Wendover Air Force Base

Wendover Air Force Base, now known as Wendover Airport , stands as a silent testament to a pivotal era in military aviation and the dawn of the atomic age. Nestled near the stark beauty of Wendover, Utah , this former United States Air Force installation carries a history etched in the vast desert landscape, from its origins as a crucial training ground during World War II to its instrumental role in the development and deployment of the atomic bomb. It’s a place where ambition met necessity, and where the future of warfare was irrevocably altered.

Origins: A Strategic Canvas in the Desert

The genesis of Wendover Air Force Base can be traced back to 1940, a year before the United States was directly embroiled in global conflict, yet the winds of war were already stirring. The United States Army recognized the pressing need for extensive bombing ranges, and the desolate terrain surrounding Wendover presented an ideal, albeit austere, canvas. The area boasted remarkably consistent flying weather, a rarity that was invaluable for consistent training. Crucially, it was sparsely populated, with the town of Wendover itself a mere hamlet of about 100 souls at the time. This isolation, while a practical consideration, also meant minimal disruption to civilian life and, perhaps more importantly, facilitated the secrecy that would become paramount in later operations.

The strategic advantage of Wendover was further amplified by its connection to the outside world via the Western Pacific Railroad . This vital artery ensured the logistical support necessary for establishing and sustaining a military installation. Construction of the base commenced with a determined stride on September 20, 1940, closely followed by the establishment of the associated range on November 4 of the same year. Wendover Air Base was officially designated a subpost of Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City on July 29, 1941, signaling its formal integration into the Army’s expanding infrastructure.

The scale of the endeavor was immense. By this point, an astonishing 1,822,000 acres (737,000 ha) had been secured for the base and its sprawling gunnery and bombing range. This vast expanse stretched 86 miles (138 km) in length and varied in width from 18 to 36 miles (29 to 58 km), providing ample room for the simulated combat missions that would define its wartime purpose. This acquisition, however, was not without its friction. Local ranchers, whose livelihoods were intrinsically tied to the grazing lands, lodged vociferous protests. They argued that the loss of this land would decimate their operations, resulting in an annual economic blow of $1.5 million to the state of Utah . Their appeals reached the ears of Governor Henry Hooper Blood , but the inexorable momentum of the War Department ensured that the development of the bombing range would proceed. The first contingent of military personnel arrived on August 12, 1941, tasked with the critical job of constructing targets on the immense bombing range. To quench the thirst of this burgeoning military outpost, a pipeline was ingeniously run from a spring on Pilot Peak to the base, a testament to the resourcefulness required to sustain operations in such an arid environment.

World War II: A Crucible of Bomber Crews and Atomic Secrets

The entry of the United States into World War II dramatically amplified the significance of Wendover Field. It rapidly evolved into the Army Air Force’s largest bombing and gunnery range, a critical hub for training the airmen who would carry the fight to the enemy. In March 1942, Wendover Army Air Field was officially activated, and its mission expanded to include the research and development of guided missiles, pilotless aircraft, and remotely controlled bombs—cutting-edge technologies that would shape future conflicts. The base received essential supplies and maintenance support from the Ogden Air Depot, located at Hill Field . To streamline these operations, the Wendover Sub-Depot was activated in April 1942, assuming direct technical and administrative oversight of the field under the auspices of the Ogden Air Depot. Its primary mandate was to procure, store, and issue all necessary Army Air Forces property for the units undergoing training at Wendover Field.

By the close of 1943, the base had transformed into a bustling metropolis within the desert. It housed approximately 2,000 civilian employees and a staggering 17,500 military personnel. Construction was a near-constant activity throughout much of the war, resulting in the creation of three expansive runways, each measuring 8,100 feet (2,500 m) in length, along with a vast network of taxiways, a 300,000-square-foot (28,000 m²) ramp, and seven imposing hangars . By May 1945, the base boasted an impressive 668 buildings, a comprehensive infrastructure that included a 300-bed hospital, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, a library, a chapel, a cafeteria, a bowling alley, two movie theaters, and 361 housing units designated for married officers and civilians. This self-contained community was a microcosm of the wartime effort, designed to support and sustain the rigorous training demanded by the conflict.

