*** Welcome to piglix ***

Great Bend Army Air Field

Great Bend Army Air Field
Second Air Force - Emblem (World War II).png
Part of Second Air Force
Located Near: Great Bend, Kansas
Great Bend Army Airfield KS 1943.jpg
1943 oblique airphoto
Great Bend AAF is located in Kansas
Great Bend AAF
Great Bend AAF
Coordinates 38°20′47″N 98°51′55″W / 38.34639°N 98.86528°W / 38.34639; -98.86528 (Great Bend AAF)Coordinates: 38°20′47″N 98°51′55″W / 38.34639°N 98.86528°W / 38.34639; -98.86528 (Great Bend AAF)
Site history
Built 1942
In use 1942–1946

Great Bend Army Air Field is a closed United States Air Force base. It is located 5.6 miles (9.0 km) west-southwest of Great Bend, Kansas, and was closed in 1946. Today it is used as Great Bend Municipal Airport.

Great Bend Army Air Field (AAF) is significantly historic as it was in the first group United States Army Air Forces B-29 Superfortress bases for initial training on the aircraft in the summer of 1943. Along with Walker Army Air Field near Victoria, Pratt Army Air Field near Pratt and Smoky Hill Army Air Feld near Salina the initial cadre of the 58th Bombardment Wing was formed. The 58th Bomb Wing was the first B-29 combat wing of World War II and engaged in the first long-range strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands beginning in March 1944 from bases in India.

The first public announcement of intentions to build an airfield at Great Bend, Kansas on the Arkansas River in Barton county, came in the form of a telegram from Sen. Arthur Capper of Kansas to the secretary of the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce on 30 September 1942. But, of course, by then all the preliminary work had been done. In July of that year the site at Great Bend had been chosen. Nor was all the initiative left to the Army. A committee of leading citizens from Great Bend and Hoisington had made the original proposal. Originally, plans called for the Civil Aeronautics Administration to supply the funds, and, with war's end, Barton county and Great Bend would acquire ownership. However, this tentative arrangement was subsequently changed so that the field was built under the auspices of the Air Force.


...
Wikipedia

...