The airfield was built circa 1942 as part of the Army Airfields in the Orlando area, as an auxiliary to the Bushnell Army Airfield and Zephyrhills Army Airfield. Its primary mission was to support Chemical Weapons testing in the Bushnell area and as an emergency airfield for the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics fighter training school at Orlando Army Air Base.
In 1943 the Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, Mobile Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) Unit arrived at Bushnell AAF to begin experiments on both persistent and non-persistent chemical agents, setting up the Chemical Warfare Service Experimental Station. The Withlacoochee airfield was used by the CWS Unit as a landing strip for the planes used in the field trials at Withlacoochee Bombing & Gunnery Range. Several military herbicides for defoliation and crop destruction were tested at the airfield.
After World War II ended, the airstrip was abandoned and apparently has not been used ever since. Withlachoochee AAF has been the subject of several cleanup efforts to remove remnants of chemical weapons previously tested there, under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program.
Remnants of Withlacoochee Army Airfield - January 13, 2013
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Abandoned Airfields: Withlacoochee Army Airfield
April 09, 2024
withlacoochee, army, airfield, withlacoochee, bombing, gunnery, range, world, united, states, army, forces, airfield, located, miles, east, lacoochee, florida, airfield, closed, 1945, abandoned, located, near, lacoochee, florida1951, aerial, photocoordinates28. Withlacoochee Army Airfield and Withlacoochee Bombing amp Gunnery Range was a World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield located 8 2 miles 13 2 km east of Lacoochee Florida The airfield closed in 1945 and is now abandoned Withlacoochee Army AirfieldLocated near Lacoochee Florida1951 aerial photoWithlacoochee Army AirfieldCoordinates28 29 17 N 082 02 25 W 28 48806 N 82 04028 W 28 48806 82 04028Site historyIn use1940 1945History editThe airfield was built circa 1942 as part of the Army Airfields in the Orlando area as an auxiliary to the Bushnell Army Airfield and Zephyrhills Army Airfield Its primary mission was to support Chemical Weapons testing in the Bushnell area and as an emergency airfield for the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics fighter training school at Orlando Army Air Base In 1943 the Dugway Proving Ground Utah Mobile Chemical Warfare Service CWS Unit arrived at Bushnell AAF to begin experiments on both persistent and non persistent chemical agents setting up the Chemical Warfare Service Experimental Station The Withlacoochee airfield was used by the CWS Unit as a landing strip for the planes used in the field trials at Withlacoochee Bombing amp Gunnery Range Several military herbicides for defoliation and crop destruction were tested at the airfield After World War II ended the airstrip was abandoned and apparently has not been used ever since Withlachoochee AAF has been the subject of several cleanup efforts to remove remnants of chemical weapons previously tested there under the U S Army Corps of Engineers Formerly Used Defense Sites FUDS program nbsp Remnants of Withlacoochee Army Airfield January 13 2013See also editFlorida World War II Army AirfieldsReferences edit nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Abandoned Airfields Withlacoochee Army Airfield Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Withlacoochee Army Airfield amp oldid 1207291200, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
