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Location
Lat 6°12'1.52"S Long 155° 3'27.10"E Located at Piva.
Construction
One of two parallel runways
built by Americans,
running roughly east to west. The larger, Piva North
(Bomber Strip) was used for bomber operations. Another parallel runway, Piva South (Piva Yoke, Piva No. 2) was located directly to the south. Taxiways
connected the two Piva strips together.
North Strip was completed December
30, 1943 and officially opened January 9, 1944 surfaced with marston matting. The strip
was plagued with problems for heavy bomber operations,
as the soil was too soft from the constant rain. At its height, the strip was 6,000' of marston matting, with 2,000' extension of compacted sand on the western end.
Allied Units Based at
Piva:
USN Units
30 TB Squadron (TBF)
- Mar 23, 1944 - ?
VT-305 (Avenger) 1944
VB-305 (SBD) 1944
USMC Units
VMF-215 (F4U)
VMD-254 (photo lab detachment) Jan 16, 1944
VMF(N)-531 (PV-1 Ventura)
RAAF Units
5 Squadron (Wirraway, Boomerang, Beaufort)
RNZAF Units
Dive Squadron 25 (SBD) - March 23, 1944 - ?
Japanese Bombardment
Shortly after daybreak on March 8, 1944 Japanese
artillery opened up on Piva Airfield and destroyed one B-24 Liberator, three fighters and damaged nineteen other aircraft. Before nightfall all bombers left for New Georgia area airfields, aside from six TBF Avengers. The bombardment also damaged one 155-mm. gun and several tanks. The next day, the Japanese bombarded Torokina Airfield.
Camp Frysle
Built by a previous unit, this camp area was occupied
by VMD-254 photo lab when they arrived and named
in honor of Sgt John Fryslie, who was killed in a crash
at Palmyra Airfield on November
23, 1943.
Airdromes Guide Southwest Pacific Area, July 1945:
"Piva North is the only Bougainville airdrome on operational status. Night landing facilities: search light on request. Service facilities: fuel and old tank truck delivery, repairs available. Accommodations for transient and emergency landed crews."
Postwar
This airfield remained in service after the war, until the start of the "Bougainville Crisis" in 1988.
Today
Disused since the "Bougainville Crisis" the airfield is now overgrown and abandoned.
Japanese War Memorial
Erected by Japanese in August 1978 Japanese memorial with a statue and memorial plaque located at the airfield. [ Read Plaque ]
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Last Updated
October 1, 2009
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