August 17, 1943

August 21, 1943

November 2, 1943


c1943-44



March 21, 1945

Justin Taylan 2003

Justin Taylan 2005

Location
Located on the north coast of New Guinea, near Dagua. Prewar this area was a catholic mission.

Construction
Construction began in early 1943 by the Japanese Army. By the end of February a single runway was built 1,400 x 80 meters, considered suitable for heavy bombers. Later, it was expanded to 6,700' (dementions as of September 9, 1943). The northern side of the runway, right along the sea were ravetments for (33) fighters. The southern side had bomber and fighter dispersal areas with (32) ravetments. Along the center of the strip were a further (14) bomber and fighter revetments.

Known to the Japanese as 'But East'. The Allies called the airfield 'Dagua Airfield' for the nearby village of the same name.

Japanese Units Based at Dagua
24th Sentai (Ki-43) May - November 1943
68st Sentai (Ki-61) June - November 1943
78th Sentai (Ki-61) June - November 1943
7th Sentai (Ki-49) November 1943
208th Sentai (Ki-48) mid-1943
59th Sentai (Ki-43) November 1943
24th Sentai (Ki-43-III) from Sumatra & Babo May to Nov 1943 to Japan

American Missions Against Dagua
(5th AF) May 1943 - August 13, 1944

Australian Occupation
Australian troops reached the area on March 21, 1945. They noted the following number of wrecks at the strip: 6 Dinah, 25 (26) Helen, 24 Lilys, 55 (48) Oscar, 3 Sally, 2 Sonias, 18 (16) Tony. Thanks to Richard Dunn for this reference.

Post War Clean-Up
In 1974, an Australian Army weapons disposal team did a clean up of weapons and wreckage, but wreck hunters and locals have since found aircraft machine guns and munitions. The Dagua Catholic mission has built its church and school on the former runway, about halfway down the strip.

Today
Unused as an airstrip since the war, the strip is overgrown with kunai, but the runway still visible to this day. The Dagua mission has built a school at the center of the strip, and a few houses line the shoreline. There are few bits of wrecks on the strip, due to scrapping and the passage of time.  Many smaller bits of aluminum, wreckage, landing gear, vehicle and roller are there.

Ki-21 Sally
Wreckage remained until 1970s, scrapped or otherwise removed

Ki-49 Helen Manufacture Number 3140

Ki-48 Lily Manufacture Number 2214

Ammann Steam Roller

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