Alddreu Airfield

Last updated

Alddreu Airfield
알뜨르 비행장

Alddreu Airfield
Alddreu Airfield.JPG
Alddreu Airfield, Jeju-do, October 2006
Coordinates 33°12′18″N126°16′12″E / 33.20500°N 126.27000°E / 33.20500; 126.27000
TypeMilitary airfield
Site information
Controlled by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
United States Air Force
Republic of Korea Air Force
Conditionabandoned/inactive
Site history
Built1926-30
Built by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
In use1930-63

Alddreu Airfield also known as Cheju-do No. 2 (K-40) Air Base was a former Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and United States Air Force (USAF) air base on southern Jeju Island. It was mostly returned to farm land from the late 1960s onwards, though the site is still owned and used to some extent by the Republic of Korea Air Force, in particular a grass airstrip known semi-officially as Alddreu Airport.

Contents

History

The airfield, then known as Altehru Airfield, was originally developed in 1926-30 during the Japanese Imperial period. The local population were used as forced labour to flatten and clear the landscape, and later to build underground tunnels. Initially, it was primarily used as a refueling station, as well as a base for reconnaissance and maritime patrol aircraft. During the Second Sino-Japanese War it was also used as a forward base of the Omura Naval Air Group for the bombing of cities in China such as Shanghai and Nanjing. [1]

World War II

Among other things, the base was used for the training of Kamikaze pilots and by the end of the war it housed 2500 naval aviation troops and 25 aircraft in hardened aircraft shelters. Nearing the end of the Pacific War the Japanese were facing an inevitable defeat. Fearing a fight on Japanese soil, they planned on using Jeju's Alddreu Airfield as a last resort to defend against the Allied forces. [2]

Korean War

The USAF designated the base as Cheju-do No.2 or K-40. It was apparently mainly used as a refueling & communications facility and came under the umbrella of the 100th Air Base Wing from 5 August 1951. Along with an airfield security company of the USAF's Air Police, there were communications, civil engineering, and food service companies permanently based at K-40 during this period.

Postwar

A TACAN facility was built on the base, now known as Alddreu Airfield, during the early 1960s. Alddreu was handed over by the USAF to the ROKAF in the later part of that decade. The base continues to be owned by the Korean Air Force but has been largely leased to civilians since the time of the handover, with most of the site being currently used as potato fields, though a large number of pre- and post-war facilities are still intact to one degree or another. These include 19 (out of an original 20) World War II aircraft bunkers, and a 1,400-meter grass runway which is still in use as a reserve airstrip by the ROKAF.

Seogwipo City planned at one stage during the late 2000s to develop the area as a theme park.

See also

Related Research Articles

Aerial refueling Procedure in which flying aircraft receive fuel from another aircraft

Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one military aircraft to another during flight. The two main refueling systems are probe-and-drogue, which is simpler to adapt to existing aircraft, and the flying boom, which offers faster fuel transfer, but requires a dedicated boom operator station.

Nagoya Airfield Domestic airport

Nagoya Airfield, also known as Komaki Airport or Nagoya Airport, is an airport which lies within the local government areas of Toyoyama, Komaki, Kasugai and Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was once an international airport, but is now a domestic secondary airport serving Nagoya while the current primary civil airport for Nagoya is Chūbu Centrair International Airport in Tokoname.

Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter Long-range heavy military cargo aircraft built 1944-1952

The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the B-29 and B-50 bombers. Design work began in 1942, the first of three prototype XC-97s flew on 9 November 1944, and the first of six service-test YC-97s flew on 11 March 1947. All nine were based on the 24ST alloy structure and Wright R-3350 engines of the B-29, but with a larger-diameter fuselage upper lobe and they had the B-29 vertical tail with the gunner's position blanked off. The first of three heavily revised YC-97A incorporating the re-engineered wing, taller vertical tail and larger Pratt and Whitney R-4360 engines of the B-50 bomber, flew on 28 January 1948 and was the basis of the subsequent sole YC-97B, all production C-97s, KC-97s and civilian Stratocruiser aircraft. Between 1944 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several versions were built, 811 being KC-97 tankers. C-97s served in the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Some aircraft served as flying command posts for the Strategic Air Command, while others were modified for use in Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadrons (ARRS).

Osan Air Base United States Air Force base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea

Osan Air Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located near Songtan Station in the city of Pyeongtaek, South Korea, 64 km (40 mi) south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is 7.5 km (4.7 mi) to the north. The base is the home of the headquarters for Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant units. The base is also the headquarters of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) Operations Command. Osan Air Base is also the departure and arrival point for U.S. government-contracted "Patriot Express" flights bringing service members and their family members to South Korea from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the U.S. state of Washington, Misawa Air Base and Yokota Air Base in Japan.

