South Carolina World War II Army Airfields

Part of World War II

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Map Of Major South Carolina World War II Army Airfields

Third Air Force  AAF Training Command
AAF Contract Flying Schools
Multiple Commands

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 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). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) and Air Transport Command (ATC) maintained a large base in Charleston.

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

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### Multiple Commands

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* Charleston Army Airfield, 10.6 miles (17.1 km) northwest of Charleston

421st Base HQ and Air Base Squadron
Initially: Air Technical Service Command (29th Air Base Group, Distribution Point #2)
Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (16th Antisubmarine Squadron)
Later: Transferred to: First Air Force (113th AAF Base Unit)
Later: Transferred to: Air Transport Command (593d AAF Base Unit)
Later: Charleston Air Force Base (1952-2010)
Now:  Joint Base Charleston (2010-Present) (IATA: CHS, ICAO: KCHS, FAA LID: CHS)

### Third Air Force

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* Aiken Army Airfield, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-northeast of Aiken

Sub-base of: Morris Army Airfield, North Carolina
359th Army Air Force Base Unit
Later: Aiken Air Force Station (1955-1975)
Now: Aiken Municipal Airport (IATA: AIK, ICAO: KAIK, FAA LID: AIK)

* Columbia Army Air Base, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) southwest of Columbia

309th/329th Bombardment Group, 329th AAF Base Unit
Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
Later: Transferred to First Air Force
129th Army Air Force Base Unit
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Barnwell Army Airfield
Johns Island Army Airfield
North Army Airfield
Walterboro Army Airfield
Now: Columbia Metropolitan Airport (IATA: CAE, ICAO: KCAE, FAA LID: CAE)

* Greenville Army Airbase, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) south of Greenville

Later: Transferred to First Air Force
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Coronaca Army Airfield
Anderson Auxiliary Field
Later: Donaldson Air Force Base (1947-1963)
Now: Donaldson Center Airport (IATA: GDC, ICAO: KGYH, FAA LID: GYH)

* Congaree Army Airfield, 14.5 miles (23.3 km) east-southeast of Columbia

Later: Transferred to: United States Marine Corps
Now:  McEntire Joint National Guard Base (IATA: MMT, ICAO: KMMT, FAA LID: MMT)

* Florence Army Airfield, 2.3 miles (3.7 km) east-southeast of Florence

Later: Transferred to First Air Force
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Hartsville Army Airfield
Hartsville Auxiliary Field
Now: Florence Regional Airport (IATA: FLO, ICAO: KFLO, FAA LID: FLO) i

* Myrtle Beach General Bombing and Gunnery Range, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west-southwest of Myrtle Beach

Later: Myrtle Beach Army Airfield
519th Army Air Force Base Unit
Later: Transferred to First Air Force
136th Army Air Force Base Unit
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Ocean Drive Flight Strip
Later: Myrtle Beach Air Force Base (1956-1993)
Now: Myrtle Beach International Airport (IATA: MYR, ICAO: KMYR, FAA LID: MYR)

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### AAF Training Command

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Eastern Flight Training Center

* Shaw Army Airfield, 8.4 miles (13.5 km) west-northwest of Sumter

Army Air Force Flying School (Basic)
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Burt Gin Auxiliary Field
Rembert Auxiliary Field
Monaghan Auxiliary Field
Sumter Municipal Airport
Now:  Shaw Air Force Base (IATA: SSC, ICAO: KSSC, FAA LID: SSC)

#### AAF Contract Flying Schools

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* Greenville Municipal Airport, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of Greenville

Southern Airways Contract Glider Pilot Training School (1941-1943)
Later: Transferred to: Air Technical Service Command (1943-1945)
529th Army Air Force Base Unit
Joint Civil/USAAF Use
Now: Greenville Downtown Airport (IATA: GMU, ICAO: KGMU, FAA LID: GMU)

* Palmer Field, 2.8 miles (4.5 km) west of Bennettsville

Georgia Air Service, Inc & Southeastern Air Service, Inc.
Now: Marlboro County Jetport (IATA: BTN, ICAO: KBBP, FAA LID: BBP)

* Hawthorne School of Aeronautics, 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Orangeburg

Free French Air Force pilot training
58th Flying Training Detachment
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Jennings Auxiliary Field
Hagood Auxiliary Field
Kennedy Auxiliary Field
Now: Non-aviation use

* Woodward Field Airport, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northeast of Camden

(IATA: CDN, ICAO: KCDN, FAA LID: CDN)
Southern Aviation School

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## Minor Airfields

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* Chinquapin Airport, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of Greenwood

Preflight cadet pilot screening
Now: Non-aviation use

* Columbia Municipal Airport, 3.1 miles (5.0 km) southeast of Columbia

Used for training of observation pilots (3d AF); supported Fort Jackson; US Navy use.
Now: Jim Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport (IATA: CUB, ICAO: KCUB, FAA LID: CUB)

