Pinellas Army Air Field: Difference between revisions

Pinellas Army Airfield
Pinellas Army Airfield
Part of Third Air Force
Located near: St. Petersburg, Florida
	; Pinellas Army Airfield - 1951 Pinellas Army Airfield
Coordinates	27°54′34″N 082°41′17″W / 27.90944°N 82.68806°W
Site history
In use	1942-1945

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Revision as of 14:33, 30 July 2012

For the civil airport, see: St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, was a World War II United States Army Air Force located 9.8 miles northwest of St. Petersburg, Florida.

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 the art of combat flying. It was activated on 9 April 1942, being placed under the jurisdiction of Third Air Force, III Fighter Command. It was assigned to Sarasota Army Airfield as a sub-base.

The first operational flying squadron assigned was the 304th Fighter Squadron, arriving on 30 August 1942. The 440th was equipped with P-39 Aircobras, and was assigned to the 337th Fighter Group at Sarasota. During its first year of operations, the squadron also received and some P-43 Lancers for the training mission. In April 1943, the 440th Fighter Squadron was moved from Sarasota and became a second training squadron at Pinellas. With the arrival of the 440th, both squadrons were equipped with Curtiss P-40 Warhawks 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 was inactivated as a result of the numbered training units in the Zone of the Interior (ZI) (Continental United States) being re-designated in an administrative reorganization by HQ Army Air Force. They was 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 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 Drew Army Airfield, near Tampa. The misson of the base was expanded to include the III Fighter Command Gunnery School; 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 moved out of the area, the hurricane damaged some buildings but training was resumed in a few days. Over the Independence Day holiday in July, the base held it's first open house, thousands of local residents were welcomed onto the base, seeing a display of fighter aircraft and other planes flown in from Third Air Force bases. Also acrobatic displays of flying were performed.

Closure

With the sudden Japanese Surrender in early August, ordered 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 were being reduced at a rapid rate. In late September Headquarters, Third Air Force sent orders to Pinellas announcing that the base would be inactivated as of 30 November 1945 and be transferred to Air Technical Service Command in a standby status, pending disposition as excess property.

Current use

The airport was then returned to Pinellas County by the General Services Administration (GSA). It was stipulated by GSA 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.

A plaque dedicated at the airport terminal in 1994 by the P-51 fighter Pilots Association and Brigadier General James H. Howard, the only European Theater fighter pilot to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII and the last wartime base commander of Pinellas Army Airfield

Major units assigned

304th Fighter Squadron, 30 August 1942-1 May 1944
440th Fighter Squadron, 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)

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

World War II airfields database: Florida

External links

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 ==History==
-Constructed on the site of the Pinellas County Municipal Airport, Construction of the Airport at its present site started in March 1941.
+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 the art of combat flying.   It was activated on 9 April 1942, being placed under the jurisdiction of [[Third Air Force]], [[III Fighter Command]].  It was assigned to [[Sarasota Army Airfield]] as a sub-base.
-Pinellas Army Airfield became operational in August 1942.  Serving as a sub-base to Sarasota Army Airfield, the airfield was used as a military flight-training base. The 304th Fighter Squadron, a combat training unit of the 337th Fighter Group (Third Army Air Force) based P-40's and, later, P-51's here for the duration of World War II.  As many as 1,500 Third Army Air Force trainees, could be found at this site at any one time.
+The first operational flying squadron assigned was the [[304th Fighter Squadron]], arriving on 30 August 1942.  The 440th was equipped with [[P-39 Aircobra]]s, and was assigned to the [[337th Fighter Group]] at Sarasota.   During its first year of operations, the squadron also received and some [[P-43 Lancer]]s for the training mission.   In April 1943, the  [[440th Fighter Squadron]] was moved from Sarasota and became a second training squadron at Pinellas.  With the arrival of the 440th, both squadrons were equipped with Curtiss [[P-40 Warhawks]] 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  was inactivated as a result of the numbered training units in the Zone of the Interior (ZI) (Continental United States) being re-designated in an administrative reorganization by HQ Army Air Force. They was 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 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 Drew Army Airfield, near Tampa.  The misson of the base was expanded to include the III Fighter Command Gunnery School; 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 moved out of the area, the hurricane damaged some buildings but training was resumed in a few days. Over the Independence Day holiday in July, the base held it's first open house, thousands of local residents were welcomed onto the base, seeing a display of fighter aircraft and other planes flown in from Third Air Force bases. Also acrobatic displays of flying were performed.
+===Closure===
+With the sudden Japanese Surrender in early August, ordered 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 were being reduced at a rapid rate. In late September Headquarters, Third Air Force sent orders to Pinellas announcing that the base would be inactivated as of 30 November 1945 and be transferred to Air Technical Service Command in a standby status, pending disposition as excess property.
 ===Current use===
+The airport was then returned to Pinellas County by the General Services Administration (GSA). It was stipulated by GSA 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.
-After World War II, the Airport property was given to Pinellas County by the U.S. Government to operate as a commerical airport.
 A plaque dedicated at the airport terminal in 1994 by the P-51 fighter Pilots Association and Brigadier General James H. Howard, the only European Theater fighter pilot to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII and the last wartime base commander of Pinellas Army Airfield