Location
Mokerang Airfield was located at Mokerang Point on the southern tip of Los Negros. Prewar, Mokerang Plantation growing copra.

Construction
After the completion of Lorengau Airfield, the Japanese built a single runway was built at this location.

During early March 1944, after the US Army liberation of the Mokerang area, the Japanese built runway at was deemed to be unsuitable for use by American aircraft.

Instead, the U.S. Army built a modern coral surfaced runway measuring 8,000' x 100' was built at this same location, including a storage area for 30,000 barrels of fuel at Mokerang. Along the northern side of the runway and southwest corner of the runway were taxiways with ravetments. Designated US Army APO #324 (APO 324). The control tower was code named "Fanfare".

American units based at Mokerang
13th Air Force (13th Air Task Force)
307th BG HQ Munda / Guadalcanal on April 29 - Aug 25, 44 Wakde
307th BG, 424th BS (B-24s) Munda / Guadalcanal May 13, 1944 - Aug 22, 1944 Wakde
307th BG, 370th BS (B-24s) Munda / Guadalcanal May 13, 1944 - Aug 22, 1944 Wakde
307th BG, 371th BS (B-24s) Munda / Guadalcanal May 13, 1944 - Aug 22, 1944 Wakde
307th BG, 372th BS (B-24s) Munda / Guadalcanal May 13, 1944 - Aug 22, 1944 Wakde
13th Bomber Command HQ Guadalcanal June 1 - Sept 13, 44 Hollandia
United States Navy (USN)
VPB-137 (PV-1) Kaneohe / Midway October 15, 1944 - January 1, 1945 Tacloban

Postwar
After the war, the vast Mokerang Airfield was dismantled and lots of U.S. equipment was destroyed or abandoned. Landing barges were run aground or sunk. Villagers remember how bulldozers were pointed towards the ocean an driven into the water until they stalled. Extensive salvage and scrap operations existed on Manus for years after the war. There are still stories about about pits full of wartime cargo, but their locations are now well guarded secrets.

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Last Updated
April 7, 2020