraft | Non-USAAF airfield | Fort Riley Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort... |
39°03′09"N 096°45′52"W | Remains under United States Army jurisdiction (FRI) |
| Pratt Army Airfield Pratt Army Airfield Pratt Army Airfield is a closed United States Air Force base. It is located north-northwest of Pratt, Kansas, and was closed in 1946. Today it is used as Pratt Regional Airport.... Pratt Regional Airport Pratt Regional Airport Pratt Regional Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles north of the central business district of Pratt, a city in Pratt County, Kansas, United States... |
B-29 Superfortress bomber training | Second Air Force Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... 17th Bombardment Training Wing |
Pratt Pratt, Kansas Pratt is a city in and the county seat of Pratt County in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,835. Pratt is home to Pratt Community College.-19th century:Pratt was founded in 1884 and named after Caleb S... |
37°42′18"N 098°45′15"W | One of three B-29 training bases in Kansas for the 58th Bombardment Wing, the first B-29 combat unit of World War II. Closed 1945. Now Pratt Industrial Airport (PTT) |
| Sherman Army Airfield Sherman Army Airfield Sherman Army Airfield is an airport located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in Leavenworth County, Kansas. Although the airport is within the confines of a United States Army Base, it has agreement with the city of Leavenworth, Kansas to permit civilian use at all hours.It derives its codes from Fort... |
Gilder Pilot Training Used by Fort Leavenworth for light observation aircraft |
Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II.... 671st School Squadron (Special) |
Fort Leavenworth | 37°05′39"N 095°34′19"W | Remains under United States Army jurisdiction, operated as joint military-civil use airport for light aircraft (FLV) |
| Smoky Hill Army Airfield Schilling Air Force Base Schilling Air Force Base Schilling Air Force Base is a former a United States Air Force Base located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Salina, a city in Saline County, Kansas, United States... Salina Municipal Airport Salina Municipal Airport Salina Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Salina, a city in Saline County, Kansas, United States. It is owned by the Salina Airport Authority.... |
B-29 Superfortress bomber training SAC B-47/ICBM Base |
Second Air Force Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... 17th Bombardment Training Wing 802d Air Division 802d Air Division The 802d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Schilling Air Force Base, Kansas... |
Salina Salina, Kansas Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas... |
38°47′40"N 097°38′45"W | One of three B-29 training bases in Kansas for the 58th Bombardment Wing, the first B-29 combat unit of World War II. Closed 1945. Major Strategic Air Command base during the early Cold War Era (1951-1965) Now Salina Municipal Airport (SLN) |
| Strother Army Air Field Strother Field Strother Field Strother Field is a public airport located in Cowley County, Kansas, five miles southwest of the central business district of Winfield and north of Arkansas City... |
Phase 2 Basic flying training Advanced Fighter Training |
Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II.... II Fighter Command |
Winfield Winfield, Kansas Winfield is a city situated along the Walnut River in the west-central part of Cowley County, located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,301... |
37°10′07"N 097°02′15"W | Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants, BT-14s and BT-15s. Later P-47 Thunderbolts Closed 1945. Now Strother Field (WLD) |
| Topeka Army Air Field Forbes Air Force Base Forbes Air Force Base Forbes Field, previously Forbes Air Force Base, is a joint-use civil-military airport operated by the Topeka Airport Authority located approximately south of Topeka, Kansas.... Forbes Field (airport) |
B-29 Superfortress bomber training SAC Bomber/ICBM Base/TAC Airlift base Kansas Air National Guard |
Second Air Force Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... 40th Bombardment Wing 313th Tactical Airlift Wing 313th Tactical Airlift Wing The 313th Tactical Airlift Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to the 834th Air Division, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas... |
Topeka Topeka, Kansas Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was... |
38°57′04"N 095°39′57"W | In continuous military use since 1941. Initially B-29 replacement aircrew training base. Later in use by SAC and TAC during Cold War. Now Kansas Air National Guard joint civil-military airport |
| Walker Army Airfield Walker Army Airfield (Kansas) Walker Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located north of Interstate 70 in Ellis County, 4 miles northeast of Victoria, Kansas.... |
B-29 Superfortress bomber training | Second Air Force Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... |
Walker Walker, Kansas Walker is an unincorporated community in Herzog Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States. Walker has a post office with ZIP code 67674. -Geography:... |
38°53′40"N 099°06′05"W | B-29 replacement aircrew training base. Closed 1945. Now abandoned |
Postwar use
After the war ended, the vast majority of these airfields were declared surplus by the USAAF and were either sold to the public or turned over to the local community. Most of them today are small, rural general aviation airports. Many World-War II era reminders remain with abandoned runways and streets, with some wartime-era buildings still in use.Marshall AAF is located at Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
. It is still in use by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as a military airfield and is not open to the public.
Sherman AAF is located at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
. Although the airfield is within the confines of a United States Army post and is still used by the military, it has agreement with the city of Leavenworth to permit civilian use at all hours.
Smoky Hill AAF and Topeka AAF became major United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) bases (Shilling AFB
Salina Municipal Airport
Salina Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Salina, a city in Saline County, Kansas, United States. It is owned by the Salina Airport Authority....
, Forbes AFB). In the 1960s and early 1970s they were taken off active duty and were turned over to the local communities for redevelopment. Both are still in use by the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
.
McConnell AFB
McConnell Air Force Base
McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. The base was named in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II...
was not an active USAAF installation during World War II. It is located at the site of Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
's original municipal airport, which shared a runway with the Boeing Aircraft Wichita facility
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
. Boeing produced B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-29 Superfortresses at Wichita, and the USAAF Air Materiel Command
Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Materiel Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. AFMC was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command....
took over control of the airport in 1942 to accept, service and coordinate the transfer of newly-produced aircraft to other installations. It was returned to civilian jurisdiction in 1946. Wichita Municipal Airport was acquired by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in 1951, and it eventually became McConnell AFB.
See also
- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
- United States Army Air Force