Jeju International Airport International airport serving Jeju City, Jeju Province, South Korea

Jeju International Airport is the second largest airport in South Korea, just behind Incheon Airport in Incheon. It is located in the city of Jeju. The airport opened in 1968.

Kunsan Air Base Airbase in South Korea

Kunsan K-8 Air Base is a United States Air Force base located at Gunsan Airport, on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is located in the town of Gunsan, about 180 kilometres (110 mi) south of Seoul.

The history of the Royal Air Force, the air force of the United Kingdom, spans a century of British military aviation.

War Memorial of Korea Military museum in Seoul

The War Memorial of Korea is a museum located in Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It opened in 1994 on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit and memorialize the military history of Korea. It was built for the purpose of preventing war through lessons from the Korean War and for the hoped for peaceful reunification of North and South Korea. The memorial building has six indoor exhibition rooms and an outdoor exhibition centre displaying war memorabilia and military equipment from China, South Korea and the United States.

Puerto Princesa International Airport Airport in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Puerto Princesa International Airport is an airport serving the general area of Puerto Princesa, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is classified as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

<i>Battle Hymn</i> (film) 1957 film by Douglas Sirk

Battle Hymn is a 1957 American war film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson as Lieutenant Colonel Dean E. Hess, a real-life United States Air Force fighter pilot in the Korean War who helped evacuate several hundred war orphans to safety. The cast also includes Anna Kashfi, Dan Duryea, Don DeFore, Philip Ahn, and Martha Hyer. The film was produced by Ross Hunter and filmed in CinemaScope.

Pohang Airport Airport

Pohang Gyeongju Airport is an airport in Pohang, South Korea. In 2011, 255,227 passengers used the airport.

Sacheon Airport Airport in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea

Sacheon Airport is an airport in Sacheon, South Korea. It also serves the city of Jinju. The airport passenger service began in 1977 after years of delays. The airport has a small single story terminal building for domestic flights. In 2011, 143,483 passengers utilized the airport. Because Sacehon Airport is sharing with military, taking photograph or video of apron, runway and military facility is strictly prohibited.

The United States Air Force became a separate military service on 18 September 1947 with the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947. The Act created the National Military Establishment, later renamed the United States Department of Defense, which was composed of four of the five branches, the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and a newly created Air Force. Prior to 1947, the responsibility for military aviation was divided between the Army for land-based operations and the Navy and Marine Corps for sea-based operations from aircraft carrier and amphibious aircraft. The Army created the first antecedent of the Air Force on 1 August 1907, which through a succession of changes of organization, titles, and missions advanced toward eventual separation 40 years later. The predecessor organizations leading up to today's U.S. Air Force are:

The KAI Aerospace Museum is an aerospace museum in Sacheon, South Korea located at 35.071340°N 128.063297°E adjacent to Sacheon Airport.

126th Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 126th Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the 128th Air Refueling Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard stationed at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin. The 126th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker.

The Air Battle of South Korea was an air campaign early in the Korean War occurring roughly from June 25 to July 20, 1950, over South Korea between the air forces of North Korea and the United Nations, including the countries of South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom. The month-long fight for air supremacy over the country saw several small engagements over airfields in Seoul and Taejon and ultimately ended in victory for the UN air force, which was able to destroy the small North Korean People's Air Force.

Gimhae Air Base Airbase in South Korea

Gimhae Air Base is a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base adjacent to Gimhae International Airport. Runway 18L/36R is used for military purposes only.

Pusan East (K-9) Air Base Decommissioned air base in Busan, South Korea (1950—1990)

Pusan East (K-9) Air Base was a United States Air Force (USAF) and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) air base adjacent to the Suyeong River in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea. It was redeveloped in the 1990s as Centum City, a commercial and residential area.

Jinhae Air Base also known as Chinhae Air Base is a naval airfield of the Republic of Korea Navy in Jinhae, South Korea.

Headcorn Aerodrome Airport in Ashford

Headcorn Aerodrome is a private airfield in Kent, England. The airfield is located 8 NM south of Maidstone; about 32 miles (51 km) southeast of London.

References

  1. "Jeju's forgotten military airfield and submarine caves". JoongAng Daily. 28 April 2008. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  2. "Abandoned airstrip - JEJU WEEKLY". www.jejuweekly.com (in Korean). Retrieved 24 July 2019.

Coordinates: 33°12′18″N126°16′12″E / 33.205°N 126.27°E / 33.205; 126.27