Batista Army Airfield
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Batista Army Airfield
|
|
|---|---|
| Part of Sixth Air Force USAAF Antisubmarine Command |
|
| Located near San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba | |
| Type | Military Airfield |
| Coordinates | 22°52′05.08″N 082°30′58.97″W / 22.8680778°N 82.5163806°W |
| Built | 1941 |
| In use | 1941-1945 |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
Batista Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II airfield on Cuba. It is located in La Habana Province, approximatley 3 miles (5 km) southwest of the city of San Antonio de los Baños, about 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Havana
The station was built in 1942 and was first used by American forces on 29 August 1942. The first aircraft arrived at the airfield on 16 October. It was used for antisubmarine patrols and also as a training airfield for B-29 Superfortress aircrews who flew training missions from airfields in Nebraska and Kansas to the field.
Major units assigned were:
- 15th Antisubmarine Squadron (26th Antisubmarine Wing), 25 Jul-1 Oct 1943 (B-34 Ventura)
- 23d Antisubmarine Squadron (26th Antisubmarine Wing), 28 Feb-24 Apr 1943 (A-29 Hudson)
- 417th Bombardment Squadron (25th Bombardment Group), 13 Apr 1943-Aug 1943 (B-18 Bolo)
- Detachment: 89th Combat Crew Training Wing, 1943-1945
- Numerous B-17, B-24 and B-29 group air echelons deployed for training at Batista from 1943 through 1945
With the end of the war, the United States withdrew its military forces from the airfield and it was turned over to the Cuban government on 30 April 1946.
Today the airfield is known as San Antonio de los Baños Air Force Base and is used by the Cuban Air Force.
[edit] References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
