Location
Located on the coast at Lesson Point off Blanche Bay, to the south-east of Rabaul. Prewar it was a coconut plantation.

Construction
Construction by the Japanese began in December 1942 on Rapopo and Ulaveo Plantations. Reportedly, construction methods were primitive, relying on tanks to push down coconut palms into trenches dug by hand. The airfield had a single concrete runway running north to south, but was plagued with drainage problems, that led to a muddy runway, 4,350' x 670' (in October 1, 1943). A series of (90) bomber sized revetments were located on the east and west sides of the runway.

Defenses
A complement of 29 heavy, 21 medium and 13 light Anti-Aircraft guns, supported by 5 searchlights. The runway ran approximately north to south, with the northern most end at Lesson Point. Rapopo had several bomber units and a reserve Zero squadrons based there at the height of the war. Aerial reconnaissance photos show Ki-21 Sallys and Ki-45 Nicks based there too.

Units Based At Rapopo
14th Sentai (36 x Ki-21 Sally) from NEI March 2, 1942 - 1943
20th Dokuritsu Hiko Chutai (Ki-21, Ki-49) from Japan May 43 - ?

American Missions Against Rapopo
January 26, 1943 - June 23, 1944

Surrender At Rapopo
Forty Japanese tanks were surrendered at Rapopo in September 1945 to the Australian forces, including an amphibious tanks. Although most were destroyed, one Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank was brought back to Australia as 'war booty' and is displayed at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Museum.

Postwar
Abandoned as an airfield after the war, there were some bits of aircraft and wreckage present at the site until the mid-1980's, when the area was developed into a Copra Plantation. A few relics, including a 37mm cannon from a Ki-45 were recovered to the Kokopo War Museum.

Brian Bennett adds:
"What I found interesting was that the Japanese must have been showing some interest in Allied aircraft as i found an electric bomb release switch installed in the bomb bay of what was left of a KI-21 at Rapopo, before the area was re-modeled."

Today
The former airfield was replanted as a coconut and coco plantation. The strip and the entire area was replanted, but revetments and tunnel entrances are still visible. Development saw most of the remaining wartime bits buried or otherwise destroyed. The Rapopo Plantation Resort owned by Brian & Beverly Martin is located to the west of the original runway.

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009

March 12, 1943

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