Pratt in Pratt County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Pratt Army Air Field WW II Timeline

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 2023

1. Pratt Army Air Field WW II Timeline Marker

Inscription.

Pratt Army Air Field world war two Timeline. . PAAF. 1941 US Military Begins Plans to Expand Land and Air Strength AUG-42 War Department Authorizes Money for Military Installation at Pratt KS USA SEP-42 Construction of Pratt Army Air Field Begins FEB-43 PAAF Designated as a Full Fledged Army Airbase for Crew Training FEB-43 First Plane (unknown aircraft) Lands on PAAF Runway MAY-43 First B-29 Secretly Flown to PAAF JUL-43 40th Bomb Group Begins Training at PAAF (First B-29 Group) MAR-44 40th Bomb Group Deployed to India OCT-44 497th Bomb Group Deployed to Saipan JAN-45 29th Bomb Group Deployed to Guam AUG-45 346th Bomb Group Deployed to Okinawa OCT-45 Pratt Tribune Announces PAAF to Close Dec 31, 1945 DEC-45 PAAF Officially Closed MAR-46 Last B-29 Leaves PAAF JUL-47 City of Pratt Assumes Land Ownership, B-29. 1939 B-29 Concept Development Submitted to Government 08-24-40 Development Contracts for two XB-29 Issued MAY-41 Initial Production Order for 14 Service Test Aircraft and 250 Production Aircraft 09-21-42 First Flight of #1 XB-29 Aircraft 12-30-42 First Flight of #2 XB-29 Aircraft 03-10-44 "Battle of Kansas" Begins (150 B-29s modified in 6 weeks) 06-05-44 First B-29 Mission Flown (Bangkok Thailand) 06-15-44 First B-29 Mission Flown Against Japan Occupied Territory 11-24-44 First B-29 Mission Flown Against Japan Home Islands 1945 B-29 Production Ends 05-28-46 Last B-29 Completed, world war two. 03-12-38 Germany Annexes Austria 09-30-38 Munich Agreement (Britain and France Agree to Hitler's Demands) 03-16-39 Germany Seizes Rest of Western Czechoslovakia 04-07-39 Italy Invades Albania 05-22-39 "Pact of Steel" (Germany and Italy Allied) 09-01-39 Germany Invades Poland 09-03-39 England and France Declare War on Germany 09-27-39 "Tripartite Pact" (Axis Powers - Germany, Italy, Japan Allied) 05-10-40 Battle of France Begins 07-10-40 Battle of Britain Begins 12-07-41 Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor (USA Enters world war two) 06-04-42 Battle of Midway Begins (Pacific War Turning Point) 08-23-42 Battle of Stalingrad Begins (Eastern Front War Turning Point) 06-06-44 Allied Invasion of Normandy (D Day) 12-16-44 Battle of the Bulge Begins (Europe War Turning Point) 05-08-45 GERMANY SURRENDERS (VE Day) 08-06-45 Hiroshima Atomic Bomb 08-09-45 Nagasaki Atomic Bomb 08-15-45 JAPAN SURRENDERS (VJ Day) 09-02-45 Japan Signs Treaty (END of world war two) , Japan aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific and was already at war with China in 1937. World War II began in earnest on September 1, 1939 with the invasion of Poland by Germany and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and England on September 3, 1939. The December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led directly to the U.S. entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. Many Kansas Air Bases were authorized soon after in 1942, but did not become fully operational until 1943. The USA was a combatant in world war two for less than 4 years. The PAAF operational period was less than 3 years total. B-29s flew operational missions for only 15 months, since development was not completed until well after the war started. Despite the short time frame, PAAF and the B-29 were important to the war effort. On May 7, 1945 Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Reims, France to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War II. On August 10, 1945 the Japanese initially surrendered, and on September 2, 1945 they signed the official treaty on board the USS Missouri, officially ending World War II. V-E Day is officially celebrated May 8th, and V-J Day on August 15th. , Copyright © 2015 B-29 Museum Inc. - Funded in part by the Recreational Trails Program administered by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism - Sign by Lowen Sign, Hutchinson, KS.

