Kansas World War II army airfields

During World War II, Kansas was a major United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Kansas was favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions. The sparsely populated land made ideal locations for gunnery, bombing, and training ranges.

Kansas World War II army airfields
Part of World War II
Coffeyville AAF Dodge City AAF Fairfax AAF Garden City AAF Herington AAF Independence AAF Liberal AAF Marshall AAF Pratt AAF Sherman AAF Smoky Hill AAF Strother AAF Topeka AAF Walker AAF Wichita AAF Map Of Kansas World War II army airfields
Type	Army airfields
Site information
Controlled by	United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built	1940–1944
In use	1940–present

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	Command	Mission	Location	Coordinates	Notes
Coffeyville Army Airfield Coffeyville Municipal Airport	Army Air Forces Training Command Third Air Force	Phase 2 Basic flying training Reconnaissance Pilot Training	Coffeyville	37°05′39″N 095°34′19″W	Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants (1942–1944), F-5 Lightnings, and F-10 Mitchells (1944–1945) Closed 1945. Now Coffeyville Municipal Airport (CFV).
Dodge City Army Airfield	Army Air Forces Training Command	Specialized 2-Engine flying training school (B-26 Marauders)	Dodge City	37°47′53″N 100°07′00″W	Originally trained Royal Air Force and Free French pilots in basic flight training. Became B-26 Marauder training base. In addition, was a training facility for Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). Closed 1945. Now abandoned.
Fairfax Army Airfield Fairfax Airport	Air Technical Service Command Air Transport Command	B-25 Mitchell manufacturing	Fairfax	39°08′53″N 094°35′58″W	Manufactured 1/2 of all B-25's built during World War II (B-25D, B-25J). ATSC modification center; ATC ferrying base for new aircraft; transport hub on mid-America transport route. After the war it became GM Buick assembly plant; manufactured F-84F Thunderstreaks during the 1950s. Airport closed on April 1, 1985.
Garden City Army Airfield Garden City Regional Airport	Army Air Forces Training Command Air Technical Service Command	Phase 2 Basic flying training Aircraft storage depot	Garden City	37°55′39″N 100°43′28″W	Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants. Also AT-17 (UC-78) advance training beginning in 1943. Closed 1944 and became aircraft storage depot until 1946. Now Garden City Regional Airport (GCK).
Great Bend Army Airfield Great Bend Municipal Airport	Second Air Force	B-29 Superfortress bomber training	Great Bend	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. Also used legacy B-17Fs for pilot training. Closed 1945. Now Great Bend Municipal Airport (GBD).
Herington Army Airfield Herington Regional Airport	Second Air Force	Unit staging base	Herington	38°41′41″N 096°48′29″W	Processed B-24 Liberator; later B-29 Superfortress aircrews prior to overseas deployment Closed October 1945. Now Herington Regional Airport (HRU).
Independence Army Airfield Independence Municipal Airport (Kansas)	Army Air Forces Training Command Air Technical Service Command	Phase 2 Basic flying training Aircraft storage depot	Independence	38°41′41″N 096°48′29″W	Aircraft operated North American BT-14 Yale. Closed 1945 and became aircraft storage depot until 1947. Now Independence Municipal Airport (IDP).
Liberal Army Airfield Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport	Second Air Force	B-24 Liberator Basic Training School	Liberal	37°02′39″N 100°57′36″W	Closed 1945. Now Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport (LBL).
Marshall Army Airfield	Third Air Force	Used by Fort Riley for light observation aircraft	Fort Riley	39°03′09″N 096°45′52″W	Later Marshall AFB under ConAC. Turned over to Army in 1950. Still active under United States Army jurisdiction (FRI).
Pratt Army Airfield Pratt Regional Airport	Second Air Force	B-29 Superfortress bomber training	Pratt	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 Regional Airport (PTT).
Sherman Army Airfield	Third Air Force	Used by Fort Leavenworth for light observation aircraft	Fort Leavenworth	39°22′06″N 096°54′53″W	Later Sherman AFB under ConAC. Turned over to Army in 1953. Still active under United States Army jurisdiction operated as joint military-civil use airport for light aircraft (FLV).
Smoky Hill Army Airfield Schilling Air Force Base Salina Regional Airport	Second Air Force 15th Air Force SAC 3/21/1946 Strategic Air Command	B-29 Superfortress bomber training SAC B-47/ICBM Base	Salina	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. Major Strategic Air Command base during the early Cold War Era (1951–1965). Now Salina Regional Airport (SLN).
Strother Army Air Field Strother Field	Army Air Forces Training Command II Fighter Command	Phase 2 Basic flying training Advanced Fighter Training	Winfield	37°10′07″N 097°02′15″W	Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants. Later P-47D Thunderbolts. Closed 1945. Now Strother Field (WLD).
Topeka Army Airfield Forbes Air Force Base Forbes Field Air National Guard Base	Second Air Force Strategic Air Command Tactical Air Command	B-29 Superfortress bomber training SAC Bomber/ICBM Base/TAC Airlift base Kansas Air National Guard	Topeka	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 with KC-135.
Walker Army Airfield	Second Air Force	B-29 Superfortress bomber training	Walker	38°53′40″N 099°06′05″W	B-29 replacement aircrew training base. Closed 1945. Now abandoned.
Wichita Army Airfield McConnell Air Force Base	Air Technical Service Command Air Transport Command Strategic Air Command Air Mobility Command	B-29 Superfortress manufacturing SAC Bomber/ICBM Base Refueling tanker base	Wichita	37°37′23″N 097°16′02″W	Boeing B-29 Superfortress manufacturing during World War II; ATSC modification center; ATC ferrying base for new aircraft; transport hub on mid-America transport route. Later B-47 manufacturing facility during the 1950s. Major SAC base with B-52/KC-135 and Titan II followed by B-1B until 1992; now AMC KC-135 tanker base.

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. 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 (Schilling AFB, Forbes AFB). In the 1960s and early 1970s, the active duty Air Force presence was withdrawn and were turned over to the local communities for redevelopment while retaining military cantonment areas for the Air National Guard. Both are still in use by the Kansas Air National Guard, the former for transient military aircraft operations and operation of an adjacent ANG-controlled bombing range, the latter as a tanker base for KC-135 aircraft.

Wichita Army Airfield (now McConnell Air Force Base) is located at the site of Wichita's original municipal airport, which shared a runway with the Boeing Aircraft Wichita facility. Boeing produced 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 as Wichita Municipal Airport. It was reacquired by the United States Air Force in 1951 and became McConnell AFB.

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.
• Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.

External links

• World War II Military Airfields including Auxiliaries and Support fields