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 USAAF 1943 |
Location Lat 32° 51' 9N 106° 6' 23W Alamogordo Army Airfield (Alamogordo AAF) is located is located at an elevation of 4,093' above sea level six miles west of Alamogordo in Otero County in New Mexico in the United States of America. Still in use today as Holloman Air Force Base (Holloman AFB). Construction Alamogordo Airfield was originally intended for use by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), but was never used for this purpose. On February 6, 1942 construction began of a military airfield six miles west of Alamogordo. On May 27, 1942 designated Alamogordo Field Training Station. On June 10, 1942 designated Alamogordo Army Air Base (Alamogordo AAB) operated by the 359th Base Headquarters. The completed airfield had runways, taxiways and hangers. The facility included Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range and the the Alamogordo Gasoline Storage and Pumping Station Annex. Wartime History On November 21, 1942 became Alamogordo Army Airfield (Alamogordo AAF) operated operated by the 359th Base Headquarters. Used by the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 2nd Air Force (2nd AF) for air crew training for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator Bombardment Groups. On March 25, 1944, the base operating unit was redesignated as the 231st Army Air Force Base Unit (231st AAFBU). On August 24, 1944 redesignated as the 4145th Army Air Force Base Unit (4145th AAFBU). On April 16, 1945 training operations ceased and became a base for B-29 Superfortress and used for refueling planes in transit and emergency landings until the end of World War II. Postwar On February 28, 1946 the base was inactivated and used to support the Alamogordo Guided Missile Test Base that launched the first ground to air unmanned aircraft on November 14, 1947. In late 1947, merged with the White Sands Proving Ground and was designated New Mexico Joint Guided Missile Test Range (later renamed White Sands Missile Range). On January 13, 1948 renamed Holloman Air Force Base (Holloman AFB) in honor of Col. George V. Holloman who was a pioneer of early rocket and guided aircraft who died March 19, 1946 aboard B-17G 44-83779 crashed on Formosa (Taiwan). On September 20, 1949 the 2754th Experimental Wing was activated at the base to undertake testing of the first Army rocket, Tiny Tim, Rascal and captured German V-2 rockets, Ryan XQ-2 drone, Falcon, MGM-13 Mace, MGM-1 Matador and AGM-45 Shrike. On July 1, 1968, the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing (49th TFW) with 72 F-4D Phantoms move to Holloman AFB without a single abort of the 72 F-4D Phantoms flown from 5,000 miles from Spangdahlem AB in West Germany to Holloman AFB and while in transit completed 504 air-to-air refuelings. For the move the 49th earned the 1969 Mackay trophy for the "flawless deployment". Today Holloman AFB is the home of the 49th Wing of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and supports operations and tests at nearby White Sands Missile Range and also is home of the Royal Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Formal Training Unit (FTU). Holloman AFB has three runways. The first is oriented 22/04 meausres 10,575' x 300' surfaced with PEM. The second is oriented 25/07 measures 12,800' x 150' surfaced with PEM. The third is oriented 34/16 measures 12,131' x 150'surfaced with PEM. Airport codes: FAA: HMN ICAO: KHMN IATA: HMN. References A Pictorial of Alamogordo Army Air Base (1944) Holloman Air Force Base - About offical website Holloman Air Force Base - 49th Wing History FindAGrave - Col George Vernon Holloman, Sr (photo, grave photos) Contribute
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