thumb|The Lend-Lease Memorial in [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks, Alaska commemorates the shipment of U.S. aircraft to the Soviet Union along the Northwest Staging Route.]]
The Northwest Staging Route was a series of airstrips, airport and radio ranging stations operating in Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska during World War II. It extended into the Soviet Union as the ALSIB (ALaska-SIBerian air road). The Northwest Staging Route carried warplanes to the Soviet Union, at a time when that country was fighting German invaders along the Eastern Front.
Origins
The route was developed in 1942 for several reasons. Initially, the 7th Ferrying Group, Ferrying Command, United States Army Air Corps (later Air Transport Command) at Gore Field (Great Falls Municipal Airport) was ordered to organize and develop an air route to send assistance to the Soviet Union through Northern Canada, across Alaska and the Bering Sea to Siberia, and eventually over to the Eastern Front. The US-Canadian Permanent Joint Board on Defense decided in the autumn of 1940 that a string of airports should be constructed at Canadian expense between the city of Edmonton in central Alberta and the Alaska-Yukon border. Late in 1941 the Canadian government reported that rough landing fields had been completed.
With the outbreak of war, American lines of communication with Alaska by sea were seriously threatened and alternative routes had to be opened. The string of airports through the lonely tundra and forests of northwest Canada provided an air route to Alaska which was practically invulnerable to attack, and it seemed to be in U.S. interests to develop them and open a highway which would at once be a service road for the airports and a means for transporting essential supplies to the Alaskan outposts. In response, the United States Army began building the Alaskan Highway. The route of the Alaska Highway, which was built to provide a land route to Alaska, basically connected the airfields together. Edmonton became the headquarters of the Alaskan Wing, Air Transport Command. In addition to the Lend-Lease aircraft, Alaskan Eleventh Air Force aircraft were also ferried up the NSR, with the aircraft being flown to Elmendorf Field, near Anchorage from RCAF Station Whitehorse upon their arrival.
The Russians set up a command at Ladd Field and Nome where their pilots were trained to take over the aircraft and fly them to Krasnoyarsk in Siberia and on to various fronts in western Russia. The first group of Russian pilots arrived at Nome on 14 August 1942 on their way to Ladd Field. Along with the pilots were civilians from the Soviet Purchasing Commission and a group of Red Air Force mechanics. Most were located at Ladd, with a secondary group at Marks Field. The first Lend-Lease aircraft, a group of twelve A-20 Havocs, arrived at Ladd on 3 September 1942. The first Russian pilots, after five days of training on the aircraft, took off for Nome and the long trip to the Eastern Front.
Initially the USAAF provided the initial training on how to operate and maintain the Lend-Lease aircraft. Later, after an experienced cadre was developed, the Russians assumed the responsibility. The Russians also meticulously inspected each aircraft, and would reject any aircraft that presented the slightest problem. The USAAF was then left with the chore of correcting them. It was sometimes quite exasperating, as the USAAF would work long hours of overtime to get the aircraft into first-class condition so that all the Russians had to do was fly them from Fairbanks to the Eastern Front. Thirteen Red Air Force pilots were buried in the Fort Richardson cemetery.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" width="200" | Name
! scope="col" width="50" | Location
! scope="col" width="175" | Coordinates
! scope="col" width="350" | Notes
|-
| Gambell Army Air Field
| AK
|
| Final refueling stop prior to aircraft being flown into Soviet airspace
|-
| Marks Field
| AK
|
| Final servicing point for aircraft; 1469th AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| Galena Airport
| AK
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1468th AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| Ladd Field
| AK
|
| Was main transfer point for Lend-Lease aircraft from United States ATC pilots to Soviet Red Air Force pilots; aircraft then flown to Siberia after transfer.
|-
| Mile 26 Field
| AK
|
| Axillary for Ladd AAB
|-
| Big Delta Army Air Field
| AK
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1464th AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| Tanacross Air Base
| AK
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1464th AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| Northway Army Air Field
| AK
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1463d AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| Snag
| YT
|
| Abandoned. Emergency landing strip, constructed 1941 by Canadian government
|-
| Burwash Landing
| YT
|
| Emergency landing strip, constructed 1941 by Canadian government
|-
| Silver City
| YT
|
| Emergency landing strip, constructed 1941 by Canadian government
|-
| Aishihik
| YT
|
| Abandoned, Emergency airstrip, constructed 1941 by Canadian government
|-
| Pine Lake
| YT
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield, constructed 1941 by Canadian government
|-
| Champagne
| YT
|
| Emergency landing strip, constructed 1941 by Canadian government
|-
| Cousins
| YT
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| RCAF Station Whitehorse
| YT
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1462d AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division; also known as Whitehorse Army Air Base. Remained as joint RCAF/USAF base until about 1949; hosted Det.3, 1701st Air Transport Wing (MATS)
|-
| Squanga Lake
| YT
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Teslin Lake
| YT
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Pine Lake
| YT
|
| Emergency landing strip (a.k.a. Daughney Aerodrome)
|-
| Watson Lake/Liard River
| YT
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1461st AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| Smith River
| BC
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Fort Nelson
| BC
|
| Was main refueling/servicing point on route; 1460th AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division. Remained as joint RCAF/USAF base until about 1949; hosted Det.2, 1701st Air Transport Wing (MATS)
|-
| Prophet River
| BC
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Beatton River
| BC
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Sikanni Chief
| BC
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Fort St. John
| BC
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1459th AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| RCAF Station Dawson Creek
| BC
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| Beaverlodge
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Grande Prairie
| AB
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1457th AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| DeBolt
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Valleyview
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Fox Creek
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Whitecourt
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Mayerthorpe
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Birch Lake
| AB
|
| Auxiliary airfield; now abandoned and obliterated
|-
| RCAF Station Namao
| AB
|
| Opened 1 November 1944. Additional Hub/refueling/servicing airfield in Edmonton. Remained as joint RCAF/USAF base until about 1949; hosted Det.1, 1701st Air Transport Wing (MATS)
|-
| RCAF Station Edmonton
| AB
|
| Activated 17 October 1942. Was HQ, Alaskan Wing, ATC; Hub/refueling/servicing airfield; 1450th/1451st/1452d AAFBU.(Repairs performed at Edmonton by Aircraft Repair Ltd., led by Wilfred Leigh Brintnell.)
