Ondonga Airfield
| Ondonga Airfield | |
|---|---|
| Ondonga Island, New Georgia | |
| Coordinates | 08°15′54″S 157°12′00″E / 8.26500°S 157.20000°E |
| Type | Military Airfield |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |
Royal New Zealand Air Force United States Navy |
| Condition | abandoned |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1943 |
| Built by | Seebees |
| In use | 1943-4 |
| Materials | Coral |
| Battles/wars |
Bougainville Campaign Operation Cartwheel |
Ondonga Airfield is a former World War II airfield on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands archipelago.
History
World War II
The Munda Point area was secured on 5 August 1943. While the rehabilitation and expansion of Munda Point Airfield was the first priority for the Seebees, the 37th and 82nd Naval Construction Battalions soon began building another fighter airfield on Ondonga Island across from Munda Point. Construction proceeded with difficulty as the island was covered with dense jungle over bog and the site was periodically shelled by Japanese artillery on Kolombangara Island and bombed by Japanese aircraft flying from Bougainville. After 25 days the Seebees had completed a coral-surfaced 4,500 feet (1,400 m) by 200 feet (61 m) fighter runway.[1] By February 1944 the Seebees had completed a second parallel runway, roads, taxiways, hardstands, a control tower and a 12,000 barrel tank farm.[1]:266
Royal New Zealand Air Force units based at Ondonga included:
- 14 Squadron operating P-40 Kittyhawks from November–December 1943[2]
- 15 Squadron operating P-40s from October–November 1943 and December 1943-January 1944[2]:326
- 16 Squadron operating P-40s from November 1943-January 1944[2]:326
- 17 Squadron operating P-40s January 1944[2]:327
- 18 Squadron operating P-40s from October–November 1943[2]:327
US Navy units based at Ondonga included:
USMC units based at Ondonga included:
Postwar
The airfield is abandoned and overgrown with vegetation.
See also
References
- 1 2 Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. US Government Printing Office. 1947. p. 265.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Ross, John (1993) [1955]. Royal New Zealand Air Force. Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45. Nashville: Battery Press. p. 325. ISBN 0898391873.