Heavy Bombardment Group Training

Wendover’s primary mission during the war was the intensive training of heavy bomb groups. The program for Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator crews commenced in April 1942 with the arrival of the 306th Bomb Group , which operated B-17s. Between March 1942 and April 1944, Wendover Army Air Field served as the crucible for twenty newly formed B-17 and B-24 groups during a crucial phase of their collective training. The Second Air Force structured its bombardment training into three distinct phases. The initial phase focused on the development of individual crew members’ skills. The second phase involved the crew working as a cohesive unit, honing their teamwork. The third and final phase saw the entire group training together, emphasizing formation flying and simulated combat missions. Until the end of 1943, each of these critical training phases was conducted at a different base, highlighting the specialized nature of the instruction provided at each location.

The following table meticulously documents the heavy bomb groups that underwent training at Wendover Army Air Base:

Fighter Training

The strategic landscape shifted in April 1944, prompting a change in Wendover Army Air Base’s mission. The base welcomed the 72nd Fighter Wing and its complement of P-47 fighters, arriving from Louisiana. This fighter training program, however, was relatively short-lived, concluding in September of the same year. During its tenure, it successfully trained three groups, totaling 180 men.

The 509th Composite Group: Forging the Atomic Sword

The most historically significant chapter in Wendover’s wartime narrative began in June 1943, as preparations commenced for the operational deployment of atomic bombs . While the British Avro Lancaster , with its capacious 33-foot (10 m) bomb bay, was considered more suitable for the atomic mission, Major General Leslie R. Groves, Jr. , the formidable director of the Manhattan Project , and General Henry H. Arnold , Chief of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), harbored a strong desire to utilize an American aircraft. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was ultimately selected, despite the necessity for substantial modifications. This ambitious modification project was codenamed Silverplate , a designation that would eventually encompass the training and operational aspects of the entire atomic bomb program.

The responsibility for forming and training the unit capable of delivering these unprecedented weapons fell to Lieutenant Colonel Paul Tibbets . A decorated officer with extensive combat experience in Europe and North Africa, Tibbets possessed an intimate knowledge of the B-29, having served as one of its test pilots . He evaluated several potential locations for his clandestine training program, ultimately selecting Wendover over Great Bend, Kansas , and Mountain Home, Idaho . Wendover’s remoteness was a distinct advantage for maintaining secrecy and security, yet it remained within a manageable air distance from the Manhattan Project’s primary research facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico , and the Naval Auxiliary Air Station Salton Sea , where crucial bombing tables for the mission would be meticulously developed. The base itself was assigned the code name “Kingman,” becoming known within the Manhattan Project as Site K. The specific activities focused on assembling, modifying, and conducting flight tests of prototype atomic bombs were collectively designated “Project W-47 ”.

On September 14, 1944, the 393d Bomb Squadron arrived at Wendover, having relocated from its former base at Fairmont Army Air Base , Nebraska , where it had served as an operational training unit (OTU) with the 504th Bombardment Group since March 12. When its parent group deployed to the Marianas in early November 1944, the squadron was directly assigned to the Second Air Force until the formal establishment of the 509th Composite Group on December 17, 1944. This new group was designed to be as self-sufficient as possible. Approximately 800 personnel stationed at the field were transferred to form the core of the 509th. To bolster its capabilities, other units were integrated, including the 390th Air Service Group, comprising the 603d Air Engineering and 1027th Materiel Squadrons; the 320th Troop Carrier Squadron , affectionately known as the “Green Hornet Airlines”; the 1395th Military Police Company; and later, the 1st Ordnance Squadron. A specialized unit from the Manhattan Project, the 1st Technical Detachment, was also attached to the group, underscoring the project’s unique nature.

The 216th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Special) undertook the critical task of constructing and drop-testing prototype atomic weapons, albeit without nuclear material. The precise flight characteristics of these novel bomb designs and the intricate functioning of their fusing mechanisms were largely unknown. In February 1945, a dedicated Flight Test Section was established within the 216th Army Air Forces Base Unit to conduct these vital tests. Initially, it was equipped with five Silverplate B-29s, supported by three flight crews and five maintenance crews. To manage an increasingly demanding schedule, four crews from the 393d Bombardment Squadron were seconded to assist. The Flight Test Section conducted a rigorous program, executing 24 drop tests in June and an additional 30 in July. Approximately two-thirds of the June tests involved Fat Man shapes, while the remainder utilized Little Boy designs. In July, the focus shifted predominantly to Fat Man shapes, with some tests employing explosively filled Pumpkin bombs . These test drops were conducted at Wendover, as well as at the Naval Ordnance Test Station at Inyokern , and the Naval Auxiliary Air Station Salton Sea. Testing continued with remarkable intensity, culminating in the successful final test of the Fat Man firing unit, known as the X-unit, at Wendover on August 4, with a subsequent test six days later.

