Pacific Wrecks
Pacific Wrecks    
  Missing In Action (MIA) Prisoners Of War (POW) Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)  
Chronology Locations Aircraft Ships Submit Info How You Can Help Donate
 
    Horn Island Airfield Queensland Australia
Click For Enlargement
Click For Enlargement
5th AF September 1942
Location
Lat 10° 35' 11S Long 142° 17' 24E  Horn Island Airfield is located at the northern end of Horn Island (Ngurapai) in Queensland in Australia.

Construction
Built by the Australian Civil Constructional Corps and the Department of Main Roads as an advanced airfield. Construction began during 1940 and was completed by January 1942. Horn Island Airfield had two intersecting runways: an east-west runway measuring 5,000' x 150' and a southeast-northwest runway measuring 4250' x 150', both surfaced with bitumen and gravel.

Wartime History
During early 1942 attacked by Japanese bombers and fighters and defended by fighters. Later, Horn Island was an important stop on the ferry route from Australia northward to Port Moresby.

Japanese missions against Horn Island
March 14, 1942–June 18, 1943

Allied units based at Horn Island
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF)
49th FG, 7th FS (12 x P-40 detachment) Batchelor February 1942–April 18, 1942
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
No. 84 Squadron (Boomerang, P-40) Richmond April 43 - May 44
No. 32 Squadron (Hudson) March - September 1942
No. 7 Squadron (Beaufort) April - October 1944 Tadji

Hudson Mark IIIa Serial Number A16-136
Destroyed on the ground March 14, 1942

B-17E "Tojo's Physic" 41-2640
Pilot O'Brien damaged July 30, 1942 during a collision on the ground, afterwards salvaged.

By July 1945, the airfield was listed as an emergency airfield only.

Today
Still in use today as Horn Island Airport servicing the far north Queensland. Airport code: ICAO: YHID IATA: HID. Both runways remain in use: the first oriented 26/08 measuring 4,557' x 98' surfaced with asphalt and the second oriented 32/14 measuring 4,052' x 75' surfaced with asphalt at an elevation of 43' above sea level.

References
Airdromes Guide Southwest Pacific Area - 1 July 1945

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
April 19, 2021

 

Map
October 1943

Map
July 1945

Map
Map
Fallingrain

Google Earth
View in Google Earth
  Discussion Forum Daily Updates Reviews Museums Interviews & Oral Histories  
 
Pacific Wrecks Inc. All rights reserved.
Donate Now Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram