Location
Lat 6°12'28.48"S  Long 155° 3'27.55"E. Located at Piva on Bougainville. Located roughly 2.5 miles NNE of Cape Torokina.

Construction
One of two parallel runways built by Americans, running roughly east to west. Completed on December 30, 1943. At its height, Piva South (Fighter Strip) extended 6,000' x 150', with marson matting on volcanic sand for 4,400' of the runway. Taxiways connected it to Piva North (Piva Uncle, Piva No 1).

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.

Allied Units Based at Piva:
RNZAF Units
20 Squadron (F4U) May-June 1944, Jan-April 1945

Airdromes Guide Southwest Pacific Area, July 1945:
"This airfield was deemed a 'reserve military airdrome' and was not manned and was closed. The runway's marston matting were undermined by storms and water action. Driftwood obstructs the runway after heavy rains."

Today
This airfield was abandoned after the war and became largely overgrown. Overgown and disused.

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Last Updated
January 23, 2012

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