Location
Located
along the Meiro River, across from Madang
Town.
Construction
Built prior to the war.
Wartime History
In middle 1942 the single runway surfaced with crushed coral, 1350 x 20 yard, requiring landings towards the sea during day, with good approaches. Sgt H. Russell or W.O. PEnglase. Facilities included radio, food & water, medical assist. chrg & Bernett in vicinity, native speak pidgin, plenty of empty drums.
Occupied by the Japanese Army in January 1943, as a forward operating airfield for aircraft based at Wewak. Later, it was expanded to a 3.250'
x 240' runway (as of August 13, 1943) with a single taxiway
and revetment area (30 fighters, 1 bomber) on the eastern end.
Aerial photos in January 4, 1944 show the strip as bombed
out and unserviceable.
On March 24, 1943 Japanese bombers arrived at Wewak taking senior officers (H.E. Tsuboshima, Aide-de-Camp to the Emperor, and his party) on an inspection tour of Wewak and Madang.
April 19, 1943 Lt. General Adachi and his staff departed from Wewak to Madang to establish his headquarters there.
October 24, 1943 in the morning a Ki-49-II piloted by 1st Lt Kudo of 2/7Sentai crashes off Madang.
JAAF Units Known to Use Madang:
248th Sentai (Ki-43-III Oscar)
59th Sentai (Ki-43 Oscar)
68th
Sentai
(Ki-61
Tony)
Allied Missions Against Madang
December 13, 1942 - April 26, 1944
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