Majuro Airfield | |
---|---|
Delap, Marshall Islands | |
Coordinates | 7°05′25″N171°22′53″E / 7.09028°N 171.38139°E |
Type | Military Airfield |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Navy |
Condition | abandoned |
Site history | |
Built | 1942 |
Built by | Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service/Seabees |
In use | 1942-72 |
Materials | Coral |
Majuro Airfield or Naval Air Facility Majuro (NAF Majuro) is a former World War II airfield on the island of Delap in the Marshall Islands. The facility was supported by a large base, Naval Base Majuro. [1] [2]
Majuro Airfield was originally established by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in 1942. The island was captured on 31 January 1944 during Battle of Kwajalein by the V Amphibious Corps' Marine Reconnaissance Company and the 2nd Battalion, 106th Infantry Regiment who found it to be unoccupied. The 100th Naval Construction Battalion began to improve the airfield creating a coral-surfaced 5,800 feet (1,800 m) by 445 feet (136 m) runway covering most of Delap Island. By mid-March the airfield was in limited operation and by 15 April the airfield, taxiways, aprons, housing, shops, and piers were fully operational. The Seabees also constructed roads and causeways linking Delap to the adjacent islands. The carrier replacement plane pool was subsequently located at Majuro and a new 4,000 feet (1,200 m) by 175 feet (53 m) runway was built on Uliga Island and a two-lane causeway connecting Uliga and Delap was constructed. An 800 feet (240 m) by 150 feet (46 m) apron was cleared and paved adjacent to the main runway to facilitate transport operations. [3]
Fourth Marine Air Wing headquarters and Marine Air Group 13 (MAG-13) relocated to Majuro Atoll in mid-March 1944. Units stationed at Majuro included VF-39 operating the F6F Hellcat, VMF-155 and VMF-224 operating F4Us and VMSB-231 operating SBDs.
B-25s of the 41st Bombardment Group operating out of Bairiki (Mullinix) Airfield, Tarawa, staged through Majuro for bombing raids on Maloelap, Wotje Mili Atoll and Jaluit during March and April 1944.
The airfield was reduced to inactive status on 1 January 1947 and disestablished on 1 June 1947. [4]
In the postwar period the airfield continued to serve as the airport for Majuro, however by the mid-1960s the runway surface was deteriorating and it was becoming unsuitable for use by modern aircraft, so it was decided to relocate the airport to its current location west of Rairok and to utilize the area on Delap for industrial, commercial and residential development. [5] Marshall Islands International Airport opened in 1972 and Majuro Airfield ceased operation.
The Battle of Kwajalein was fought as part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It took place 31 January – 3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the Battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of Kwajalein in the south and Roi-Namur in the north. The Japanese defenders put up stiff resistance, although outnumbered and under-prepared. The determined defense of Roi-Namur left only 51 survivors of an original garrison of 3,500.
Funafuti International Airport is an airport in Funafuti, in the capital city of the island nation of Tuvalu. It is the sole international airport in Tuvalu. Fiji Airways operates between Suva and Funafuti.
Marshall Islands International Airport, also known as Amata Kabua International Airport, is located in the western part of Rairok on the south side of Majuro Atoll, the capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The airport was built during World War II (1943) on Anenelibw and Lokojbar islets. It replaced Majuro Airfield, a coral-surfaced airstrip at Delap Island near the eastern end of Majuro Atoll that had been originally constructed by Japanese occupation forces in 1942.
Johnston Island Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base on the Johnston Atoll in the United States Minor Outlying Islands, in the Pacific Ocean several hundred kilometers southwest of Hawaii. After its closure, it briefly operated as Johnston Atoll Airport, until that also closed in 2005.
Delap is an island district in the Marshall Islands. It is located in the east of Majuro Atoll. Along with Uliga and Djarrit it forms what is known as the "Delap-Uliga-Djarrit".
Uliga is an island district in the Marshall Islands, located in the eastern portion of Majuro Atoll. Along with Delap and Djarrit, it forms a town known as "Delap-Uliga-Djarrit".
Torokina Airfield, also known as Cape Torokina Airfield, is a former World War II airfield located at Cape Torokina, Bougainville.
Nanumea Airfield is a former World War II airfield on the island of Nanumea in the Ellice Islands.
Piva Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Bougainville Island in the Solomon Islands archipelago.
Kukum Field also known as Fighter 2 Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
Barakoma Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands archipelago.
Ulithi Civil Airfield is a public airport serving the island of Falalop, located in the Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia. It was previously Falalop Airfield or Naval Air Base Ulithi, when used as a World War II airfield.
