Location
Located parallel to the southern coast of Biak, between Mokmer Drome to the west and Sorido Drome to the east, inland from the Japen Straight.

Construction
Built by the Japanese. Prior to the American landing, it appeared a second runway was being surveyed nearer to the beach.

Liberation
After American liberation, became 5th Air Force Air Depot area.

Veteran Norm Smith adds:
We used the middle of the 3 airstrips [on Biak] I think we called it Baroke. It was all coral and smooth as glass (particularly when it was wet). If I remember correctly, it had oil pots lit at night to outline the runway. When it rained most of them would go out but the while coral was very visible anyway. It was right next door to the strip that was used as a depot. I delivered a couple of A-20's to the depot for salvage in early '45. Biak was the only place I was present while live bombs were falling. 3 Bettys flew over in formation and dropped a string of daisy cutters over the ramp and past the Officers Club. I was in the club having a beer after having landed from Finschaffen and dove into a drainage trench just outside the club. The bombs didn't do any significant damage, but I scraped the heck out of my chest on the coral in the trench. There was a field hospital near the area they talk about being a nice beach. We would go up there in the afternoon with a cooler of beer and troll for nurses. Saw a lot, but never made actual contact."

Post War
The airfield was used by the Dutch who had kept it as a military airfield, flying P2V Neptunes from the base, and later Hawker Hunters until Inodesian Independence in 1962.

Today
Abandoned as an airfield.

John Voss visited in 1992:
"It was all abandoned: hangers, quonsets, admin bldgs ...and a derelict Hawker Hunter! The Indonesians keep the base looking quite good with all of the weeds kept down. Surprising shape after 30 years of abandonment by the Dutch. The runway was in good shape. I walked all around the base, no one around other than some kids playing basketball."

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009