Funafuti International Airport
Encyclopedia
Funafuti International Airport is an airport
located in Funafuti
, capital of the island nation
of Tuvalu
.
Seabee
construction battalions in 1943 during World War II
. The military airfield included an airstrip, control tower, facilities and radio station located at Tepuka
, connected by cable to the airfield. The base Headquarters buildings were located at the present day Teagai Apelu's residence, and a bunker is still located there to this day. Naval air forces were based at the field, consisting of SBD Dauntless dive bombers.
The airfield became the headquarters of the United States Army Air Forces
VII Bomber Command
in November 1943, directing operations against Japanese forces on Tarawa and other bases in the Gilbert Islands
. The USAAF stationed two B-24 Liberator
heavy bomber groups, the 11th
and 30th Bombardment Group
s on Funafuti and the first offensive operation was launched on 20 November with a twenty-two B-24 raid from Funafuti to Nauru
.
By the middle of 1944, as the fighting moved further north towards Japan, the Americans began to withdraw and by the time the war ended in 1945 nearly all of them, together with their equipment departed. After the war, the military airfield was developed into a commercial airport.
of 9 feet (3 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
which is 1524 metres (5,000 ft) in length.
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...
located in Funafuti
Funafuti
Funafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
, capital of the island nation
Island nation
An island country is a state whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. As of 2011, 47 of the 193 UN member states are island countries.-Politics:...
of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
.
History
Funafuti Airport was built by United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Seabee
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
construction battalions in 1943 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The military airfield included an airstrip, control tower, facilities and radio station located at Tepuka
Tepuka
Tepuka is an island 18 kilometers west of Fongafale, in the northwest of Funafuti, the main atoll of the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu. There is a well-preserved underground bunker on the island...
, connected by cable to the airfield. The base Headquarters buildings were located at the present day Teagai Apelu's residence, and a bunker is still located there to this day. Naval air forces were based at the field, consisting of SBD Dauntless dive bombers.
The airfield became the headquarters of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
VII Bomber Command
VII Bomber Command
The VII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Seventh Air Force, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946.-Lineage:...
in November 1943, directing operations against Japanese forces on Tarawa and other bases in the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
. The USAAF stationed two B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bomber groups, the 11th
11th Wing
The 11th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force District of Washington. It is stationed at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, Maryland. It is the host unit at Joint Base Andrews....
and 30th Bombardment Group
30th Space Wing
The 30th Space Wing is an air force wing forming a subordinate unit of the Fourteenth Air Force of the Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force...
s on Funafuti and the first offensive operation was launched on 20 November with a twenty-two B-24 raid from Funafuti to Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
.
By the middle of 1944, as the fighting moved further north towards Japan, the Americans began to withdraw and by the time the war ended in 1945 nearly all of them, together with their equipment departed. After the war, the military airfield was developed into a commercial airport.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 9 feet (3 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
which is 1524 metres (5,000 ft) in length.