Wake Island Airfield
Encyclopedia
Wake Island Airfield is a military airport located on Wake Island
, which is known for the Battle of Wake Island
. It is owned by the U.S. Air Force and operated by the Thirteenth Air Force
servicing practically only to military purposes within the Wake Island region, yet little military presence is currently encountered. It can be used for emergency landings of transpacific airliners.
, especially the Philippines
. A year before jurisdiction over Wake Island was passed to the Navy Department, which cooperated with PAA with updating topographical surveys due to the potential military value of having a suitable airbase near the USSR eastern border.
Between 5 and 29 May 1935, Pan American's air base construction vessel, North Haven, landed supplies and equipment on Wilkes Island for eventual re handling to Peale Island which, because of its more suitable soil and geology, had been selected as site for the PAA seaplane
base. By the time of North Havens return to Wake, after a month's voyage westward to Manila
, the project was well under way, and, 3 months later, on 9 August a Pan American Boeing 314 Clipper made the first aerial landing in the atoll.
From 1935 until 1940, when two typhoons swept Wake with resultant extensive damage to the now elaborate Pan American facilities, development and use of the base were steady but uneventful. A hotel was built, farm animals imported, and hydroponic truck farming commenced. The seaplane base on Peale Island was too petty for any realistic military activity on the atoll, making intentions grow for a full-scale Air Force Base
.
On 26 December 1940, in implementation of the Hepburn Board's recommendations, a pioneer party including 80 men and some 2,000 tons of equipment, sailed for Wake Island from Oahu
, as the advance detachment to commence establishment of a naval air station on Wake Island
, which included in their plans a runway
to be used by F4F Wildcat
airplanes and commercial airliners of greater size, which couldn't land on water. The burrows made here landfall on 9 January 1941, lay-to off Wilkes Island, and next day commenced landing naval supplies and advance base equipment for development of the base. The company contracted to build the base was Morrison-Knudsen Co. (acquired by Washington Group International
), which together with other seven companies built many of the U.S. naval bases around the Pacific Ocean
. During the construction several military personnel were already deployed. Nearly a year later the Battle of Wake Island
began.
On Aug. 31, 2006, the super typhoon Ioke (class 5) struck Wake Island. After the typhoon, great damage was expected on all structures, if not complete devastation, including the runway. Members of the 36th Contingency Response Group at Andersen Air Force Base
in Guam
were already calculating astronomical costs to repair the Airfield. On Sept. 8, 16 members of the Group arrived at Wake to make the initial assessments and found out that the runway and taxiways were still in conditions for use, just requiring clearing of the debris. Other structures were considerably damaged, but in 5 days of intense work the base was already up and running, allowing for another 53 members to arrive by air and give continuation to the reconstruction.
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
, which is known for the Battle of Wake Island
Battle of Wake Island
The Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on 23 December 1941, with the surrender of the American forces to the Empire of Japan...
. It is owned by the U.S. Air Force and operated 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...
servicing practically only to military purposes within the Wake Island region, yet little military presence is currently encountered. It can be used for emergency landings of transpacific airliners.
History
The first intentions on building an airbase began in 1935, when Pan American Airways selected Wake Island as a useful intermediate base for their routes to the Far EastFar East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, especially the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. A year before jurisdiction over Wake Island was passed to the Navy Department, which cooperated with PAA with updating topographical surveys due to the potential military value of having a suitable airbase near the USSR eastern border.
Between 5 and 29 May 1935, Pan American's air base construction vessel, North Haven, landed supplies and equipment on Wilkes Island for eventual re handling to Peale Island which, because of its more suitable soil and geology, had been selected as site for the PAA seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
base. By the time of North Havens return to Wake, after a month's voyage westward to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, the project was well under way, and, 3 months later, on 9 August a Pan American Boeing 314 Clipper made the first aerial landing in the atoll.
From 1935 until 1940, when two typhoons swept Wake with resultant extensive damage to the now elaborate Pan American facilities, development and use of the base were steady but uneventful. A hotel was built, farm animals imported, and hydroponic truck farming commenced. The seaplane base on Peale Island was too petty for any realistic military activity on the atoll, making intentions grow for a full-scale Air Force Base
Air Force Base
An Air Force Base is a military airbase of any of a number of air forces, such as the United States Air Force or South African Air Force ....
.
On 26 December 1940, in implementation of the Hepburn Board's recommendations, a pioneer party including 80 men and some 2,000 tons of equipment, sailed for Wake Island from Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, as the advance detachment to commence establishment of a naval air station on Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
, which included in their plans a 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...
to be used by F4F Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
airplanes and commercial airliners of greater size, which couldn't land on water. The burrows made here landfall on 9 January 1941, lay-to off Wilkes Island, and next day commenced landing naval supplies and advance base equipment for development of the base. The company contracted to build the base was Morrison-Knudsen Co. (acquired by Washington Group International
Washington Group International
Washington Group International was an American corporation which provided integrated engineering, construction and management services to businesses and governments around the world. Based in Boise, Idaho, it had approximately 25,000 employees working in over 40 states and more than 30 countries...
), which together with other seven companies built many of the U.S. naval bases around the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. During the construction several military personnel were already deployed. Nearly a year later the Battle of Wake Island
Battle of Wake Island
The Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on 23 December 1941, with the surrender of the American forces to the Empire of Japan...
began.
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
were already calculating astronomical costs to repair the Airfield. On Sept. 8, 16 members of the Group arrived at Wake to make the initial assessments and found out that the runway and taxiways were still in conditions for use, just requiring clearing of the debris. Other structures were considerably damaged, but in 5 days of intense work the base was already up and running, allowing for another 53 members to arrive by air and give continuation to the reconstruction.