The aircrews maintained a relentless training regimen until May. Each bombardier successfully completed a minimum of 50 practice drops of inert pumpkin bombs before Tibbets deemed his group combat-ready. The ground support echelon of the 509th Composite Group received their movement orders and departed by rail on April 26, 1945, bound for their port of embarkation in Seattle , Washington. On May 6, these support elements set sail on the SS Cape Victory for the Marianas, while the group’s materiel was shipped aboard the SS Emile Berliner. The air echelon’s advance party flew via C-54 to North Field, Tinian between May 15 and May 22. They were joined by the ground echelon on May 29, 1945, marking the group’s official change of station. It was from this remote Pacific island that the historic atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be carried out.

Following the conclusion of its critical wartime mission, the 216th Army Air Forces Base Unit relocated to Oxnard Field in September 1945. On December 17, 1945, it was transferred to the Manhattan District’s 9812th Technical Services Unit. Oxnard would later be designated Sandia Base . The Special Ordnance Detachment transported its specialized tools, equipment, and even some of its buildings, ensuring the continuity of critical operations. The test program resumed at Sandia in January 1946.

JB-2 Testing: A Glimpse of Future Warfare

In early September 1944, a detachment from the Special Weapons Branch of Wright Field , Ohio, arrived at Wendover, bringing with them thirteen Republic-Ford JB-2 flying bombs. The JB-2 was essentially an American adaptation of the formidable Nazi V-1 flying bomb , reverse-engineered from captured V-1 wreckage recovered in England. The American JB-2 differed from its German predecessor only in minor dimensional aspects. At Wendover, a specialized launch ramp was constructed for the JB-2, designed based on aerial photographs of ramps utilized by the Germans in the Low Countries. In addition to ground-launched tests, a B-17 Flying Fortress was ingeniously modified to carry the jet bomb beneath its wing, enabling air launch capabilities. Numerous tests were conducted, and an initial production order for 1,000 units was placed by the Army, with plans for subsequent monthly production of an additional 1,000 units. However, the rapidly shifting fortunes of war in Europe during the spring of 1945 led to a strategic decision to deploy the JB-2 in the Pacific Theater as part of Operation Downfall , the planned invasion of Japan. The sudden and unexpected end of the war in September 1945 resulted in the curtailment of the JB-2 program, and the weapon was ultimately never deployed in combat.

Postwar Use: From Storage to Strategic Reserve

The intense training of B-29 aircrews and the critical testing of prototype atomic weapons represented Wendover Field’s final major contributions during the active phase of World War II. Following the war’s conclusion, some crew training persisted, albeit at a significantly reduced tempo. For a period, B-29s returning from the Marianas were flown to Wendover for storage, a silent testament to the massive bomber force that had been deployed. In the summer of 1946, the Ogden Air Technical Service Command, based at Hill Army Air Field north of Salt Lake City, assumed jurisdiction over all operations at Wendover Field, with the exception of engineering and technical projects.

A rapidly spreading fire on the night of July 6, 1946, inflicted significant damage, destroying a hangar and seven other buildings described as “mobile-type, wooden structures.” The blaze also claimed six training planes before it could be brought under control. Colonel Ray Harris, the commanding officer of the Ogden Air Technical Command, estimated the damage at US$1.5 million.

Wendover played a crucial, though less publicized, role in the postwar evolution of weapons development, with three key areas of focus. Firstly, testing of the JB-2 Loon flying bomb continued. Secondly, the B-17 Flying Fortress, though obsolete as a combat aircraft, was subjected to tests aimed at enabling remote flight capabilities. Development of gliding bombs, inspired by captured German Henschel Hs 293 radio-controlled glide bombs, progressed, with designs incorporating radar or radio guidance. The third area involved the development of bombs that could be controlled by the launching aircraft. A notable achievement in this sphere was the historic GAPA (ground to air pilotless aircraft) Boeing project, which resulted in the first supersonic flight of an American Air Force vehicle on August 6, 1946. In March 1947, the Air Proving Ground Command research programs were relocated to Alamogordo Army Airfield in New Mexico. Consequently, 1,200 personnel from Wendover Field were transferred to Alamogordo to spearhead guided missile research projects. Three ongoing projects were transferred along with the personnel: Ground-to-Air Pilotless Aircraft (GAPA), JB-2 Loon flight testing, and the ASM-A-1 Tarzon gliding bomb.

