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The site later hosted an Air Force [[White Alice Communications System|White Alice]] telecommunication system in 1959 to 1961, and a temporary relay station in the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="doe_lm_facts" />
The site later hosted an Air Force [[White Alice Communications System|White Alice]] telecommunication system in 1959 to 1961, and a temporary relay station in the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="doe_lm_facts" />

The entire facility is covered in snow and ice during the winter months and appears to be frozen in time. Today, winter aerial imagery shows an 8'000 foot main runway (07/23), with assorted taxiways and aircraft parking ramps. Numerous aircraft revetments and taxiways are located south of the runway, with what appear to be many abandoned buildings. A 6'000 ft secondary runway (17/35) is visible at the east side of the base, connecting to additional aircraft revetments on the north side of the main runway. A large number of support roads are visible on the south side of the runway, to the south shore of the island. A third runway, 7,000' (06/22) appears on a cliff to the north side of the main, the area under the cliff to the main runway having hundreds of abandoned buildings and roads. The area north on the cliff also has hundreds of abandoned buildings, what appear to be aircraft hangars, roads and the abandoned White Alice Site along with other antennas. A fourth 5'000 secondary runway (01/19) is on the north side of the abandoned base, with a large compliment of support buildings and roads.


==In Popular Culture==
==In Popular Culture==

Revision as of 16:15, 7 May 2012

Amchitka Air Force Base  
Amchitka, Alaska
Amchitka Army Airfield, January 1943
Coordinates51°22′37″N 179°15′32″E / 51.37694°N 179.25889°E / 51.37694; 179.25889
TypeMilitary Airfield
Site history
Built1942
In use1943-1944
Battles/warsAleutian Islands Campaign
Amchitka AFB is located in Alaska
Amchitka AFB
Amchitka AFB
class=notpageimage|
Location of Amchitka Air Force Base, Alaska

Amchitka Air Force Base is an abandoned Air Force Baselocated near Amchitka, in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska.

History

The airfield was used as a transit base by USAAF/RCAF for the defense of Dutch Harbor.

American forces made an unopposed landing on Amchitka on January 12, 1943, although the destroyer Worden (DD-352) grounded and sank with the loss of 14 lives. Despite facing difficult weather conditions and bombing from the Japanese, the airfield was usable by February 16.[1] The Alaska Command was now 80 km (50 mi) away from their target, Kiska.[2] The military eventually built numerous buildings, roads, and a total of three airstrips on the island,[3] some of which would later be renovated and used by the Atomic Energy Commission.[4] At its peak, the occupancy of Amchitka reached 15,000 troops.[3]

Known USAAF units assigned to Amchitka AAF were:

  • 343d Fighter Group (July 25, 1943 – January 22, 1944)
  • 54th Fighter Squadron (March 12 – October 18, 1943) (343d FG)
  • 21st Bombardment Squadron (February 18 – July 1943) (28th BG)
  • 73d Bombardment Squadron (1942–1943) (28th BG)
  • 36th Bombardment Squadron (June 4, 1942 – May 1, 1943) (28th BG)
  • 404th Bombardment Squadron (June 4, 1943 – February 28, 1944) (28th BG)
  • 77th Bombardment Squadron (September 11, 1943 – February 11, 1944) (28th BG)

The Aleutian Islands campaign was successfully completed on August 24, 1943.[2] In that month, a strategic intercept station was established on the island, which remained until February 1945.[5]

On 1 July 1947 the Aleutian Section of Alaskan Air Command was inactivated and Amchitka AAF was reassigned to Strategic Air Command. Under SAC control, the field's mission was to provide air refueling to SAC long range aircraft and to Air Transport Command (Later MATS) cargo flights between Japan and the Continental United States. The base also compiled data by the 11th Weaather Squadron, Air Weather Service, and assisted in Air Rescue and Recovery missions. The base had one C-47 permanently assigned.[6] It was re designated Amchitka Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force in September 1947. SAC Operations ceased at Amchitka in February 1949 when the base was put into a caretaker status. On 31 December 1949 the base was closed due to insufficient personnel and staff.[7] The Army abandoned the site in August 1950.[8] On 31 December 1950 the 2107th Air Weather Group pulled the last of it's personnel out of Amchitka and the facility was abandoned.[9]

The site later hosted an Air Force White Alice telecommunication system in 1959 to 1961, and a temporary relay station in the 1960s and 1970s.[3]

The entire facility is covered in snow and ice during the winter months and appears to be frozen in time. Today, winter aerial imagery shows an 8'000 foot main runway (07/23), with assorted taxiways and aircraft parking ramps. Numerous aircraft revetments and taxiways are located south of the runway, with what appear to be many abandoned buildings. A 6'000 ft secondary runway (17/35) is visible at the east side of the base, connecting to additional aircraft revetments on the north side of the main runway. A large number of support roads are visible on the south side of the runway, to the south shore of the island. A third runway, 7,000' (06/22) appears on a cliff to the north side of the main, the area under the cliff to the main runway having hundreds of abandoned buildings and roads. The area north on the cliff also has hundreds of abandoned buildings, what appear to be aircraft hangars, roads and the abandoned White Alice Site along with other antennas. A fourth 5'000 secondary runway (01/19) is on the north side of the abandoned base, with a large compliment of support buildings and roads.

In Popular Culture

  • In the 1955 motion picture Strategic Air Command, Amchitka AFB is noted as a refueling stop for B-47 Bombers being deployed from the United States to Japan.

See also

References

Public Domain 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.
  • Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
  1. ^ Conn, Stetson (2000). Guarding the United States and its outposts. United States Army Center of Military History. CMH 4–2, Library of Congress no 62–60067. Retrieved 2006-10-09.
  2. ^ a b MacGarrigle, George L. (2003). The Campaigns of World War II: Aleutian Islands. United States Army Center of Military History. CMH Pub 72–6, paper, GPO S/N 008-029-00232-9. Retrieved 2006-10-07. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c "Amchitka, Alaska, Site Fact Sheet" (PDF). Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management. Retrieved 2006-10-07. [dead link]
  4. ^ "Environmental Statement Cannikin". Atomic Energy Commission. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  5. ^ "Pre-1952 Historical Timeline". National Security Agency. Archived from the original on 2006-10-03. Retrieved 2006-10-07.
  6. ^ AFHRA Document 00001487
  7. ^ AFHRA document 00076530
  8. ^ "Amchitka Island, Alaska: Potential U.S. Department of Energy site responsibilities (DOE/NV-526)" (PDF). Department of Energy. 1998. Retrieved 2006-10-09. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ AFHRA Document 00496942

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amchitka_Air_Force_Base&oldid=491203743"