Delap-Uliga-Djarrit is an urban area in Majuro, the capital and the largest city of the Marshall Islands, with 15,846 people out of Majuro's 23,676. It consists of the districts of Delap, Uliga, and Djarrit. DUD is located on the eastern tip of Majuro Atoll. Marshallese government buildings are situated in DUD.
US Naval Advance Bases were built globally by the United States Navy during World War II to support and project U.S. naval operations worldwide. A few were built on Allied soil, but most were captured enemy facilities or completely new. Advance bases provided the fleet with support to keep ships tactically available with repair and supply depots of facilities, rather than return them to the continental United States. Before Japan declared war on the United States the U.S. Navy had a single fleet-sized advanced base in the Territory of Hawaii at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. During the war the U.S. Navy Seabees built over 400 advance bases categorized by size. Naval bases were either Lions or Cubs while airfields were either Oaks or Acorns. Lions and Oaks were major facilities while Cubs and Acorns were minor. PT Boats typically would get a Cub and airfields with single runways were Acorns. The larger bases could do refueling and overhaul; loading of troopship and cargo ships; and preparing amphibious assault ships. Some became major repair depots. The Seabees developed auxiliary floating drydocks were able to repair battle damage and do regular maintenance in the field saving ships trans-pacific trips for repair. A few bases also were developed to be R and R for all U.S. personnel. Most Advance Bases were built by the US Navy's Seabees in Naval Construction Battalions (CBs). At the start of the war civilian contractors were employed in construction. The Seabees in World War II built most of the airfields used by the United States Army Air Forces and United States Marine Corps, as they had the ships and cranes needed to transport the vast amount of equipment needed at the advance bases. The US Army and United States Coast Guard also operated out of many of these facilities. Seabees could build new or repair damaged runways, and with advancements in heavy bomber technology lengthen runways as needed. A few Naval Advance Bases were built for the Korean War and Vietnam War.
Naval Base Funafuti was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1942 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on the Island of Funafuti of the Ellice Islands in the Western Pacific Ocean. The island is now Tuvalu, an island country in the Polynesian. After the surprise attack on Naval Station Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the US Navy was in need of setting up more advance bases in the Pacific Ocean. At Naval Base Funafuti the Navy built a sea port, a small hospital, PT boat base, a seaplane base and an airbase.
Naval Base Tarawa was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1943 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands in the Central Pacific Ocean. The base was built as one of many advance bases in the island-hopping campaign towards the Empire of Japan. At Naval Base Tarawa the Navy built a seaport, seaplane base and two airbases. Construction started after the Battle of Tarawa ended November 23, 1943, part of Operation Galvanic.
Naval Base Abemama was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1943 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on Abemama atoll, also called Hopper Atoll, in the Gilbert Islands in the Central Pacific Ocean. The base was built as one of many advance bases in the island-hopping campaign towards the Empire of Japan. At Naval Base Abemama the Navy built a seaport and airbase. Construction started after the Battle of Abemama ended November 24, 1943, part of Operation Galvanic.
Naval Base Kwajalein was United States Navy base built on Kwajalein Atoll, in the Marshall Islands to support the World War II efforts in the Pacific War. The base was built after the Battle of Kwajalein ended 3 February 1944. The US Navy built airfields, a seaport and a craft repair depot on the captured islands. The base was part of the vast Naval Base Marshall Islands.
Naval Base Majuro was a major United States Navy base built on Majuro Atoll, in the Marshall Islands to support the World War II efforts in the Pacific War. The base was built after the Battle of Majuro-Kwajalein ended 3 February 1944. Majuro was found to be unoccupied and abandoned when the United States Army arrived. The US Navy built airfields, seaport, and other facilities on the captured islands. The base was part of the vast Naval Base Marshall Islands.
Naval Base Marshall Islands were United States Navy advance bases built on the Marshall Islands during World War II to support the Pacific War efforts. The bases were built by US Navy after the Marshall Islands campaign that captured the islands from the Empire of Japan. By February 1944 the United States Armed Forces had captured the islands. Most of the airfields and other facilities Japan had built were destroyed in allied bombing raids and naval bombardment. US Navy Seabee Construction Battalions arrived as soon as the area was secured and remove the debris. The Seabees quickly repaired, built and improved the airfield/runways and seaport. Seabees often worked around the clock to get airfields operational so that fighter aircraft and bombers could start operating. The bases were used for staging upcoming campaigns and for repair.