PAAF1941 US Military Begins Plans to Expand Land and Air Strength
AUG-42 War Department Authorizes Money for Military Installation at Pratt KS USA
SEP-42 Construction of Pratt Army Air Field Begins
FEB-43 PAAF Designated as a Full Fledged Army Airbase for Crew Training
FEB-43 First Plane (unknown aircraft) Lands on PAAF Runway
MAY-43 First B-29 Secretly Flown to PAAF
JUL-43 40th Bomb Group Begins Training at PAAF (First B-29 Group)
MAR-44 40th Bomb Group Deployed to India
OCT-44 497th Bomb Group Deployed to Saipan
JAN-45 29th Bomb Group Deployed to Guam
AUG-45 346th Bomb Group Deployed to Okinawa
OCT-45 Pratt Tribune Announces PAAF to Close Dec 31, 1945
DEC-45 PAAF Officially Closed
MAR-46 Last B-29 Leaves PAAF
JUL-47 City of Pratt Assumes Land Ownership

B-291939 B-29 Concept Development Submitted to Government
08-24-40 Development Contracts for two XB-29 Issued
MAY-41 Initial Production Order for 14 Service Test Aircraft and 250 Production Aircraft
09-21-42 First Flight of #1 XB-29 Aircraft
12-30-42 First Flight of #2 XB-29 Aircraft
03-10-44 "Battle of Kansas" Begins (150 B-29s modified in 6 weeks)
06-05-44 First B-29 Mission Flown (Bangkok Thailand)
06-15-44 First B-29 Mission Flown Against Japan

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Occupied Territory
11-24-44 First B-29 Mission Flown Against Japan Home Islands
1945 B-29 Production Ends
05-28-46 Last B-29 Completed

WW II03-12-38 Germany Annexes Austria
09-30-38 Munich Agreement (Britain and France Agree to Hitler's Demands)
03-16-39 Germany Seizes Rest of Western Czechoslovakia
04-07-39 Italy Invades Albania
05-22-39 "Pact of Steel" (Germany and Italy Allied)
09-01-39 Germany Invades Poland
09-03-39 England and France Declare War on Germany
09-27-39 "Tripartite Pact" (Axis Powers - Germany, Italy, Japan Allied)
05-10-40 Battle of France Begins
07-10-40 Battle of Britain Begins
12-07-41 Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor (USA Enters WW II)
06-04-42 Battle of Midway Begins (Pacific War Turning Point)
08-23-42 Battle of Stalingrad Begins (Eastern Front War Turning Point)
06-06-44 Allied Invasion of Normandy (D Day)
12-16-44 Battle of the Bulge Begins (Europe War Turning Point)
05-08-45 GERMANY SURRENDERS (VE Day)
08-06-45 Hiroshima Atomic Bomb
08-09-45 Nagasaki Atomic Bomb
08-15-45 JAPAN SURRENDERS (VJ Day)
09-02-45 Japan Signs Treaty (END of WWII)

Japan aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific and was already at war with China in 1937. World War II began in earnest on September 1, 1939 with the invasion of Poland by Germany and subsequent declarations of

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 2023

2. Pratt Army Air Field WW II Timeline Marker

(looking northeast • Chandler Road in background)

war on Germany by France and England on September 3, 1939. The December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led directly to the U.S. entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. Many Kansas Air Bases were authorized soon after in 1942, but did not become fully operational until 1943. The USA was a combatant in WWII for less than 4 years. The PAAF operational period was less than 3 years total. B-29s flew operational missions for only 15 months, since development was not completed until well after the war started. Despite the short time frame, PAAF and the B-29 were important to the war effort. On May 7, 1945 Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Reims, France to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War II. On August 10, 1945 the Japanese initially surrendered, and on September 2, 1945 they signed the official treaty on board the USS Missouri, officially ending World War II. V-E Day is officially celebrated May 8th, and V-J Day on August 15th.

Copyright © 2015 B-29 Museum Inc. - Funded in part by the Recreational Trails Program administered by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism - Sign by Lowen Sign, Hutchinson, KS.

Erected by Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; B-29 Museum; City of Pratt; and Airport

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Authority.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is September 1, 1939.

Location. 37° 42.287′ N, 98° 44.448′ W. Marker is in Pratt, Kansas, in Pratt County. Marker is at the intersection of Barker Avenue and Chandler Road, on the right when traveling north on Barker Avenue. Marker is located in near the B-29 All Veterans Memorial, on the grounds of Pratt Regional Airport (the former Pratt Army Air Field). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 40131 Barker Avenue, Pratt KS 67124, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Pratt Army Air Field and the B-29 "Superfortress" (within shouting distance of this marker); B-29 All Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Pratt Army Air Field (within shouting distance of this marker); 45th Bombardment Squadron (VH) Honored Dead (within shouting distance of this marker); 29th Bomb Group (within shouting distance of this marker); 58th Bomb Wing (within shouting distance of this marker); Training Fatalities - Pratt Army Air Field (within shouting distance of this marker); 40th Bomb Group VH (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pratt.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Pratt Army Air Field Historical Walk

Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 4, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 224 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 5, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.