January 5, 1943

Unknown 1943

Mid 1943

May 1943

September 11, 1943

October 12, 1943


Justin Taylan 2000


Justin Taylan 2006

Location
Lat 152 8 Long 4 19  Located approximately 10 miles south-west of Rabaul.

Construction
Australian built unpaved single runway with a single building. Also know as 'West Airfield'.

Australian RAAF Base
Based ten Wirraways and four Hudsons of 24 Squadron. On January 20, 1942 eight of the Wirraways attempted to intercept over 100 Japanese carrier aircraft attacking Rabaul.

Before the base fell to the Japanese, the CO, Squadron Leader J. M. Lerew sent the message "Nos Morituri To Salutamus" (Latin: "from those who are about to die, we salute you") to Melbourne headquarters. On 22nd January 1942 the Squadron’s last Hudson bomber was loaded with wounded, and departed to Port Moresby and abandoned the base. Returning to Port Moresby via various methods including flying boat and small vessels.

Japanese Usage
Occupied by the Japanese, it was known as 'Rabaul Upper' and developed into their main airfield base in the Rabaul area. Additional construction was required prior to the arrival of 4th Kokutai G4M1 Bettyy between February 14-17, 1942.

The base was continually expanded throughout 1943, eventually including two parallel strips each 5,100' (as of November 10, 1943) with taxiways and ravetments on both sides of the runways, including (64) bomber and (81) fighter ravetments. A well developed anti-aircraft defense was created with 15 heavy, 14 medium and 12 light guns, and 3 searchlight batteries (as of November 10, 1943).

Japanese Naval Units Based at Vunakanau
Misawa Kokutai (9 x G4M1) Aug 7, 1942 - Oct 1942
705th Kokutai (G4M1 formerly Misawa) Jan 1943 - April 1943
702nd Kokutai (G4M1 Betty) Late 1942 - Late 1943
751st Kokutai (G4M Betty) Oct 11,  42 - May 1943
Tainan Kokutai (A6M Zero) April 1942 - November 1942 also Lakunai
251st Kokutai (former Tainan Kokutai A6M / J1N1) Nov 1942 - Mid 1943v
Japanese Army Air Force Units Based at Vunakanau
1st Sentai (Ki-43 Oscar) January - August 1943
11th Sentai (Ki-43 Oscar) December 18, 1942 - June 1943 to Wewak
13th Sentai (Ki-45 Nick) May - September 1943
68th Sentai (Ki-61 Tony) April - July 1943 to Wewak
78th Sentai (Ki-61 Tony) June - July 1943 to Wewak

Missions Against Vunakanau
Japanese & Allied January 4, 1942 - June 2, 1944

American aircraft pounded Vunakanau from the air, neutalizing the base by February 14, 1944 when remaining flyable aircraft were evacuated to Truk, but anti-aircraft defenses were active until the end of the war.

Postwar
One of the two runways was maintained until 1983, as an emergency landing strip for Rabaul. It was no longer maintained when Tokua Airfield was built.

Today
The runways are overgrown, but still visible. Not much of the Japanese airbase complex remains, except for a few tracks that follow the runway and taxiways. Much of the remaining wreckage was transported to the Kokopo Museum.

May 24, 1943

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