In March 1947, Wendover was transferred to the Strategic Air Command ’s Fifteenth Air Force . With the subsequent establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an independent service later that year, the installation was officially renamed Wendover Air Force Base in 1947. However, while bombardment groups utilized the bombing range for their maneuvers, the remainder of the base largely lay dormant. It was inactivated in 1948 and declared surplus, though it was retained in a caretaker status. The Air Materiel Command assumed responsibility for the base in July 1950, placing it under the jurisdiction of the Ogden Air Material Area at Hill Air Force Base. Between 1950 and 1954, the base was maintained by a skeletal crew of only thirteen individuals. During this period, the buildings, largely neglected, deteriorated significantly. Some were dismantled, others demolished, and some succumbed to fire.

The Tactical Air Command (TAC) reactivated the base on October 1, 1954, placing it under the command of the Ninth Air Force . Tactical units began deploying to Wendover for exercises, utilizing the base for the next four years. TAC invested several million dollars in renovating the base facilities and constructing new targets on the range. Despite these improvements, only 331 personnel were assigned to the base in 1956. The base was deactivated once more in December 1957. It was transferred back to Ogden’s jurisdiction on January 1, 1958, and renamed Wendover Air Force Auxiliary Field. The associated range was renamed Hill Air Force Range in 1960 and subsequently inactivated in August 1961.

The base saw another reactivation on July 15, 1961, though its operational strength was minimal, consisting solely of a fifteen-man firefighting detachment. By 1962, when the base was deactivated for the final time, only 128 of the original 668 buildings remained standing. The General Services Administration (GSA) proposed selling the base to the town of Wendover, with the Air Force retaining only the bombing ranges and radar site. It was officially declared surplus in 1972. In 1974, the base was renamed Decker Field, a tribute to Mr. Douglas A. Decker and his team, whose dedicated efforts were instrumental in opening Wendover Air Force Base to public use. The base continued to host occasional training exercises for Air National Guard units, and the firefighting detachment remained in place until 1977.

Wendover was officially recognized for its historical significance when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 1975. The entire facility was declared surplus in 1976, and on July 9, 1976, the water system and its annexes were transferred to the city of Wendover, Utah . On August 15, 1977, the GSA deeded the majority of the base, including its extensive runway system, taxiways, hangars, hospital complex, and numerous warehouses, to Wendover for development as a civil airport. The Air Force, however, retained approximately 86 acres (35 ha) of the cantonment area and 164 acres (66 ha) dedicated to the radar site.

Beginning in 1980, the 4440th Tactical Fighter Training Group initiated regular large-scale exercises known as Red Flag from their home base at Nellis AFB , Nevada. These exercises frequently utilized Wendover, with over 9,000 men and women deployed to Decker Field, Utah. During these exercises, approximately 5,200 sorties were flown, accumulating over 9,500 flying hours. The Red Flag exercises at Wendover were discontinued after 1986. In 1992, the U.S. Air Force relinquished the remaining portions of Decker Field to the town of Wendover.

Current Uses: A Legacy Preserved in Concrete and Dust

As of 2015, Wendover Air Force Base continues its operational life as a civil airport, a far cry from its wartime intensity but still a functional hub. The airfield’s profound isolation in northwestern Utah, situated amidst a vast, sparsely populated desert, has paradoxically contributed to the preservation of much of its historical infrastructure. The expansive runway system, numerous ramps, taxiways, dispersal pads, and a significant number of the original hangars, including the famed Enola Gay B-29 hangar, remain largely intact. The hospital complex, many barracks, a chow hall, a chapel, a swimming pool, and a multitude of other World War II-era buildings also stand as silent witnesses to the past.

In 2009, a hangar at the base, infamously known as “The Manhattan Project’s Enola Gay Hangar,” was designated as one of the most endangered historic sites in the United States, highlighting the ongoing challenges of preservation. A dedicated local organization, Historic Wendover Airfield , actively works to preserve the former base, striving to maintain its historical integrity for future generations.

The unique landscape and well-preserved structures of Wendover Field have also made it a sought-after location for the entertainment industry. Numerous films, television shows, and documentaries have utilized the site for filming, including The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), Con Air (1997), Mulholland Falls (1996), Independence Day (1996), Hulk (2003), and The Core (2003), each leveraging the base’s evocative atmosphere to enhance their narratives.

Wendover Air Force Base, therefore, transcends its identity as a former military installation. It is a repository of history, a monument to technological advancement, and a stark reminder of the profound impact that strategic decisions made in isolated desert outposts can have on the global stage. Its runways may no longer echo with the roar of B-17s or B-29s on training missions, but the stories they hold, and the secrets they once guarded, continue to resonate.