* Lane Intermediate Field (CAA Site #24), 48 miles (77 km) north of Charleston

Auxiliary fighter pilot training field
Abandoned 1983

* Manning Airfield, 1.7 miles (2.7 km) south of Allendale

Undetermined usage by AAF
Abandoned, undetermined history 33°01′13″N 081°16′58″W﻿ / ﻿33.02028°N 81.28278°W﻿ / 33.02028; -81.28278

* Roddey Airport, 1.9 miles (3.1 km) south-southwest of Rock Hill

Likely Emergency landing airfield
Abandoned approx 1965. 34°54′02″N 081°02′33″W﻿ / ﻿34.90056°N 81.04250°W﻿ / 34.90056; -81.04250

* Spartanburg Memorial Airport, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) south-southwest of Spartanburg

Joint Civil/USAAF airfield; supported Army Camp Croft Infantry Replacement Training Center
Transferred to: United States Navy 1943
(IATA: SPA, ICAO: KSPA, FAA LID: SPA)

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## References

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This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

* 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 - South Carolina

## External links

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Army Air Forces Training Command

Flying training|

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Specialized schools|

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Technical training|

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USAAF First Air Force in World War II

Airfields|

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Units|

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Wings|

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* 460th Bombardment
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Combat Cargo|

* 1st Combat Cargo
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Fighter|

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Reconnaissance|

* 26th Reconnaissance
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Troop Carrier|

* 10th Troop Carrier
* 60th Troop Carrier
* 61st Troop Carrier
* 62d Troop Carrier
* 63d Troop Carrier
* 89th Troop Carrier
* 313th Troop Carrier
* 314th Troop Carrier
* 315th Troop Carrier
* 316th Troop Carrier
* 317th Troop Carrier
* 349th Troop Carrier
* 375th Troop Carrier
* 403d Troop Carrier
* 433d Troop Carrier
* 434th Troop Carrier
* 435th Troop Carrier
* 436th Troop Carrier
* 437th Troop Carrier
* 438th Troop Carrier
* 439th Troop Carrier
* 440th Troop Carrier
* 441st Troop Carrier
* 442d Troop Carrier

Other|

* 1st Search Attack
* 477th Composite

Incidents|

* Freeman Field Mutiny

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United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force in World War II

Units|

| Commands|

* II Air Support Command
* III Air Support Command
* III Bomber Command
* III Fighter Command
* III Reconnaissance Command
* III Tactical Air Command

|

Divisions|

* III Tactical Air Division

Wings|

* 8th Fighter Wing
* 9th Fighter Wing
* 40th Bombardment Wing

Groups|

| Air Commando|

* 2nd Air Commando
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|

Bombardment|

* 3rd Bombardment
* 12th Bombardment
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* 99th Bombardment
* 100th Bombardment
* 309th Bombardment
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* 312th Bombardment
* 319th Bombardment
* 320th Bombardment
* 321st Bombardment
* 322d Bombardment
* 323d Bombardment
* 335th Bombardment
* 336th Bombardment
* 340th Bombardment
* 344th Bombardment
* 345th Bombardment
* 386th Bombardment
* 387th Bombardment
* 391st Bombardment
* 394th Bombardment
* 396th Bombardment
* 397th Bombardment
* 409th Bombardment
* 410th Bombardment
* 411th Bombardment
* 416th Bombardment
* 417th Bombardment
* 418th Bombardment
* 451st Bombardment
* 454th Bombardment
* 463rd Bombardment
* 483rd Bombardment
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Fighter|

* 20th Fighter
* 31st Fighter
* 49th Fighter
* 50th Fighter
* 53rd Fighter
* 54th Fighter
* 56th Fighter
* 59th Fighter
* 79th Fighter
* 80th Fighter
* 81st Fighter
* 84th Fighter
* 85th Fighter
* 311th Fighter
* 332nd Fighter
* 337th Fighter
* 338th Fighter
* 339th Fighter
* 361st Fighter
* 369th Fighter
* 372nd Fighter
* 404th Fighter
* 405th Fighter
* 408th Fighter
* 414th Fighter
* 506th Fighter

Fighter-Bomber|

* 27th Fighter-Bomber
* 48th Fighter-Bomber
* 86th Fighter-Bomber
* 406th Fighter-Bomber
* 407th Fighter-Bomber

Reconnaissance|

* 2d Reconnaissance
* 9th Reconnaissance
* 10th Reconnaissance
* 26th Reconnaissance
* 65th Reconnaissance
* 67th Reconnaissance
* 68th Reconnaissance
* 69th Reconnaissance
* 70th Reconnaissance
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* 423d Reconnaissance
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