United States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Area
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Airfields of the United States Army Air Force
in the South Pacific Area
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During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the Empire of Japan in the South Pacific Area. As defined by the War Department, this consisted of the Pacific Ocean areas which lay south of the Equator between longitude 159° East and 110° West. It included New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Fiji, and most of the Solomon Islands.
The major USAAF combat organizations in the region was Thirteenth Air Force, which was formed in November 1942 as a command and control organization to organize many widely separated Seventh Air Force and independent units scattered in the South Pacific Area during the Solomon Islands campaign. As the war progressed, Thirteenth Air Force units moved into the South West Pacific theatre and coordinated their activities with Fifth and Seventh Air Force units in New Guinea, the Netherlands East Indies and Philippines during 1944 and 1945.
[edit] Airfields and unit assignments
- 18°49′51″S 159°45′51″W / 18.83083°S 159.76417°W / -18.83083; -159.76417 (Cook Islands - Amuri)
- 08°31′29.50″S 179°11′46.31″E / 8.524861°S 179.1961972°E / -8.524861; 179.1961972 (Ellice Islands - Nanumea - Funafuti Airfield)
- Seventh Air Force
- Headquarters, VII Bomber Command, November 1943 – January 1944
- 11th Bombardment Group, 9 November 1943 – 13 January 1944
- 17°45′19″S 177°26′36″E / 17.75528°S 177.44333°E / -17.75528; 177.44333 (Fiji Islands - Nandi Airfield)
- 42d Bombardment Group, 22 April – 6 June 1943
- 21°12′50.47″S 164°52′21.11″E / 21.2140194°S 164.8725306°E / -21.2140194; 164.8725306 (New Caledonia - Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield) (Approximate)
- Headquarters, Thirteenth Air Force, 13–21 January 1943
- Headquarters, XIII Fighter Command, 13–22 January 1943
- 42d Bombardment Group, 20 October 1943 – 20 January 1944
- 347th Fighter Group, 3 October – 29 December 1943
- 4th Reconnaissance Group, 22 November 1942 – 23 January 1943
- 15°30′18.12″S 167°13′11.07″E / 15.5050333°S 167.2197417°E / -15.5050333; 167.2197417 (New Hebrides - Espiritu Santo - Luganville Airfield)
- Headquarters, XIII Bomber Command, 13 January – 20 August 1943
- Headquarters, XIII Fighter Command, 22 January–December 1943
- 5th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1942 – 19 August 1943
- 11th Bombardment Group, 22 July 1942 – 8 April 1943
- 18th Fighter Group, 11 March – 17 April 1943
- 4th Reconnaissance Group, 23 January 1943 – 6 May 1944
- 403d Troop Carrier Group, 13 September 1943 – 30 August 1944
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- 09°26′07.20″S 160°09′30.40″E / 9.435333°S 160.158444°E / -9.435333; 160.158444 (Solomon Islands - Guadalcanal - Carney Airfield)
- Headquarters, Thirteenth Air Force, 21 January – 15 June 1944
- Headquarters, XIII Bomber Command, 20 August 1943 – June 1944
- Headquarters, XIII Fighter Command, December 1943-15 August 1944
- 18th Fighter Group, 17 April 1943 – 23 August 1944
- 347th Fighter Group, 29 December 1943 – 15 January 1944
- 4th Reconnaissance Group, 6 May – 12 December 1944
- 419th Night Fighter Squadron, 15 November 1943 – 21 August 1944
- 09°25′40.8″S 160°03′17.24″E / 9.428°S 160.0547889°E / -9.428; 160.0547889 (Solomon Islands - Guadalcanal - Henderson Field)
- 5th Bombardment Group, 19 August 1943 – 4 February 1944
- 09°27′28.94″S 160°10′41.50″E / 9.4580389°S 160.178194°E / -9.4580389; 160.178194 (Solomon Islands - Guadalcanal - Koli Airfield)
- 42d Bombardment Group, 6 June – 20 October 1943
- 307th Bombardment Group, February 1943-28 January 1944
- 08°19′40.69″S 157°15′47.13″E / 8.3279694°S 157.2630917°E / -8.3279694; 157.2630917 (Solomon Islands - New Georgia - Munda Airfield)
- 5th Bombardment Group, 4 February – 7 April 1944
- 307th Bombardment Group, 28 January – 29 April 1944
- 7°24′58″S 155°33′55″E / 7.41611°S 155.56528°E / -7.41611; 155.56528 (Solomon Islands - Stirling Island - Stirling Airfield)
- 42d Bombardment Group, 20 January–August 1944
- 347th Fighter Group, 15 January – 15 August 1944
- 05°25′20.34″S 154°40′21.60″E / 5.4223167°S 154.672667°E / -5.4223167; 154.672667 (Solomon Islands - Stirling Island - Buka Airfield)
- 419th Night Fighter Squadron (DET), 25 January – 27 May 1944
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[edit] See also
- United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific War (1941–1945)
[edit] References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of 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
[edit] External links
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Airfields
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Units
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Commands
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Groups
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Fighter
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Bomber
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Reconnaissance
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Troop Carrier
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Squadrons
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Bombardment
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Night Fighter
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Reconnaissance
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Troop Carrier
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