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 ...

, the

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 ...

(USAAF) established numerous airfields in

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...

or the

Army Air Forces Training Command The United States Army Air Forces during World War II had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Cor ...

(AAFTC). However the other USAAF support commands (including Air Technical Service Command (ATSC)) commanded airfields in support roles. In addition to AAF airfields, Dugway Army Air Field was established at

Dugway Proving Ground Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) is a United States Army facility established in 1942 to test biological and chemical weapons, located about southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah and south of the Utah Test and Training Range. Location Dugway Provin ...

, which had been established by the

Chemical Warfare Service The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against and using chemical weapon, chemical, biological agent, biological, radiological weapon, radiological, and nuclear weapon, nuclear (Chemical, biological, r ...

to test chemical attacks and defences. It is now

Michael Army Airfield Michael Army Airfield (MAAF) is a military airport located at the Dugway Proving Ground and owned by the United States Army. It is west of the proving grounds barracks at Dugway, Tooele County, Utah, United States. Overview Michael Army Airf ...

. Many of the airfields were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

installations and were front-line bases during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

Major Airfields

Air Technical Service Command * Hill Field, ClearfieldMueller, pp. 237-242 : Ogden Air Depot, 12 January 1939-3 January 1955 : 482nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron, 2 January 1943-1 April 1944 : 4135th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 April 1944-28 August 1948 : Now

Hill Air Force Base Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force (USAF) base located in Davis County, Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adja ...

:: Hinckley Field,

Ogden Ogden may refer to: Places Canada *Ogden, Calgary, in Calgary, Alberta *Ogden, Quebec, a small municipality in the Eastern Townships * Ogdensville, British Columbia or Ogden City, alternate names for gold rush-era Seymour Arm, British Columbia *Og ...

:: Sub-base of Hill AAF :: Now: Ogden-Hinckley Airport Army Air Forces Training Command *

Kearns Army Air Base Kearns Army Air Base was a U.S. Army Air Base southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. It served in many roles. Despite being referred to as air base, it had no runways and no airplanes could land near there. It was not associated with Salt Lake Cit ...

: Army Air Forces Replacement Training Center/Army Air Forces Basic Training Center No.5, 1 May 1942-30 September 1943 : Army Air Forces Overseas Replacement Depot, 20 July 1942-30 April 1944 : Assigned to Second Air Force, 1 October 1943 : 363rd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron, 1 October 1943-24 March 1944 : Operational airfield of Kearns Army Air Base (AAFTC) : Now

South Valley Regional Airport South Valley Regional Airport , formerly (FAA LID: U42), is a public airport located in West Jordan, southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Originally named Municipal Airport No. 2, construction began July 8, 1941, and it opened ar ...

* Salt Lake City AAB/APT,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt ...

: Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport as freight terminal : Now:

Salt Lake City International Airport Salt Lake City International Airport is a joint civil-military international airport located about west of Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The airport, along with the much smaller Provo Airport (PVU) and Ogden–Hinckley Airpo ...

* Wendover Field,

Wendover, Utah Wendover is a city on the western edge of Tooele County, Utah, Tooele County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,115 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Description Wendover is on the western border of Utah and is contiguous ...

: Was:

Wendover Air Force Base Wendover Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Utah now known as Wendover Airport. During World War II, it was a training base for B-17 and B-24 bomber crews. It was the training site of the 509th Composite Group, the ...

(1947-1965) : Now: Wendover Airport :: Auxiliary fields: (Delle AF Aux , Knolls CAA , Low Flight Strip) ::: Note: Delle was reported to have had an "asterisk" type layout, runways under 2000' in length. Aux to Wendover AAF and to Salt Lake City AAB. Later taken over by a private person and some remains can be seen. Two of the runways were paved by the new owner and can be seen still. It has been reported that occasionally aircraft have been seen there, assume private and uncharted and unlisted. No other data on this field exists. Status assumed closed. ::: Note: Knolls was a 3000x3000' all way field; clay. used by Wendover as an Aux for light aircraft (e.g.L4). Some indications that a few P-47 ops took place as well

References

* * * * Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub .

External links

Military Airfields in World War II - Utah
{{DEFAULTSORT:Utah World War Ii Army Airfields 01 Military history of Utah Formerly Used Defense Sites in Utah

WWII 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 ...