Kukum Field

Last updated
Kukum Field
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Aerial view of Kukum Field.jpg
Aerial view of Kukum Field
Coordinates 09°25′34″S160°00′39″E / 9.42611°S 160.01083°E / -9.42611; 160.01083
Site information
Controlled by USAAF
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Conditionabandoned
Site history
Built1942–43
Built bySeebees/Marine Aviation Engineers
In use1943–69
MaterialsCoral
Solomon Islands adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kukum Field
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Location of Kukum Field, Solomon Islands

Kukum Field also known as Fighter 2 Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.

Contents

World War II

From the beginning of the Guadalcanal Campaign it was planned that the area would be developed into a major air base. In November 1942 the 6th Naval Construction Battalion began work on a fighter strip at Lunga Point. The 6th Battalion was later replaced by the First Marine Aviation Engineers who completed the coral-surfaced runway by 1 January 1943. In June–July 1943 the 46th and 61st Battalions built a second coral-surfaced 4,000 feet (1,200 m) by 150 feet (46 m) runway with 75 feet (23 m) shoulders, coral taxiways 80 feet (24 m) wide, and 121 hardstands. [1] The 26th Battalion built a tank farm providing storage for 2,000,000 US gallons (7,600,000 L; 1,700,000 imp gal) of aviation gasoline, 1,000,000 US gallons (3,800,000 L; 830,000 imp gal) of motor gasoline, and 42,000 US gallons (160,000 L; 35,000 imp gal) of diesel oil. [1] : 249 

USAAF units based at Kukum included:

USMC units based at Kukum included:

F4Us of VMF-124 on Guadalcanal F4U-1s VMF-124 on Guadalcanal 1943.jpg
F4Us of VMF-124 on Guadalcanal

Royal New Zealand Air Force units based at Kukum included:

Postwar

Kukum Field remained operational after the war as a civilian airfield until 1969 when Henderson Field was modernized and reopened as Honiara International Airport. The airfield is now part of the Honiara Golf Course.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. US Government Printing Office. 1947. p. 246.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ross, John (1955). Royal New Zealand Air Force. Historical Publications Branch. p. 276. ISBN   0898391873.
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