Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
In the dark days following the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Congress appropriated massive defense appropriations. The US Army selected Great Falls, Montana, as the site of a major air base. Concurrent with its construction were satellite airfields at Cut Bank, Glasgow, and Lewistown. On October 28, 1942, the first Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses roared over Lewistown’s Main Street with their bomb bays open, buzzed the treetops, and landed at the Lewistown Airfield. Crews trained day and night combining navigation, bombing, and gunnery practice. The men familiarized themselves with all aspects of the B-17 and trained with the top secret Norden bombsight, a computerized aiming device that reportedly could “put bombs in a pickle barrel.” After one to three months of instruction, aircrews then flew directly to join the air war in Europe. Nearly 1,000 GIs trained at the Lewistown Airfield. They became a welcome part of the community, married local girls, and won the hearts of the townspeople. Many never came home. B-17s carried 4,000 pounds of bombs and served in every World War II combat zone, but casualties among bomber squadrons were horrific. A single mission over Germany in October 1942 claimed 60 B-17s and 600 lives. The Lewistown Satellite Airfield was deactivated after eleven months of service. As the US Department of Defense systematically removes “temporary” World War II buildings, this Airfield is a rarity and its intact Norden bombsight storage shelter is the only known identifiable example remaining in the United States.
All Purpose Shop
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
During World War II, the Army Corps of Engineers built almost 1,300 airfields. These rapidly constructed facilities followed standardized plans, all of which included an All Purpose Shop. The unassuming one-story buildings served as the bases' much-needed maintenance centers. In Lewistown, as…
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Armament Building
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
Sand-filled “Blue Beetle” practice bombs with a five-pound black powder charge were loaded here for placement in the B-17s’ bomb bays. The practice bombs were later dropped in 1,000-foot circles during the daytime and on lighted targets at night. The bombing range was near War Horse Lake, 12 miles…
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Bombsite Storage Building
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
Barbed wire encircled this double-compartment storage building and a 24-hour sentry kept armed guard. The top secret Norden bombsight, a mechanical analog computer, was accessed through bank vault doors, removed carefully for training missions, and returned under armed guard. The 50-pound…
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Camouflage Building
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
The United States Army Air Force (USAAF) trained its field maintenance crews in camouflage painting to make aircraft difficult to distinguish from the ground. Constructed in the spring of 1943, this building was designed for teaching and facilitating aircraft camouflage techniques. A catwalk,…
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Crew Chief Building
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
The mechanics that kept the heavy four-engine bombers, known as “flying fortresses,” aloft and the crew chiefs that coordinated the efforts of their teams had offices in this building. The squadrons that trained at Lewistown, Glasgow, and Cut Bank and at army headquarters in Great Falls were…
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Elevated Storage Tank
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
The brightly painted red and white squares of this four-story water tower have been a distinct landmark since its placement on the prairie in 1942. The 50,000-gallon storage tank, built circa 1908, originally served the community of Broadview north of Billings. The southwest leg of the tower…
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Fire Pump House
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
The army tapped into Lewistown’s water supply, but the base had its own water system. The pump house was critical to the safety of the base. Its massive pumping equipment provided accelerated water recharge for fire emergencies. The pump house not only housed a high capacity electric pump, but also…
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Hangar
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
The airfield’s immense hangar dominates the flight apron and appears much as it did when World War II vintage B-17s roared down the runway. Construction of the airfield began in July 1942. The original hangar plans were soon modified, increasing the height and length of the building, likely to…
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Oil Storage House
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
The B-17 was the Air Force's first aircraft made predominantly of metal. Its only non-metal parts were its control surfaces—the vertical and horizontal stabilizers on the rudder and the ailerons on the wings (the movable part used to control roll). To keep them lightweight, these control…
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Operations and Alert Building
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
Planning and scheduling of the training missions took place in this one-story T-shaped building during an eleven-month period in 1942-1943. After November 1942, when the first of the four-engine B-17 bombers roared down the airfield, they filled the skies over Central Montana. Despite the secrecy…
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Quartermaster Warehouses
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
Caring for the squadrons of men who trained at the airfield was no easy task. It required a permanent host crew of approximately 150 to keep the base running smoothly. In addition to providing the actual training, members of the host crew assured that the plumbing functioned, the lights turned on,…
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Pre-War Hangar
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
Local businessman Harrison Green established Lewistown’s first airport at this location in 1928, intending to sell it to the city or operate it as a private enterprise. The city, however, established its own airport in 1933 just across the road from Green’s runway. When airmail and air passenger…
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Recreation Building
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
Essential for maintaining morality and morale, the Recreation Building was one of the busiest spots on base. A host of activities provided wholesome entertainment to occupy the airmen's off-duty hours. Events included amateur nights on Mondays, movies on Tuesdays and Thursdays, dances on…
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Training Building
Lewistown Satellite Airfield Historic District
During World War II, many aircrews came to Lewistown for the final phase of their training. Here they logged an average eight hours of ground school for every hour of flying time. In this building the men studied aircraft identification, learned first aid and emergency procedures, listened to…
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