Central Field (Iwo Jima)
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Central Field (Iwo Jima) Motoyama No. 2 Airfield No. 2 | |
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Part of Twentieth Air Force | |
Coordinates | 24°47′05″N 141°19′27″E / 24.78472°N 141.32417°E |
Type | Military airfield |
Site information | |
Controlled by | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (IATA: IWO, ICAO: RJAW) |
Site history | |
Built | Prior to 1944 |
In use | 1944–present |
Iwo Jima Air Base Iwoto Field Iwoto Airport 硫黄島飛行場 Iōtō Hikōjō | |||||||||||
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Coordinates | 24°47′03″N 141°19′21″E / 24.78417°N 141.32250°E | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
Location in Japan | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Central Field or Iwo Jima Air Base (
History
The Japanese had constructed the airfield near the center of island laid out as an "X" of two intersecting runways one 5,225 feet (1,593 m) and the other 4,425 feet (1,349 m).[1]: 370
Located south and west of the midpoint between
Reconstruction and expansion work was held up by the protracted land battle, on 16 March the airfield, named Central Field, became operational, with the east-northeast to west-southwest runway graded to 5,200 feet (1,600 m) and the east–west runway to 4,800 feet (1,500 m). A second runway parallel to the east-northeast to west-southwest runway was also built; both were built to accommodate B-29s. By 7 July 1945, the first B-29 runway had been paved to 8,500 feet (2,600 m) and placed in operation. During the day, 102 B-29s, returning from a raid on Japan, landed on the field. Several sub-grade failures occurred in the construction because of ground water and soft spots in the sub-grade. In some places the paving sealed off steam which had been generated below the surface and when the steam condensed, the sub-grade became saturated. By 12 July, the B-29 runway had been completed and paved for a length of 9,800 feet (3,000 m) by 200 feet (61 m). The parallel runway was eventually lengthened to 9,400 feet (2,900 m), both with a width of 200 feet (61 m).[1]: 371–2 The east–west runway was developed into a fueling strip, 6,000 feet (1,800 m) by 570 feet (170 m), with 60 fueling outlets.[4]: 596 For normal operations, this field could accommodate 120 P-51 Mustangs, 30 B-24 Liberators and 20 B-29s.[citation needed]
Central Field was headquarters for VII Fighter Command of the Twentieth Air Force from March 1 – December 1, 1945,[5]: 445 along with the intelligence-gathering 41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron from August though mid-September 1945. Operational fighter squadrons which performed B-29 escort missions from Central Field were:
- 506th Fighter Group, April 24 – December 3, 1945
- 414th Fighter Group, July 7 – December 23, 1945
- 21st Fighter Group, March 26 - July 16, 1945[5]: 71
- 548th Night Fighter Squadron, March 5 – June 12, 1945
- 549th Night Fighter Squadron, (Ground Echelon), March 14, 1945 – February 5, 1946
After the war, the 20th Air Force fighter squadrons moved out to
The third incomplete Japanese airfield (Motoyama No. 3) 24°47′37″N 141°19′29″E / 24.79361°N 141.32472°E was built as the "North Field". It required much new construction in rough terrain which consisted principally of consolidated volcanic ash. The initial portion of the work in preparing the sub-grade for the runway entailed the moving of about 200,000-cubic-yards (152,911-cubic-meters) of rock and volcanic ash. Seabee construction was stopped on 27 April and the project was turned over to a USAAF aviation engineer battalion for completion.[
Central Field stayed in American hands until being turned over to the Japanese Government on 27 June 1968.[6] It then became a navigation and weather station of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Nihon Kaijo Jieitai), and is still used by the U.S. military as an aircraft refueling depot and as a U.S. Navy special pilot training facility.[citation needed]
At any given time about 350 JSDF personnel are posted to Iwo Jima and though the airfield is strictly for military use, commercial flights carrying veterans are frequent visitors.[citation needed]
Of the three WWII airfields, Central Field is the only one that remains in use today.[7]
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ a b c 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. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b Garand, George; Strobridge, Truman (1971). History of the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII Vol IV- Western Pacific Operations (PDF). Historical Branch, G3- Division, Headquarters, U.S.Marine Corps. pp. 594–595.
- ^ Alexander, Joseph. The Bitter End, CLOSING IN: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima, Commemorative Series. Marine Corps History and Museums Division.
- ^ Craven, Wesley; Cate, James (1983). The Army Air Forces in World War II Volume 5: The Pacific Matterhorn to Nagasaki June 1944 to August 1945 (PDF). Office of Air Force History. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ .
- ^ AFHRA Document 00462016 6100th Support Wing 1 April-30 June 1968
- ^ Smith, Rex; Meehl, Gerald (2002). Pacific Legacy Image and memory from World War II in the Pacific. Abbeville Press. p. 236.