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Pinellas Army Airfield was a
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
installation during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, located 9.8 miles northwest of
St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...
.


History

Constructed on the site of the Pinellas County Municipal Airport, construction of the airport at its present site started in March 1941. It was established chiefly for the purpose of training newly graduated pilots in the art of combat flying. It was activated on 9 April 1942, being placed under the jurisdiction of
Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a Numbered Air Force, numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U ...
,
III Fighter Command The III Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946. History Background GHQ Air Force (GHQ, AF) had been established with two major comba ...
, and was assigned to Sarasota Army Airfield as a sub-base. The first operational flying squadron assigned to Pinellas AAF was the
304th Fighter Squadron 3 (three) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cul ...
, arriving on 30 August 1942. The 440th was equipped with
P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
s, and was assigned to the 337th Fighter Group at Sarasota AAF. During its first year of operations, the squadron also received some
P-43 Lancer The Republic P-43 Lancer was a single-engine, all-metal, low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft built by Republic, first delivered to the United States Army Air Corps in 1940. A proposed development was the P-44 Rocket. While not a particularly out ...
s for the training mission. In April 1943, the
440th Fighter Squadron 44 may refer to: * 44 (number) * one of the years 44 BC, AD 44, 1944, 2044 Military *44M Tas, a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II *44M Tas Rohamlöveg, a Hungarian tank destroyer design of World War II, derived from the 44M Tas ta ...
was moved from Sarasota AAF and became a second training squadron at Pinellas AAF. With the arrival of the 440th, both squadrons were equipped with Curtiss
P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
s as trainers. As many as 1,500 Third Army Air Force trainees, could be found at this site at any one time. Trainees received practical experience in aerial combat maneuvering, air-to-air and air-to-ground gunnery, and dive bombing techniques. On 1 May 1944, both the 304th and 440th Fighter Squadrons were inactivated as a result of the numbered training units in the Zone of the Interior (ZI) (i.e., Continental United States) being re-designated in an administrative reorganization by HQ Army Air Force. They were replaced by the Pinellas Replacement Unit (Fighter, Single-Engine), with the fighter squadrons being re-designated as "A" and "B" squadrons. Later in 1944, the P-40s were replaced by newer
P-51 Mustangs The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...
when they became available for training. On 1 October 1944, Pinellas Army Airfield stood up as a fully operational III Fighter Command Base under the control of nearby
Drew Army Airfield Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective May 15, 2025. The airpo ...
in Tampa. The mission of the base was expanded to include the III Fighter Command Gunnery School, the III Fighter Command Instructors School, and the III Fighter Command Rocket School. These new schools, in addition to the Fighter Replacement Unit, came under the command of the 341st Army Air Forces Base Unit. With the end of the European War in May 1945, the pace of training replacement pilots slowed down during the summer months. On 24 June 1945 a hurricane hit the Tampa area and training was temporarily suspended, the aircraft being evacuated out of the area. The hurricane damaged some buildings but training was resumed in a few days. Over the Independence Day holiday in July 1945, the base held its first open house, with thousands of local residents welcomed onto the base, seeing a display of fighter aircraft and other planes flown in from Third Air Force bases. Acrobatic displays of flying were performed.


Closure

With the sudden Japanese surrender in early August 1945, orders were received from III Fighter Command that training of replacement pilots was to end. Pilots already in training were allowed to complete their training, however no new trainees would arrive. By the end of August, the students were being reassigned to other bases and the number of base support personnel was being reduced at a rapid rate. In late September 1945, Headquarters, Third Air Force sent orders to Pinellas AAF announcing that the base would be inactivated as of 30 November 1945 and be transferred to
Air Technical Service Command An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...
in a standby status. Under ATSC, buildings and equipment were sold and any useful military equipment was transferred to other bases around the country. The base was declared as surplus in 1946 and was turned over to the
War Assets Administration The War Assets Administration (WAA) was created to dispose of United States government-owned surplus material and property from World War II. The WAA was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by Executive Or ...
(WAA) for disposal and return to civil use.


Current use

The airport was subsequently returned to Pinellas County. It was stipulated that the airport must continue be used as an airport for aviation purposes, and if not, that it be returned to the U.S. Government. Today, the airport is St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, a joint civil-military commercial airport that is also home to
Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater United States Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater (CGAS Clearwater) is the United States Coast Guard's largest United States Coast Guard Air Stations, air station. It is located at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in Clearwater, ...
and a U.S. Army Reserve Army Aviation Support Facility. A plaque was dedicated at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport passenger terminal in 1994 by the P-51 Fighter Pilots Association and Brigadier General James H. Howard, USAF (Ret), the only European Theater fighter pilot to be awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
in World War II and the last wartime base commander of Pinellas Army Airfield.


Major units assigned

*
304th Fighter Squadron 3 (three) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cul ...
, 30 August 1942 – 1 May 1944 *
440th Fighter Squadron 44 may refer to: * 44 (number) * one of the years 44 BC, AD 44, 1944, 2044 Military *44M Tas, a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II *44M Tas Rohamlöveg, a Hungarian tank destroyer design of World War II, derived from the 44M Tas ta ...
, 15 April 1943 – 1 May 1944 * Pinellas Replacement Training Unit (Fighter, Single Engine), 1 May 1944 – 30 September 1945 * III Fighter Command Rocket School, 1 December 1944 – 30 September 1945 * 77th Troop Carrier Squadron, 18 August 1956 – 16 November 1957 (Not equipped)


See also

*
Florida World War II Army Airfields During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Florida for antisubmarine defense in the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters, attack planes, an ...


References

* Maurer, Maurer (ed.).
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II
'.
Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...
, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1982 . * Maurer, Maurer (ed.), ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II'', History and Insignia, USAF Historical Division, Washington, DC, 1961 (reprint 1983) * 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.
World War II airfields database: Florida

AFHRA Search Pinellas Army Airfield


External links

{{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Florida Airfields of the United States Army Air Corps