Delaware World War II Army Airfields

Delaware World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Locations of major World War II USAAF Airfields in Delaware
Type	Army Airfields
Site information
Controlled by	United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-present
Garrison information
Garrison	First Air Force Army Air Force Training Command

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces had two major airfields in Delaware. They were:

• Dover Army Air Field, 4 miles southeast of Dover, Delaware
  • Assigned to First Air Force
  • 18th Observation Squadron (65th Obsn Gp), 2 March 1942 – 23 March 1942
  • 80th Bombardment Squadron (Medium)(45th Bomb Gp), 29 April 1942 – 15 July 1942
  • Hq and Hq Sq, 45th Bombardment Group (Medium), 16 May 1942 – 27 July 1942
  • 39th Bombardment Squadron (Medium)/ 3rd Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), 19 July 1942 – 28 February 1943
  • 312th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron, 16 September 1942 – 10 April 1944
  • 365th Fighter Group (Single Engine), 11 August 1943 – 18 November 1943
  • 83rd Fighter Group (Single Engine), 22 November 1943 – 10 April 1944
  • 125th Army Air Force Base Unit, 10 April 1944 – 31 March 1946

Now: Dover Air Force Base

• New Castle Army Air Base, 1 mile west of New Castle, Delaware
  • Assigned to First Air Force
  • 62nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)(56th Purs Gp), 10 December 1941 – 17 January 1942
  • 4th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)/ 4th Fighter Squadron (52nd Ftr Gp), 27 April 1942 – 12 June 1942
  • Assigned to Ferrying Division, Air Transport Command
  • 344th Air Base Squadron / 344th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron, 29 May 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • 2nd Ferrying Group, 29 May 1942 – 4 December 1945
  • 552nd Army Air Force Base Unit, 31 March 1944 – 31 December 1945
  • 1596th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 December 1944-November 1945

Was: New Castle Air National Guard Base

Now: New Castle Airport (ILG)

See also

• First Air Force
• United States Army Air Forces

References

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7