aidenmac16
Airman
- 32
- Oct 15, 2024
Which materials did Imperial Japanese Armies use to make airfields during the Pacific Theater campaigns in general?
Cheers, aidenmac16
Cheers, aidenmac16
Japanese built airfields (2 Viewers)
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Not exactly your answer, but provided some insight:
www.historynet.com
Japan's Fatally Flawed Air Forces in World War II
World War II in the Pacific was a fight to seize and defend airfields. The Japanese made gaining and maintaining control of the air as much a requirement
www.historynet.com
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aidenmac16
Airman
- 32
- Oct 15, 2024
Interesting article.Not exactly your answer, but provided some insight:
Japan's Fatally Flawed Air Forces in World War II
World War II in the Pacific was a fight to seize and defend airfields. The Japanese made gaining and maintaining control of the air as much a requirement
Admiral Beez
Major
It's noteworthy how many of Japan's former ww2 airfields are still in use today, often as commercial airports. Most of these were cut out of the jungle or rough terrain by Japan's engineers and often forced labour. Here's two dozen I found on Google when I searched for ww2 airfields made by Japan still in use today.
- Ballalae Airport (Shortland Islands)
- Bauerfield International Airport (Vanuatu)
- Bonriki International Airport (Kiribati)
- Chuuk International Airport (Federated States of Micronesia)
- Daru Airport (Western Province, Papua New Guinea)
- Domine Eduard Osok Airport (Sorong, Indonesia)
- Frans Kaisiepo International Airport (Biak, Indonesia)
- Gurney Airport (Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea)
- Honiara International Airport (formerly Henderson Field, Guadalcanal)
- Jacksons International Airport (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea)
- Madang Airport (Madang, Papua New Guinea)
- Munda Airport (New Georgia Island)
- Nadzab Airport (Lae, Papua New Guinea)
- Nauru International Airport (Nauru)
- Pagan Airfield (Northern Mariana Islands, USA)
- Palau International Airport (Palau)
- Peleliu Airfield (Palau)
- Rota International Airport (Northern Mariana Islands, USA)
- Sam Ratulangi International Airport (Manado, Indonesia)
- Sentani International Airport (Jayapura, Indonesia)
- Sultan Babullah Airport (Ternate, Indonesia)
- Tinian International Airport (Northern Mariana Islands, USA)
- Wewak International Airport (Wewak, Papua New Guinea)
- Yap International Airport (Federated States of Micronesia)
That list appears to have some errors, with respect. The Japanese did not build Jacksons at Port Moresby, Baurfield, or Daru 'cause they didn't get there.
There was an airport at Lae that was used by commercial freight services from 1927. Wewak, or at least the adjacent Edie Creek, was in commercial use by the '30s. Nadzab appears to have started in about 1935 when the Lutherans bought a plane as flight was the only way to reliably keep in contact with their missions. Gurney was built by the US and Australian armies from what I can find.
Although a certain USAAF honcho claims to have astounded people with his use of freight aircraft in New Guinea, for years it had been the world's pre-eminent airfreight area, allegedly flying more than the rest of the world combined. They flew in full truck chassis, complete cars and heavy freight into the goldfields through aircraft like Junker G31s with detachable rooftops over their cargo areas. There were several complete gold dredges, from 1000 to 3500 tons in weight, flown in in parts along with powerplants and almost every other item required.
I have wondered if any of those old PNG airfreight hands read the accounts of the "innovations" made in airfreight during the war, and what they would have thought of the claims.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
It's a great list. Honiara airport is on my bucket list.
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
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- Mar 26, 2007
Think yanks did something to those too.
MiTasol
1st Lieutenant
EDIT - Jacksons Field Port Moresby was one of seven strips surrounding POM during ww2 but I think it is possible that one of the others was the pre war airport. I think Kila was too small for the prewar traffic that included B-17s but it did have a beach for seaplanes as well as the land strip. Wards at five miles from downtown was a possibility. Jacksons was originally known a 7 mile.
EDIT 2 - kunai is a type of grass that grows over 2m/6.6ft high.
I hate to say it but many of those locations in PNG and the Solomon were never in Japanese hands. All those I have crossed out in red were pre-existing airports. The ones in black I am not sure about when they were built but I think both were prewar.
Kokopo (the Rabaul airport) was a Japanese airport that went back to kunai until the 1994 volcanic eruption in buried the old pre war Rabaul airport.
And NADZAB is an acronym for Northern Area Defence Zone Air Base which was built by the Americans and Australians. One of the seven airstrips there is now the current Lae airport.
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Admiral Beez
Major
Well, Google lets me down again.
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