Buka Airport
Encyclopedia
Buka Airport is an airport
serving Buka Island
in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (also known as North Solomons) in Papua New Guinea
.
It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka
, and pre-war Chinatown. The airport terminal is about 1.5 kilometres from the Buka Township. It is the only airport serviced by a regular passenger transport service in the North Solomons Province.
In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes. Residents of Ieta prevented service at the airport, demanding the government pay land fees.
There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
On 26 July, a Japanese Navy special detachment was sent to inspect Buka Airfield, but considered it unacceptable as a prospect for a speedily constructed major airfield. Nonetheless, by December 1942 the airfield was further improved by the Japanese with bitumen surfacing, an electrical power plant, underground fuel tanks, and new pillboxes and trenches. From December onwards many hulks were at the strip. Coastwatchers reported nighttime patrol flights during full moon. Also, scouting by a Betty bomber flying down each coast of Bougainville and returning by afternoon as part of regular reconnaissance.
On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip. On 1 October 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 35 aircraft at Buka, including 19 dive bombers. During 1943, the airfield was attacked repeatedly by Allied bombers, widely cratering the runway, and other areas.
In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Burka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea. A detachment of the USAAF 419th Night Fighter Squadron flew P-61 Black Widows from the airfield from 25 January – 27 May 1944 before moving forward into New Guinea.
Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving Buka Island
Buka Island
Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville.- History :Buka was first occupied by humans in paleolithic times, some 30,000 years ago...
in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (also known as North Solomons) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka
Buka, Papua New Guinea
Buka is situated on Buka Island, Bougainville Province, Papua New Guinea. It has been the capital of the province during the Bougainville civil war...
, and pre-war Chinatown. The airport terminal is about 1.5 kilometres from the Buka Township. It is the only airport serviced by a regular passenger transport service in the North Solomons Province.
In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes. Residents of Ieta prevented service at the airport, demanding the government pay land fees.
There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
History
The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941. On 2 January 1942 with the Japanese approaching, they prepared the airfield for demolition, blowing holes in the runway, and logs and pipes to prevent aircraft from landing. The following day, orders came to repair the field for fleeing aircraft from Rabaul to land. However, the airfield was occupied by the Japanese during mid-March 1942.On 26 July, a Japanese Navy special detachment was sent to inspect Buka Airfield, but considered it unacceptable as a prospect for a speedily constructed major airfield. Nonetheless, by December 1942 the airfield was further improved by the Japanese with bitumen surfacing, an electrical power plant, underground fuel tanks, and new pillboxes and trenches. From December onwards many hulks were at the strip. Coastwatchers reported nighttime patrol flights during full moon. Also, scouting by a Betty bomber flying down each coast of Bougainville and returning by afternoon as part of regular reconnaissance.
On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip. On 1 October 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 35 aircraft at Buka, including 19 dive bombers. During 1943, the airfield was attacked repeatedly by Allied bombers, widely cratering the runway, and other areas.
In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Burka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea. A detachment of the USAAF 419th Night Fighter Squadron flew P-61 Black Widows from the airfield from 25 January – 27 May 1944 before moving forward into New Guinea.
Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
See also
- USAAF in the South PacificUnited States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific AreaDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the Empire of Japan in the South Pacific Area. As defined by the War Department, this consisted of the Pacific Ocean areas which lay south of the Equator between longitude 159° East and 110° West...