United States Army Air Forces in the Central Pacific Area

Airfields of the United States Army Air Force in the Central Pacific Area
Part of World War II
Date 1942-1945 Location Central Pacific Area of World War II Result Allied victory over the Empire of Japan (1945)

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the Empire of Japan in the Central Pacific Area. As defined by the War Department, this consisted of most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands, excluding the Philippines, Australia, the Netherlands East Indies, the Territory of New Guinea (including the Bismarck Archipelago) the Solomon Islands and areas to the south and east of the Solomons.

The initial USAAF combat organization in the region was Seventh Air Force, which was originally formed in Hawaii as the Army Air defense command for the islands. After the Pearl Harbor Attack on 7 December 1941, Seventh Air Force retained the mission of its predecessor of the defense of the Hawaiian Islands and until the closing months of the war it maintained its headquarters at Hickam Field. The command however, deployed most of its combat units to the Central Pacific.

As the war progressed, some Seventh Air Force units moved into the South West Pacific theatre and coordinated their activities with Fifth and Thirteenth Air Force units in New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies and Philippines during 1944 and 1945.

In 1944, Twentieth Air Force was reassigned from the China Burma India Theater to bases in the Marianas chain of islands, consisting primarily of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. The Marianas airfields were considered as being ideal bases from which to launch B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan. The islands were about 1500 miles from Tokyo, a range which the B-29s could just about manage. Most important of all, they could be put on a direct supply line from western United States ports by ship.

Seventh Air Force operations focused on supporting Army and Naval forces in the tactical campaigns against Japanese forces in the Central Pacific, while Twentieth Air Force performed strategic bombing missions directly against the Japanese home islands.

Airfields and unit assignments

• Abemama Airfield, Abemama, Gilbert Islands

0°29′27″N 173°49′43″E

Seventh Air Force

30th Bombardment Group, 4 Jan-20 Mar 1944

9th Troop Carrier Squadron, 27 Mar-4 Aug 1944

• Funafuti Airfield, Nanumea, Gilbert Islands

05°40′58.85″S 176°07′35.80″E

Seventh Air Force

Headquarters, VII Bomber Command, Nov 1943-Jan 1944

11th Bombardment Group, 9 Nov 1943-14 Jan 1944

30th Bombardment Group, 12 Nov 1943-4 Jan 1944

• Makin Airfield, Makin, Gilbert Islands

03°05′12.48″N 172°48′47.74″E

Seventh Air Force

41st Bombardment Group, 24 Apr-14 Oct 1944

• Bonriki Airfield, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands

01°22′53.89″N 173°08′49.33″E

Seventh Air Force

Headquarters, VII Bomber Command, Jan-Mar 1944

11th Bombardment Group, 14 Jan-5 Apr 1944

41st Bombardment Group, 17 Dec 1943-24 Apr 1944

• Peleliu Airfield, Peleliu

06°59′54.44″N 134°13′57.98″E

Seventh Air Force

28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 5 Oct 1944-Apr 1945

• Kwajalein Airfield, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands

08°43′12″N 167°43′54″E

Seventh Air Force

Headquarters, VII Bomber Command, Mar-Aug 1944

11th Bombardment Group, 5 Apr-25 Oct 1944

30th Bombardment Group, 20 Mar-4 Aug 1944

28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 30 Jun-24 Sep 1944

• Central Field, Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands (Japan)

24°45′46.23″N 141°18′13.29″E

Seventh Air Force

Headquarters, VII Fighter Command, 1 Mar - 1 Dec 1945

21st Fighter Group, 26 Mar-16 Jul 1945

41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 9 Aug-c. 15 Sep 1945

548th Night Fighter Squadron, 5 Mar-12 Jun 1945

549th Night Fighter Squadron, (Ground Echelon), 14 Mar 1945 - 5 Feb 1946

• North Field, Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands (Japan)

24°47′04.98″N 141°19′24.40″E

Seventh Air Force

21st Fighter Group, 16 Jul-4 Dec 1945

• East Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands

15°10′04.89″N 145°46′36.21″E

Seventh Air Force

Headquarters, Seventh Air Force, 19 Dec 1944-12 Jul 1945

Headquarters, VII Bomber Command, Aug-Jul 1944

Headquarters, VII Fighter Command, 1 Dec 1945 – 15 Apr 1946

21st Fighter Group, 4 Dec 1945-17 Apr 1946

318th Fighter Group, Jun 1944-30 Apr 1945

30th Bombardment Group, 4 Mar 1944-Feb 1945

28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 11 Jul 1944-May 1945

9th Troop Carrier Squadron, 4 Aug 1944-Jul 1946

6th Night Fighter Squadron, 21 Jun 1944 - 1 May 1945

548th Night Fighter Squadron, 15 Dec 1944-28 Jan 1945 (DET); 26 Jan-5 Mar 1945

549th Night Fighter Squadron, (Air Echelon), 20 Feb 1945 - 20 Mar 1945

• Isley Airfield, Saipan, Mariana Islands

15°07′08″N 145°43′46″E

Twentieth Air Force

Headquarters, 73d Bombardment Wing, 24 Aug 1944-20 Oct 1945

497th Bombardment Group, 17 Oct 1944-1 Nov 1945

498th Bombardment Group, 6 Sep 1944-2 Nov 1945

499th Bombardment Group, 18 Sep 1944-9 Nov 1945

500th Bombardment Group, 18 Sep 1944-21 Oct 1945

• North Field, Tinian, Mariana Islands

15°04′19.36″N 145°38′18.13″E

Twentieth Air Force

Headquarters, 313th Bombardment Wing, 24 Dec 1944-15 Mar 1946

6th Bombardment Group, 28 Dec 1944-28 Jan 1946

9th Bombardment Group, 28 Dec 1944-19 Apr 1946

504th Bombardment Group, 23 Dec 1944-6 Mar 1946

505th Bombardment Group, 19 Dec 1944-5 Mar 1946

509th Composite Group, 29 May-17 Oct 1945

• Agana Airfield, Guam, Marianas Islands

13°29′02″N 144°47′50″E

Seventh Air Force

11th Bombardment Group, 25 Oct 1944-Jul 1945

21st Fighter Group, 17 Apr-10 Oct 1946.

41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 13 Jun 1945-4 Jan 1946

• Harmon Airfield, Guam, Marianas Islands

13°32′11.94″N 144°49′19.74″E

Twentieth Air Force

Headquarters, Twentieth Air Force, 16 Jul 1945-16 May 1949

Headquarters, XXI Bomber Command, 4 Dec 1944 - 16 Jul 1945

• North Field, Guam, Mariana Islands

13°34′52″N 144°55′28″E

Twentieth Air Force

314th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jan 1945-15 Jun 1946

19th Bombardment Group, 16 Jan 1945-5 Jul 1950

29th Bombardment Group, 17 Jan 1945-20 May 1946

39th Bombardment Group, 18 Feb-17 Nov 1945

330th Bombardment Group, 18 Feb-15 Nov 1945

• Northwest Field, Guam, Mariana Islands

13°37′15.09″N 144°51′24.93″E

Twentieth Air Force

315th Bombardment Wing, 5 Apr 1945-30 May 1946

16th Bombardment Group, 14 Apr 1945-15 Apr 1946

331st Bombardment Group, 12 May 1945-15 Apr 1946

501st Bombardment Group, 14 May 1945-10 Jun 1946

502d Bombardment Group, 12 May 1945-15 Apr 1946

See Also

• United States Army Air Forces in Australia
• United States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Area
• United States Army Air Forces in the South West Pacific Theatre
• United States Army Air Forces in Okinawa

References

 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 0892010924.
• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0892010975