Development of Transpacific Transport Routes by the U.S. Army 

during World War II

William Fort

Aerophilately 201413 September 2014

Air Corps Ferrying Command (ACFC)

• Commissioned 29 May 1941• Mission:  Deliver lend‐lease aircraft from factories to embarkation points

• After Pearl Harbor, ferried aircraft directly to Middle East and Africa

• Urgent program in late 1941 to develop airfields on islands on route from U.S. West Coast to Australia

Australia

Christmas Is.

Tontouta, New Caledonia

SydneyACFC RouteJanuary 1942

Canton Is.

Palmyra NAS (until Jan 15)

Nandi, Fiji

South Pacific

Carried by an ACFC‐Ferried Bomber

Air Transport Command (ATC)

Consairways Aircraft for ATCConsolidated C‐87 Liberator Express Consolidated LB‐30

Consolidated B‐24

Christmas Island by Consairways

Australia

Christmas Is.

Penrhyn Is.

Auckland

Plaines des Gaiacs, New Caledonia

Tutuila

ATC RoutesJuly 1943

Canton Is.

Nandi, FijiAmberley Field,

Brisbane Bora Bora

Aitutaki

Milk Run

New Zealand ‐ Espiritu Shuttle

Espiritu Santo,New Caledonia

Sacktime Shuttle

Port Moresby

Townsville

Sydney

South Pacific

ATC Aircraft

Douglas C‐54 Douglas C‐47

Consolidated C‐87 Liberator Express

ATC South Pacific Route to Brisbane

Mainland – Australia/New Zealand

Service frequency, trips/week

Date Range ATC, Consairways, United

June 1943 –October 1943

14

October 1943 –February 1944

21

February 1944 –November 1944

25

November 1944 –September 1945

2

Australia

Christmas Is.

Penrhyn Is.

Auckland

Plaines des Gaiacs, New Caledonia

Tutuila

ATC RoutesJuly 1943

Canton Is.

Nandi, FijiAmberley Field,

Brisbane Bora Bora

Aitutaki

Milk Run

New Zealand ‐ Espiritu Shuttle

Espiritu Santo,New Caledonia

Sacktime Shuttle

Port Moresby

Townsville

Sydney

South Pacific

“Milk Run” cover from Bora Bora

Auckland – Espiritu Santo Shuttle

“Sacktime” Shuttle” from Port Moresby

Shift to New Guinea

Australia

Christmas Is.

Penrhyn Is.

Auckland

Plaines des Gaiacs

Tutuila

ATC Routes25 February 1944

Canton Is.

NandiAmberleyBora Bora

Aitutaki

Milk Run

New Zealand ‐ Espiritu ShuttleSacktime Shuttle

Port Moresby

Townsville

Sydney

South Pacific

GuadalcanalTarawa

Johnston

Espiritu

Funafuti

Kwajalein(Jun 44)

USA to Nadzab via South Pacific

Army Cross‐New Guinea Shuttle

Hollandia – Sydney Shuttle

Mainland – New GuineaService frequency, trips/week

Month via Canton Island

via Johnston Island

Feb 44  7 ‐

Aug 44 14 – 32 ‐

Jan 45 28 14

Feb 45 ‐ 28

Shift to the Central Pacific

Australia

Christmas Is.

Plaines des Gaiacs

ATC Routes1 November 1944

Canton Is.

Nandi

Nadzab

Central Pacific

GuadalcanalKwajalein

Johnston

SaipanLeyte

Tarawa

Los Negros

South Pacific

Amberley

Hollandia

Hollandia –BrisbaneShuttle

Tarawa Evacuation via Funafuti

Australia

Christmas Is.

Tontouta

ATC Routes31 January 1945

Canton Is.

Nandi, Fiji

GuadalcanalKwajalein

Johnston

GuamLeyte

TarawaBiak

Central Pacific

South Pacific

Saipan

Exmouth GulfAmberley

Hollandia

Hollandia –BrisbaneShuttle

Kwajalein via Johnston Island

Saipan to France

Leyte to St. Lucia via Central Pacific

Manila to China via Central Pacific

Iwo Jima on Last Day of Battle

Okinawa via Guam

Australia

Christmas Is.

New Caledonia

ATC Routes1 September 1945

Canton Is.

Nandi, FijiGuadalcanal

Kwajalein

Johnston

GuamLeyte

TarawaBiak

Central Pacific

South Pacific

Saipan

Los Negros

Amberley

OkinawaManila

Espiritu

Tokyo

Ternate, Moluccas

Bougainville

Yokohama Six Days after Surrender

Cumming, China to Iwo Jima

Aleutian Islands

Attu

Dutch Harbor

Anchorage

Seattle

Nome

Adak

Kodiak

Fairbanks

Northway

Whitehorse

Juneau

Ketchikan

USSRCANADA

ALASKA

Point Barrow

NATS

NATS

ATC

ATC

Pan Am FAM-20

Attu

Dutch Harbor

Anchorage

Seattle

Nome

Adak

Kodiak

Fairbanks

Northway

Whitehorse

Juneau

Ketchikan

USSRCANADA

ALASKA

Point Barrow

NATS

NATS

ATC

ATC

Pan Am FAM-20

Attu

Dutch Harbor

Anchorage

Seattle

Nome

Adak

Kodiak

Fairbanks

Northway

Whitehorse

Juneau

Ketchikan

USSRCANADA

ALASKA

Point Barrow

NATS

NATS

ATC

ATC

Pan Am FAM-20

Attu

Dutch Harbor

Anchorage

Seattle

Nome

Kodiak

Fairbanks

Northway

Whitehorse

Juneau

Ketchikan

USSR

CANADA

ALASKA

Feb 42 – Jul 45

ATC Aug 42 – Dec 45

Adak

Apr 42 – 43

Aug 43 – Dec 43Jan 44 – Jul 45

ATC Alaska Routes

Adak via Anchorage by NW Airlines 

Atka to Ketchikan via Coastal Route

Thank You

ATC Aircraft

Douglas C‐54 Douglas C‐47

Consolidated C‐87 Consolidated LB‐30