| South Carolina World War II Army Airfields | |
| Ensign: | Us army air corps shield.svg |
| Ensign Size: | 50px |
| Partof: | World War II |
| Type: | Army Airfields |
| Built: | 1940-1944 |
| Used: | 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) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). 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.
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)
Sub-base of: Morris Army Airfield, North Carolina
359th Army Air Force Base Unit
Later: Aiken Air Force Station (1955-1975)
309th/329th Bombardment Group, 329th AAF Base Unit
Later: Transferred to First Air Force
129th Army Air Force Base Unit
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
Later: Transferred to First Air Force
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
Later: Donaldson Air Force Base (1947-1963)
Later: Transferred to: United States Marine Corps
Later: Transferred to First Air Force
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
Hartsville Auxiliary Field
Now: Florence Regional Airport i
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
Later: Myrtle Beach Air Force Base (1956-1993)
Eastern Flight Training Center
Army Air Force Flying School (Basic)
Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
Burt Gin Auxiliary Field
Rembert Auxiliary Field
Monaghan Auxiliary Field
Sumter Municipal Airport
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
Georgia Air Service, Inc & Southeastern Air Service, Inc.
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
Southern Aviation School
Preflight cadet pilot screening
Now: Non-aviation use
Used for training of observation pilots (3d AF); supported Fort Jackson; US Navy use.
Auxiliary fighter pilot training field
Abandoned 1983
Undetermined usage by AAF
Abandoned, undetermined history
Likely Emergency landing airfield
Abandoned approx 1965.
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)
