South Carolina World War II Army Airfields

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in South Carolina for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) and Air Transport Command (ATC) maintained a large base in Charleston.

It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

Multiple Commands

 * Charleston Army Airfield, 10.6 mi northwest of Charleston
 * 421st Base HQ and Air Base Squadron
 * Initially: Air Technical Service Command (29th Air Base Group, Distribution Point #2)
 * Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (16th Antisubmarine Squadron)
 * Later: Transferred to: First Air Force (113th AAF Base Unit)
 * Later: Transferred to: Air Transport Command (593d AAF Base Unit)
 * Later: Charleston Air Force Base (1952-2010)
 * Now: Roundel of the USAF.svg Joint Base Charleston (2010-Present)

Third Air Force

 * Aiken Army Airfield, 6.5 mi north-northeast of Aiken
 * Sub-base of: Morris Army Airfield, North Carolina
 * 359th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Later: Aiken Air Force Station (1955-1975)
 * Now: Aiken Municipal Airport


 * Columbia Army Air Base, 6.5 mi southwest of Columbia
 * 309th/329th Bombardment Group, 329th AAF Base Unit
 * Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
 * Later: Transferred to First Air Force
 * 129th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
 * Barnwell Army Airfield
 * Johns Island Army Airfield
 * North Army Airfield
 * Walterboro Army Airfield
 * Now: Columbia Metropolitan Airport


 * Greenville Army Airbase, 6.6 mi south of Greenville
 * Later: Transferred to First Air Force
 * Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
 * Coronaca Army Airfield
 * Anderson Auxiliary Field
 * Later: Donaldson Air Force Base (1947-1963)
 * Now: Donaldson Center Airport


 * Congaree Army Airfield, 14.5 mi east-southeast of Columbia
 * Later: Transferred to: United States Marine Corps
 * Now: Roundel of the USAF.svg McEntire Joint National Guard Base


 * Florence Army Airfield, 2.3 mi east-southeast of Florence
 * Later: Transferred to First Air Force
 * Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
 * Hartsville Army Airfield
 * Hartsville Auxiliary Field
 * Now: Florence Regional Airport  i


 * Myrtle Beach General Bombing and Gunnery Range, 2.5 mi west-southwest of Myrtle Beach
 * Later: Myrtle Beach Army Airfield
 * 519th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Later: Transferred to First Air Force
 * 136th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
 * Ocean Drive Flight Strip
 * Later: Myrtle Beach Air Force Base (1956-1993)
 * Now: Myrtle Beach International Airport

AAF Training Command
Eastern Flight Training Center
 * Shaw Army Airfield, 8.4 mi west-northwest of Sumter
 * Army Air Force Flying School (Basic)
 * Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
 * Burt Gin Auxiliary Field
 * Rembert Auxiliary Field
 * Monaghan Auxiliary Field
 * Sumter Municipal Airport
 * Now: Roundel of the USAF.svg Shaw Air Force Base

AAF Contract Flying Schools

 * Greenville Municipal Airport, 2.5 mi east of Greenville
 * Southern Airways Contract Glider Pilot Training School (1941-1943)
 * Later: Transferred to: Air Technical Service Command (1943-1945)
 * 529th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Joint Civil/USAAF Use
 * Now: Greenville Downtown Airport


 * Palmer Field, 2.8 mi west of Bennettsville
 * Georgia Air Service, Inc & Southeastern Air Service, Inc.
 * Now: Marlboro County Jetport


 * Hawthorne School of Aeronautics, 5 mi south of Orangeburg
 * Free French Air Force pilot training
 * 58th Flying Training Detachment
 * Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
 * Jennings Auxiliary Field
 * Hagood Auxiliary Field
 * Kennedy Auxiliary Field
 * Now: Non-aviation use


 * Woodward Field Airport, 3.5 mi northeast of Camden
 * Southern Aviation School
 * Southern Aviation School

Minor Airfields

 * Chinquapin Airport, 2.5 mi west of Greenwood
 * Preflight cadet pilot screening
 * Now: Non-aviation use


 * Columbia Municipal Airport, 3.1 mi southeast of Columbia
 * Used for training of observation pilots (3d AF); supported Fort Jackson; US Navy use.
 * Now: Jim Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport


 * Lane Intermediate Field (CAA Site #24), 48 mi north of Charleston
 * Auxiliary fighter pilot training field
 * Abandoned 1983


 * Manning Airfield, 1.7 mi south of Allendale
 * Undetermined usage by AAF
 * Abandoned, undetermined history 33.02028°N, -81.28278°W


 * Roddey Airport, 1.9 mi south-southwest of Rock Hill
 * Likely Emergency landing airfield
 * Abandoned approx 1965. 34.90056°N, -81.0425°W


 * Spartanburg Memorial Airport, 2.7 mi south-southwest of Spartanburg
 * Joint Civil/USAAF airfield; supported Army Camp Croft Infantry Replacement Training Center
 * Transferred to: United States Navy 1943
 * (IATA: SPA, ICAO: KSPA, FAA LID: SPA)