Sarasota Army Air Field

Origins

The facility's beginnings date back to early 1939 when government and business leaders from Sarasota and Manatee counties agreed to construct an airport together, designed to serve the aviation needs of the two-county area. A 620-acre site was selected on the Sarasota-Manatee County line through a Federal WPA-CCA Grant. In May 1941, resolutions were passed creating the Sarasota Manatee Joint Airport Authority made up of one representative each from Sarasota County, Manatee County, the City of Bradenton and the City of Sarasota . A resolution also established the name of the new facility as the Bradenton Sarasota Airport. Aviation facilities were completed by early 1942 at a cost of nearly one million dollars.

The Authority leased the land to the Army Air Corps in February 1942 for use as a training base for combat training of new pilots. Much additional construction was undertaken to convert Sarasota Bradenton Airport became Sarasota Army Air Field. The Army added 250 acres to the site in the course of its use. Sarasota AAF also controlled the following sub-bases and auxiliaries

Fort Myers Army Air Field Lake Wales Army Air Field Pinellas Army Air Field Punta Gorda Army Air Field Immokalee Army Air Field

Local civic groups created recreational facilities for white airmen at the Municipal Auditorium (a National Register of Historic Places listed site) and at the Municipal Pier. African-American airmen found their entertainment and amusement in a segregated facility in Sarasota.

III Bomber Command

The base was initially assigned as a sub-base of MacDill Field, near Tampa. It was assigned to the Third Air Force, III Bomber Command.

The 97th Bombardment Group transferred on 29 March 1942 from MacDill to Sarasota to begin training on the B-17 Flying Fortress. When the 97th Bomb Group left for Eighth Air Force in England in May, it was quickly replaced by the 92d Bombardment Group, which had also been formed at MacDill. The 92d also was deployed to England in early July. Both of these groups became part of the initial striking force of Eighth Air Force, and were rushed to England as soon as possible to initiate the American strategic daylight bombing campaign over Occupied Europe.

In addition to the training mission, elements of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command 26th Antisubmarine Wing flew anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico as well as Coastal Patrol Base 13 of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Antisubmarine Command operated from Sarastoa until Mid-1943 when the mission was taken over by the Navy, however the CAP flights continued until the end of the war in 1945.

III Fighter Command

However, it was found that the runways could not withstand the weight of the bombers, and Third Air Force reassigned Sarasota to III Fighter Command in mid-July 1942 to become a fighter pilot training base instead. Under III FC, Sarasota became a fully operational base.

The 69th Fighter Squadron was moved up from Drew Field in late July with P-39 Airacobras as a combat fighter pilot operational and replacement training unit. In September, the squadron was transferred to I Fighter Command and was moved to Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia. The 305th Fighter Squadron was formed by III FC to replace it, taking over the personnel and equipment of the 69th. However, the 305th did not stay long at Sarasota, as it was transferred to the Air University Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics in late October to become a combat tactics training unit.

These transient squadrons were replaced by the 337th Fighter Group, which arrived at Sarasota in early January 1943. The 337th was equipped with four training squadrons, the 98th, 303d, 304th and 440th, all equipped with early-model P-47 Thunderbolts. The 98th and 303d were assigned to Sarasota; the 304th and 440th were assigned to the sub-base at Pinellas Army Air Field, near St. Petersburg. In early 1944 training in P-40 fighters was conducted at Sarasota. I graduated from there after a couple of months and I don't know how long p-40's were at Sarasota.

In an administrative reorganization by HQ Army Air Force, on 1 May 1944, numbered training units in the Zone of the Interior (ZI) (Continental United States) were re-designated as "Army Air Force Base Units". At Sarasota, the 337th Fighter Group was inactivated; its mission taken over by the new 336th Army Air Force Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit F). The operational squadrons of the 3337th were also re-designated as "A" and "B". The training missions continued under these new designations.

With the end of the European War in May 1945, the pace of training replacement pilots slowed down during the summer months. On 24 June 1945 a hurricane hit the Tampa area, and training was temporarily suspended, the aircraft being moved out of the area, the hurricane damaged some buildings but training was resumed in a few days. Over the Independence Day holiday in July, the base held its first open house, thousands of local residents were welcomed onto the base, seeing a display of fighter aircraft and other planes flown in from Third Air Force bases. Also acrobatic displays of flying were performed.

Closure

With the sudden Japanese Surrender in early August, orders were received from III Fighter Command that training of replacement pilots was to end. Pilots already in training were allowed to complete their training, however no new trainees would arrive. By the end of August, the students were being reassigned to other bases, and the number of base support personnel were being reduced at a rapid rate. In late September Headquarters, Third Air Force sent orders to Sarasota announcing that the base would be inactivated as of 31 December 1945 and be transferred to Air Technical Service Command in a standby status, pending disposition as excess property.

The airport was then returned to civil control by the General Services Administration (GSA) in late 1947. It was stipulated by GSA that the airport must continue be used as an airport for aviation purposes; and if not, that it be returned to the U.S. Government.

Under ATSC, buildings and equipment were sold and any useful military equipment was transferred to other bases around the country. The base was declared as surplus in 1946 and was turned over to the War Assets Administration (WAA) for disposal and return to civil use. Today the facility is known as Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Major units assigned

III Bomber Command

97th Bombardment Group, 29 March – c. 16 May 1942

92d Bombardment Group, 18 May – July 1942

III Fighter Command

69th Fighter Squadron, 25 July – 26 September 1942

305th Fighter Squadron, 25 September – 21 October 1942

337th Fighter Group, 3 January 1943 – 1 May 1944

98th Fighter Squadron, 3 January 1943 – 1 May 1944 303d Fighter Squadron, 20–22 August 1942; 5 January 1943 – 1 May 1944 440th Fighter Squadron, 24 February – 15 April 1943 Replaced by: 336th Army Air Force Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit F) Sarasota Replacement Training Unit (Fighter, Single Engine), Squadrons "A" "B"