Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara
Encyclopedia
'Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara (MCAS Santa Barbara) was a United States Marine Corps
air station that was located in Goleta, California
70 miles (113 km) north of Los Angeles
during World War II
. Commissioned on December 4, 1942, the air station consisted of an airfield that had been built into the Goleta Slough
and served as a training base for numerous squadrons before they deployed to support combat operations in the Pacific Theater
. Later in the war, the station would serve as home to Marine squadrons that were trained to operate from aircraft carriers providing close air support
for their fellow Marines on the ground. Following the surrender of Japan
and the subsequent drawdown of forces that ensued, the air station closed its doors in 1946 and today its property is home to the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport and the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara
.
recommended expanding the airfield in the interest of national defense which led to the city purchasing another 568 acres (2.3 km²) and building another terminal and filling in the Goleta Slough
to make way for three runways.
began to build revetments and station P-40 interceptors
at the airfield. The first Marines at Goleta came on June 14, 1942 with the arrival of Marine Aircraft Group 24
(MAG-24) and VMSB-243
and VMSB-244
. and expanded construction on the base began a month later on May 29, 1942. The field was officially commissioned on December 4, 1942; however, throughout 1942, the threat of a Japanese strike against the West Coast of the United States
kept the base on very high alert, especially after the raid against Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands.
The advanced echelon of Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 42
arrived in January 1943 and would remain for the duration of the war. Conditions surrounding the base also improved in early 1943 when the local slaughterhouse
burned down and the hog farm was abandoned. Two unique conditions that affected the base were that U.S. Route 101
ran through the middle of it and during the course of the war, United Air Lines continued to use the field.
In early 1944, after the Battle of Tarawa
where many felt that close air support
left much to be desired, General Holland Smith
recommended that Marine aviators be trained to operate from aircraft carriers. In July 1944, Commandant of the Marine Corps
General Alexander Vandegrift
held a meeting with Admiral Chester Nimitz
where it was agreed that Marine aircraft would be put on a certain number of escort carriers for the purpose of providing close air support for Marines during amphibious landings. This led to the establishment of the Marine Carrier Air Group (MCVG) and the establishment of a command known as Marine Carrier Groups Pacific which would be based at MCAS Santa Barbara. The goal for the unit was to have eight air groups ready for the expected invasion of Japan
late in 1945.
At its peak, the station housed just under 500 officers and had 3,100 enlisted men and 440 women Marines. A total of 24 squadrons trained at the base during the war and 101 aviation accidents occurred at the station during this training. Following the war, the Marine Corps debated making MCAS Santa Barbara a permanent installation; however the City resisted this proposal since the facility was needed for a municipal airport and no other land in the area was suitable. The station went on caretaker status March 1, 1946 and was released to the War Assets Administration
for disposal two months later. Today, substantial portions of the former air station are home to the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara
while a former hangar houses the Goleta/Santa Barbara Air Heritage Museum.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
air station that was located in Goleta, California
Goleta, California
Goleta is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated, populated area in the county. As of the 2000 census, the Census-designated place had a total population of 55,204, however, a significant...
70 miles (113 km) north of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Commissioned on December 4, 1942, the air station consisted of an airfield that had been built into the Goleta Slough
Goleta Slough
The Goleta Slough is an area of estuary, tidal creeks, tidal marsh, and wetlands near Goleta, California, USA. It primarily consists of the filled and unfilled remnants of the historic inner Goleta Bay about 8 miles west of Santa Barbara...
and served as a training base for numerous squadrons before they deployed to support combat operations in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
. Later in the war, the station would serve as home to Marine squadrons that were trained to operate from aircraft carriers providing close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
for their fellow Marines on the ground. Following the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
and the subsequent drawdown of forces that ensued, the air station closed its doors in 1946 and today its property is home to the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport and the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
.
Early years
In the early 1930' s, an airfield and flight school were established in Goleta, California that would later be named the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. In 1940, the Civil Aeronautics AuthorityFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
recommended expanding the airfield in the interest of national defense which led to the city purchasing another 568 acres (2.3 km²) and building another terminal and filling in the Goleta Slough
Goleta Slough
The Goleta Slough is an area of estuary, tidal creeks, tidal marsh, and wetlands near Goleta, California, USA. It primarily consists of the filled and unfilled remnants of the historic inner Goleta Bay about 8 miles west of Santa Barbara...
to make way for three runways.
