Strauss Airfield was an airfield constructed between 19 March to 27 April 1942 near Noonamah, Northern Territory

Noonamah, Northern Territory

Noonamah is an outer rural suburban area of Darwin. it is 45km SE of the Darwin CBD. Its Local Government Area is the Litchfield Municipality. The suburb is mostly a rural area, but has been experiencing strong growth in population and development....

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 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...

. It was also known as 27 Mile Field or Humpty Doo Strip.

History

Constructed by sections of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion, they built a single runway of 5,000ft (1,524m) x 100ft (30.48 m) wide with associated taxiways and dispersals.

The airfield was officially dedicated as Strauss Field in memory and honour of United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Captain Allison W. Strauss who was killed piloting a P-40 Kittyhawk from the 8th Pursuit Squadron

8th Fighter Wing

The United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force...

 ("The Blacksheep") of the 49th Fighter Group

49th Fighter Wing

The 49th Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 49 WG is part of the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force....

 after crashing into Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

 harbour during a Japanese air raid on the Darwin RAAF

RAAF Base Darwin

RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force base located in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport.-History:...

 airfield on 27 April 1942.

Japanese Bombing Raids against Strauss Airfield

26 November 1942 (03.20 am)

27 November 1942 (03:56 - 04:46 am)

Units based at Strauss Airfield

• No. 76 Squadron RAAF
  No. 76 Squadron RAAF
  No. 76 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training squadron. Established in 1942, the squadron operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighter aircraft and saw combat during World War II. Following the war it formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until it was...
  
   (P-40)
• No. 452 Squadron RAAF
  No. 452 Squadron RAAF
  No. 452 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force air traffic control unit. It was originally formed in 1941 fighter unit formed in accordance with Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II, in England. The squadron flew Supermarine Spitfires for the entire war, initially over...
  
   (Spitfire
  Supermarine Spitfire
  The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
  
  )
• No. 457 Squadron RAAF
  No. 457 Squadron RAAF
  No. 457 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed in England during June 1941 as an Article XV squadron equipped with Supermarine Spitfire fighters...
  
  (Spitfire)