Koli Airfield
Encyclopedia
Also known as "Bomber 3 Field", Koli Airfield is a former World War II
airfield on Guadalcanal
, Solomon Islands
in the South Pacific
, located near Koli Point, fifteen miles east of Henderson Field
, close to the Metapona River to the east and the Naumbu River to the west. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.
heavy bomber operations, primarily by the Thirteenth Air Force
. The single strip ran approximately NE to SW (parallel to Carney Airfield
) and had several taxiways off both sides. Surfaced by bitumen with metal, Marsden Matting
-like material for heavy aircraft and was completed in the middle of 1943.
Units assigned were:
Disused since the war. Bomber 3 strip was used for drying Copra
a the nearby plantation, and parts of the airfield is used as road, with a small church.
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...
airfield on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, located near Koli Point, fifteen miles east of Henderson Field
Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)
Henderson Field is a former military airfield on Guadacanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. Today it is Honiara International Airport.-Japanese construction:...
, close to the Metapona River to the east and the Naumbu River to the west. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.
History
This airfield was built for B-24 LiberatorB-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 operations, primarily by the Thirteenth Air Force
Thirteenth Air Force
The Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
. The single strip ran approximately NE to SW (parallel to Carney Airfield
Carney Airfield
Carney Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. It is located near Koli Point about fifteen miles from Henderson Field, closes to the Metapona River to the east and the Naumbu River to the west...
) and had several taxiways off both sides. Surfaced by bitumen with metal, Marsden Matting
Marsden Matting
Marsden Matting is standardized, perforated steel matting material originally developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the rapid construction of temporary runways and landing strips...
-like material for heavy aircraft and was completed in the middle of 1943.
Units assigned were:
- 42d Bombardment Group42d Air Base WingThe 42nd Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Air University. It is stationed at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama...
, 6 June-20 October 1943 - 307th Bombardment Group, February 1943-28 January 1944
Disused since the war. Bomber 3 strip was used for drying Copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
a the nearby plantation, and parts of the airfield is used as road, with a small church.
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...