World War II
After the outbreak of war, the United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
began to build revetments and station P-40 interceptors
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
at the airfield. The first Marines at Goleta came on June 14, 1942 with the arrival of Marine Aircraft Group 24
Marine Aircraft Group 24
Marine Aircraft Group 24 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay that is currently composed of three CH-53D Sea Stallion squadrons, a personnel support detachment and a maintenance and logistics squadron...
(MAG-24) and VMSB-243
VMSB-243
Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 243 was a dive bomber squadron in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the “Flying Goldbricks”, fought in World War II during the Battle of Bougainville and later in the Philippines campaign...
and VMSB-244
VMSB-244
Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 244 was a dive bomber squadron in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the “Bombing Banshees”, fought in World War II in the Pacific Theater as part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. They were deactivated shortly after the end of the...
. and expanded construction on the base began a month later on May 29, 1942. The field was officially commissioned on December 4, 1942; however, throughout 1942, the threat of a Japanese strike against the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
kept the base on very high alert, especially after the raid against Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands.
The advanced echelon of Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 42
Marine Aircraft Group 42
Marine Aircraft Group 42 was a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Atlanta, Georgia. Due to a re-organization within Marine aviation, MAG-42 was deactivated in 2008.-History:...
arrived in January 1943 and would remain for the duration of the war. Conditions surrounding the base also improved in early 1943 when the local slaughterhouse
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
burned down and the hog farm was abandoned. Two unique conditions that affected the base were that U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
ran through the middle of it and during the course of the war, United Air Lines continued to use the field.
In early 1944, after the Battle of Tarawa
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
where many felt that close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
left much to be desired, General Holland Smith
Holland Smith
General Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, KCB was a General in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern U.S. amphibious warfare....
recommended that Marine aviators be trained to operate from aircraft carriers. In July 1944, Commandant of the Marine Corps
Commandant of the Marine Corps
The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
General Alexander Vandegrift
Alexander Vandegrift
Alexander Archer Vandegrift, KBE, CB was a General in the United States Marine Corps. He commanded the 1st Marine Division to victory in its first ground offensive of World War II — Battle of Guadalcanal. For his actions during the Solomon Islands campaign, he received the Medal of Honor...
held a meeting with Admiral Chester Nimitz
Chester Nimitz
Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
where it was agreed that Marine aircraft would be put on a certain number of escort carriers for the purpose of providing close air support for Marines during amphibious landings. This led to the establishment of the Marine Carrier Air Group (MCVG) and the establishment of a command known as Marine Carrier Groups Pacific which would be based at MCAS Santa Barbara. The goal for the unit was to have eight air groups ready for the expected invasion of Japan
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
late in 1945.
At its peak, the station housed just under 500 officers and had 3,100 enlisted men and 440 women Marines. A total of 24 squadrons trained at the base during the war and 101 aviation accidents occurred at the station during this training. Following the war, the Marine Corps debated making MCAS Santa Barbara a permanent installation; however the City resisted this proposal since the facility was needed for a municipal airport and no other land in the area was suitable. The station went on caretaker status March 1, 1946 and was released to the War Assets Administration
War Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by EO 9689, January 31, 1946. American factorieshad produced massive amounts of weaponry during the World War II...
for disposal two months later. Today, substantial portions of the former air station are home to the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
while a former hangar houses the Goleta/Santa Barbara Air Heritage Museum.
See also
- Isla Vista, CaliforniaIsla Vista, CaliforniaIsla Vista is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 23,096. The majority of residents are college students at nearby University of California, Santa Barbara or at Santa...
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....
- University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraThe University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
- List of United States Marine Corps installations
- List of inactive United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
External links
- Developed to Serve Wartime Need — a document from the Santa Barbara Airport with a timeline and several photos of MCAS Santa Barbara.
- Commissioned to Train Aviators — another document with more photos and details about Marine training at the station.