Introduction

Aviation Engineering Battalions

The primary purpose of an Aviation Engineering Battalion was to build airfields. The secondary purpose was to construct any facilities required by the Air Corps (there was no Air Force yet) or the Army. The 1897th was normally attached to a large organization such as an Air Corps or an Army.

The largest engineering organization is usually the battalion. The battalion was commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a major as executive officer. Each of the four companies; Headquarters, A,B and C; had a captain and four lieutenants. The headquarters (HQ) company included an administration group with a warrant officer and a master sergeant, a medical group with a doctor and dentist and an engineering planning group with civil engineers (one lieutenant and one tech sergeant), surveyors and draftsmen. The HQ company contained most of the experienced heavy equipment operators, mechanics, electricians and the machine shop.

For weapons each company had a 37mm cannon (later replaced with bazookas), 50 caliber water cooled anti-aircraft machine guns, a half-track with 30 caliber machine guns. The enlisted men were armed with M-1s and the officers and top non-coms with 45 caliber automatics or 30 caliber carbines. There were some 45 caliber grease guns available.

Most of the heavy construction equipment was assigned to the HQ company. Caterpillar D-8 and D-7 tractors were the most used earthmoving equipment. All of the tractors except one hydraulic D-8 were cable operated and could be connected to a blade or a carryall as required (12 cubic yards for the D-8s and 8 cubic yards for D-7s). HQ company had two LeTourneau Turnapulls (10 cubic yards) for long distance dirt moving. Other major dirt movers were a two cubic yard power shovel and five ton dump trucks.

For finishing, grading and material handling there were Caterpillar motor graders, one ditching machine, a tow grader, a truck crane and a Turnacrane. Paving was with steel landing mat initially. Depending on materials available and the weather the preferred final surface for landing strips and taxi ways was compacted coral sealed with asphalt. The battalion had an asphalt plant consisting of two tank trailers with heating coils, a 125-psig steam boiler and a tank truck asphalt distributor. The asphalt was melted and cutback with diesel for spraying as a seal coat.