Drew Field

Drew Field
Part of Third Air Force
Located near: Tampa, Florida
Drew Field in 1948, still showing its World War II military configuration
Drew AAF
Coordinates	27°58′32″N 082°32′00″W / 27.97556°N 82.53333°W / 27.97556; -82.53333 (Drew AAF)Coordinates: 27°58′32″N 082°32′00″W / 27.97556°N 82.53333°W / 27.97556; -82.53333 (Drew AAF)
Site information
Owner	United States Army Air Forces
Controlled by	Third Air Force
Site history
Built	1939
In use	1939-1946

Drew Field was a World War II United States Army Air Forces base. It was the headquarters of Third Air Force and was primarily used for advanced combat training of fighter and bomber units prior to their deployment to combat theaters overseas.

It was inactivated during the summer of 1946, and returned to the city of Tampa for civil use as Drew Field Municipal Airport, which became Tampa International Airport in 1950.

Drew Field Municipal Airport opened in 1928 on land previously owned by land developer, John H. Drew. With the prospect of war, the U.S. Government leased the field for use as a sub post to MacDill Field. With the completion of MacDill, Drew became a separate base and headquarters for the Third Air Force, III Fighter Command.

Lt. Henry M. Sallery, Engineer Corps, was ordered from MacDill Field, Dec. 1, 1940 to supervise the preparation of the civilian airfield for military use. Under his supervision, administrative buildings and barracks were erected. Jan. 16, 1941, Capt. James C. Hardwick, Air Corps, arrived, attached to the 27th Air Base Squadron and assigned to command of Base Detachment, Drew Field. He was accompanied by a force of 31 men, half of whom were detailed for guard duty. On August 18 of the same year, ceremonies celebrating the starting of work on the $663,700 runways were held. The runways consisted of three main landing strips, 7000×150(N/S), 7000×150(E/W) and 7000×150(NW/SE). In addition to the main airfield, the following sub-bases and auxiliaries were used:

By the end of the war, Drew AAF would encompass fifteen square miles and hosting a complement of as many as 25,000 personnel, this facility provided large-scale combat aircrew training for fighters and heavy bomber crews. One thousand ten-man combat bombing crews trained at Drew during the war. It also performed signal air-warning training and engineering aviation training.

Besides the training mission, Drew Field was a command and control base. It was the headquarters of the Southeast Air District (Later designated Third Air Force), and was the headquarters of its fighter arm, the III Fighter Command. Across Tampa, at neighboring MacDill Field, was III Bomber Command, the bombardment wing of 3d Air Force. Close coordination was made with subordinate airfields throughout the southeast that were under the jurisdiction of 3d Air Force.