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Construction
began March 25, 1942 The original construction
contract called for the following facilities:
Housing facilities for enlisted men … 3,919
Housing facilities for Officers…… 400
Mess facilities for enlisted men ……. 4,165
Mess facilities for officers ………. 475
Hospital beds ………………………
176
3 Runways ……………7,500 ft.
Parking apron, length approx………4,000 ft.
5 Hangars, total area …68,200 SQ. Ft.
Engineering Shop, area …………19,890 sq. ft.
2 A. F. Warehouses, area ..48,000 sq. ft.
4 Quartermaster Warehouses, total area … 46,800 sq. ft.
The total cost was in the neighborhood of $9,000,000.[i]
Map of the Airbase
Click on Map to See Larger Image
 Function of Pueblo
Army Airbase
- Trained Air Groups
which consisted of three or four Squadrons. Each squadron consisted
optimally ten airplanes with their 8-10 man air crews and ground crews.
- Two Types of Training
took place:
- Tactical Groups
(OUT’s): Trained together at Pueblo Army Air Base and then
rotated to WWII theaters of operation mostly in Europe.
- Training Groups:
Trained together and remained in the United States for the purpose
of training replacement crews that could be utilized wherever needed.
Units Who Trained at
Pueblo Army Airbase
- TRAINING: 302nd
BG(H) (30 Sept. 1942 to 30 Nov. 1942[i]), with B-24s; including 355,
356, 357, 420 Bomb Squadrons[ii]. This Group was a training Group only,
and did not rotate to an overseas assignment. A new 506 Bomb Squadron
was formed at PAAB by transferring personnel from the 302 BG. The 506
BS would train with the 308 BG, and upon the completion of training
would be transferred to the 44th Bomb Group, of the 8th Air Force based
in Shipdham, England. (Sisson pg. 2)
[i] Air Force Combat Units of World War II, USAF
Historical Division, p 174.
[ii] Special Order No. 167, HQ Army Air Base, Wendover field, Utah,
Sept. 26, 1942. PHAS #
- TACTICAL: 308th
BG(H) (28 Nov.1942-2/8 Feb. 43); with B-24s; including 373, 374, 375,
and 425 Bomb Squadrons[i]. (Sisson pg. 2)
[i] Historical Data PAAB, Microfilm B2475, Frame 1167.
- TACTICAL: 94th
BG(H) (Jan.-April 1943) with B-17s; including 331, 332, 333, and 410
Bomb Squadrons. [i] (Sisson pg. 2)
[i] Air Force Combat Units of World War II, USAF Historical
Division, p 163.
- TACTICAL: 351st
BG(H) (1 Mar. 1943 to 12 April 1943) with B-17s; including 508, 509,
510, and 511 Bomb Squadrons. [i] (Sisson pg. 2)
[i] Air Force Combat Units of World War II, USAF Historical
Division, p 231
- TACTICAL: 381st
BG(H) (5 April 1943 to 9 May 1943) with B-17s; including 532, 533, 534,
and 535 Bomb Squadrons. [i] (Sisson pg. 3)
[i] Air Force Combat Units of World War II, USAF Historical
Division, p 269.
- TRAINING: 400th
BG(H) (2 May 1943 to 30 Jul 1943) with B-24s; including 608, 609, 610,
611 Bomb Squadrons. [i] (Sisson pg. 3)
[i] Air Force Combat Units of World War II, USAF Historical
Division, p 285.
Groups Who Trained
at Pueblo Army Airbase
- TRAINING: 471st
BG(H) ( 7 May, 1943 to 27 January, 1944[i]) (3 June 1943[ii]- )
with B-24s; Converted to TACTICAL including 804, 805, 806, 807 Bomb
Squadrons. [iii] (Sisson pg 3)
[i] Air Force Combat Units of World War II, USAF Historical Division,
p 345.
[ii] Historical Data PAAB, Microfilm B2475, Frame 1490.
[iii] Air Force Combat Units of World War II, USAF Historical Division,
p 345.
- TACTICAL: 491st
BG(H)(1/12/44[i] to 4/18/44[ii] ), Air Echelon, with B-24s;
- including 852,
853, 854, 855 Bomb Squadrons. (Sisson pg. 3)
[i] Historical Data PAAB, Microfilm B2476, Frame 0944.
[ii] Historical Data PAAB, Microfilm B2476, Frame 1769.
- TACTICAL: 8th
Chinese BG(H), (3 August 1944 to May 5, 1945) with B-24s.
Sisson pg.
3)
- TACTICAL: 466th
BG(VH)[i], (25 July 1945-15 August 1945[ii]) with B-29s.
(Sisson pg. 3)
[i] Historical
Data PAAB, Microfilm B2479, Frame 0012.
[ii] The World Almanac Book of World War II, A Bison Book, London, 1981,
p 342.
Planes Used For Training
Purposes At Pueblo Army Airbase
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B-17
Flying Fortress |
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B-24
Liberator |
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B-29
Superfortress |
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