|-
! style= colspan="4" | Great Falls-Edmonton
|-
| Ponoka
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Lacombe
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| RCAF Station Penhold
| AB
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield (now Red Deer Regional Airport)
|-
| Innisfail
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Olds
| AB
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| Carstairs
| AB
|
| Emergency landing strip
|-
| Airdrie
| AB
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| Calgary
| AB
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 1457th AAFBU ATC Alaskan Division.
|-
| Okotoks
| AB
|
| Emergency airstrip
|-
| High River
| AB
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| Nanton
| AB
|
| 2 x runway auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield, now abandoned and obliterated as farmland
|-
| RCAF Station Claresholm
| AB
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield (now Claresholm Industrial Airport)
|-
| RCAF Station Lethbridge
| AB
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield (now Lethbridge County Airport)
|-
| Shelby
| MT
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| Conrad
| MT
|
| Auxiliary refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| Gore Field
| MT
|
| 557th AAFBU, Ferrying Division, ATC; Group assembly and dispatch airfield for Lend-lease aircraft (now Great Falls International Airport)
|-
| Great Falls Army Air Base
| MT
|
| HQ, Northwest Sector, Domestic Wing, ATC; Group assembly and servicing airfield for Lend-lease aircraft; passenger point of Embarkation (now Malmstrom Air Force Base)
|-
! style= colspan="4"| Minneapolis-Edmonton
|-
| Vegreville
| AB
|
| Emergency landing airfield
|-
| Vermillion
| AB
|
| Emergency landing airfield
|-
| Lloydminster
| SK
|
| Emergency landing airfield (closed about 1981 now abandoned, replaced by new airport on Alberta side of border)
|-
| RCAF Station North Battleford
| SK
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield (now North Battleford Airport)
|-
| RCAF Station Saskatoon
| SK
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield (now Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport)
|-
| Humboldt
| SK
|
| Emergency landing airfield
|-
| Yorkton
| SK
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| Russell
| MB
|
| Emergency landing airfield
|-
| Shoal Lake
| MB
|
| Emergency landing airfield
|-
| Minnedosa
| MB
|
| Emergency landing airfield
|-
| Neepawa
| MB
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| RCAF Station Portage la Prairie
| MB
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield (now Portage la Prairie/Southport Airport)
|-
| RCAF Station Winnipeg
| MB
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield (now CFB Winnipeg)
|-
| Grand Forks
| ND
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield (note: NOT the current Grand Forks International Airport or Grand Forks AFB. This facility was closed after the war, and the land redeveloped)
|-
| Fargo
| ND
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield; 575th AAFBU
|-
| Alexandria
| MN
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| St. Cloud
| MN
|
| Refueling/servicing airfield
|-
| Wold/Chamberlain Field
| MN
|
| 1454th AAFBU, Alaskan Division, ATC (Station 11). Initially group assembly and dispatch airfield for Lend-lease aircraft; after 1943 controlled by Northwest Airlines under contract, coordinated passenger and cargo travelling on Northwest Staging Route. (now Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport)
|}
See also
- North Atlantic air ferry route in World War II
- South Atlantic air ferry route in World War II
- South Pacific air ferry route in World War II
- West Coast Wing (Air Transport Command route to Alaska)
- Crimson Route
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
- Carter, John D. "The Air Transport Command, The Army Air Forces in World War II, vol. 7" in Craven, Wesley Frank and James Lea Cate, eds. Services Around the World. Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, 1983.
- Chloe, John Hale. Top Cover for America: The Air Force in Alaska, 1920-1983. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, 1984. .
- Cohen, Stan B. The Forgotten War: A Pictorial History of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada, Volume 1. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Inc., 1981. .
- Cohen, Stan B. The Forgotten War: A Pictorial History of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada, Volume 2. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Inc., 1989. .
- Cohen, Stan B. The Forgotten War: A Pictorial History of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada, Volume 3. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Inc., 1992. .
- Conn, Stetson and Byron Fairchild. "The United States and Canada: Elements of Wartime Collaboration, The Western Hemisphere - The Framework of Hemisphere Defense, Chapter XV." United States Army in World War II. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 1989.
- Hays, Otis Jr. The Alaska-Siberia Connection: The World War II Air Route (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series). College Station, Texas: Tamu Press, 1996. .
- Mueller, Robert. Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, 1989.
- Smith, Blake. Warplanes to Alaska. Surrey, British Columbia: Hancock House Pub Ltd., 1998. .
- Smith, Blake. Wings Over the Wilderness: They Flew the Trail of '42. Surrey, British Columbia: Hancock House Pub Ltd., 2008. .
External links
- Yukon Archives page
- Allies and Lend-Lease Museum, Moscow