1943 Peterson Field Army Air Base Newspaper Lot of 22 WWII AAF Colorado Springs
This is a lot of about 22 WWII era issues of WINGSPREAD which was weekly base newspaper for Peterson Field Army Air Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. These issues are dated between May 13, 1943 and November 4, 1943 and this is close to a complete run for that time period with few issues missing. These issues are 8 or 10 pages with one issue (July 15) being only six pages and apparently missing the last page.
Other than the July 15 issue which is missing the last page these are all fully complete and measuring about 12.5" x 9.5". The following is some information on Peterson Field Army Air Base at Colorado Springs from Wikipedia. Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a U. Space Force Base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the Space Force's 21st Space Wing, elements of the Space Force's Space Systems Command, and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) headquarters.
Developed as a World War II air support base for Camp Carson, the facility conducted Army Air Forces training and supported Cold War air defense centers at the nearby Ent Air Force Base, Chidlaw Building, and Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The base was the location of the Air Force Space Command headquarters from 1987 to 20 December 2019 and has had NORAD/NORTHCOM command center operations since the 2006 Cheyenne Mountain Realignment placed the nearby Cheyenne Mountain Complex on standby. On 26 July 2021, the installation was renamed Peterson Space Force Base to reflect its prominent role in the new space service. Colorado military construction during the buildup of US training installations prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor included the 1940 Lowry bombardier school at Denver and Camp Carson south of Colorado Springs (HQ completed on 31 January 1942). Sites "in the vicinity of Colorado Springs" were assessed in the summer of 1941 for a USAAF airfield, [3] and during April 1942 the Photographic Reconnaissance Operational Training Unit (PROTU) was activated in a leased facilitywhere?[4] On 6 May 1942, the site adjacent to the airfield of the 1926 Colorado Springs Municipal Airport was selected, [5] and the airport's airfield was subsequently leased as an "air support field" for Camp Carson under the "air support base development program". In May 1942, units such as the 5th Mapping Squadron (from Bradley Field) arrived and used city facilities.
The "Second Photographic Group Reconnaissance" (activated 7 May 1942 at Will Rogers Field)[6] transferred to Colorado Springs, and the 2nd Group... Headquarters was situated in a former garage across the street from the Post Office, barracks were in the city auditorium... And the mess hall was located at the busy horseshoe counter of the Santa Fe railway station. [7] Land at the Broadmoor was used for maneuvers, and the 2nd Group initially operated without aircraft.
[7] Personnel[specify] were also "housed temporarily at Colorado College" and a youth camp near the Woodmen sanitorium. [8] the 14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron was located at the Kaufman Building on Tejon St.Army Air Base, Colorado Springs. "Army Air Base, Colorado Springs", construction began after 10 May 1942, on "nothing more than a large patch of Colorado plain", [10] and the installation was placed under the Headquarters, United States "AAF [on] 11 June 1942". [5] The 373d Base HQ and Air Base Sq was activatedwhere? As the base operating unit on 20 June 1942 (replaced by the 214th AAF Base Unit in 1944), and the base was assigned to the 2nd Air Force on 22 June 1942.
On 7 July 1942, "HQ PROTU" was on the "Army Air Base, Colorado Springs" and was ordered to provide "four to five months of training to each individual". [10] During air base construction, the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron was activated on 23 July 1942, and used the Alamo Garage[11] on Tejon Street. [12] Runways were completed in August 1942, [8] and eponym 1st Lt Edward J. Peterson crashed 8 August 1942 on take off 1st Coloradoan killed at the airfield.
For the "Colorado Springs Hqs 2AF" west of "Peterson Fld"[13] after its 1943 move from Fort George Wright to a leased facility in [14] "Colorado Springs", [15] Colorado, see Second Air Force. Peterson Field was the airfield named on 13 December 1942, [16] and included the runway used by both the municipal airport and the military installation:[17] "Army Air Base, Peterson Field", which had begun publishing the Wingspread base newspaper by 11 July 1942. [18] The "18 Dep Rpr Sq" was assigned to the military installation from 19 January - 29 April 1943, and the installation was assigned to the Third Air Force (5 March - 1 October 1943) and by the end of the 1943 summer had tar paper barracks, an officer's club, and a theater in a Quonset. [19] After the base transferred to Second Air Force on 1 October 1943, [5] in June 1944 Peterson Field began fighter pilot training[specify] with P-40N Warhawks. [16] In March 1943 the Third Air Force took over the photographic reconnaissance Operational Training Unit which had been operating at Peterson Field...
Under the direct control of the Director of Photography since April 1942. The 4th Heavy Bombardment Processing Headquarters ("4 H Bomb Processing HQ") was activated on 10 June 1943 (the 1st B-29 landed at Peterson Field in the summer of 1943), [19] and bomber training by the 214th AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training School, Heavy) B-24 Liberator[failed verification] began after the 383rd Bombardment Group relocated from Geiger Field, Washington[16] on 26 October 1943.
In 1944 (11 June - 20 October), the XXI Bomber Command was assigned to Peterson; and the "HQ and HQ Sq" of XXII Bomber Command was assigned 14 October 1944 - 13 February 1945, and by 17 August 1944, 4 bomb wings (313th through 316th) were assigned to the base - the last left on 7 June 1945. [5] The 263rd AAF Base Unit became the Peterson "base operating unit" on 8 March 1945 (transferred to Andrews Field on 17 March 1946). The Army Air Forces Instructor School[specify] opened at Peterson Field in April 1945, [16] and the base was one of several that transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945. (VIII Bomber Command arrived 17 August 1945). If you have questions about how to pay for this item please let me know.