Saidor Airport
Encyclopedia
Saidor Airport is an airport in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea
. . It is a general aviation airport located at the coast near Saidor, near Saul Point with Dekys Bay to the east and the Bismarck Sea
to the north.
airfield, after the US Army landing at Saidor on 2 January 1944 to liberate the area from the Japanese, construction of a single runway running roughly ESE to WNW began. Initially, the airfield was only usable by light Liaison planes, later it was expanded to include extensive taxiways and revetments on the north and south side of the runway, and an apron at each edge of the runway.
At the time of construction, Saidor was the most forward airfield for Allied aircraft striking Japanese to the west. Many planes refueled and made emergency landings at the airfield.
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 a general aviation airport located at the coast near Saidor, near Saul Point with Dekys Bay to the east and the Bismarck Sea
Bismarck Sea
The Bismarck Sea lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to the north of the island of Papua New Guinea and to the south of the Bismarck Archipelago and Admiralty Islands. Like the Bismarck archipelago, it is named in honour of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck...
to the north.
History
A pre-World War IIWorld 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, after the US Army landing at Saidor on 2 January 1944 to liberate the area from the Japanese, construction of a single runway running roughly ESE to WNW began. Initially, the airfield was only usable by light Liaison planes, later it was expanded to include extensive taxiways and revetments on the north and south side of the runway, and an apron at each edge of the runway.
At the time of construction, Saidor was the most forward airfield for Allied aircraft striking Japanese to the west. Many planes refueled and made emergency landings at the airfield.
Major USAAF units assigned
- 309th Bombardment Wing (1 March – 28 July 1944) (Headquarters)
- 417th Bombardment Group (8 February – 9 September 1944)
- Headquarters, 672d, 673d, 674th, 675th BS A-20 Havoc
- 58th Fighter Group (3 April – 30 August 1944)
- Headquarters, 69th, 310th, 311th FS, P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
- 340th Fighter Group (29 March – 22 May 1944)
- Headquarters, 341st, 342d FS, 348th FS, P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
- 82d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (71st Reconnaissance Group), (5 April – 27 June 1944), P-39 Airacobra
See also
- USAAF in the Southwest PacificUnited States Army Air Forces in the South West Pacific TheatreDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the air, ground and naval forces of the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Theatre....