Location
Torokina Airfield located at Torokina (Cape Torokina) on Bougainville parallel to the Torokina Road along the western coast of Bougainville at Empress Augusta Bay. Further inland to the north is Piva. Also known as Cape Torokina Airfield. Rabaul is roughly 200 miles to the northwest.

Allied missions against Torokina
November 8, 1943 - March 29, 1944

Construction
Built by U. S. Navy Seabees in forty days, and surfaced with Marson Matting. It officially opened on December 10, 1943 when VMF 216 landed seventeen Corsairs together with four or five SBD Dauntless dive bombers. After January 1, 1944 Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) aircraft also began operating from Torokina Airfield.

World War II Pacific Theatre History
Torokina Airfield was used by Allied fighter and bomber aircraft from the United States Navy (USN), United States Marine Corps (USMC), U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Primiarily used as a fighter strip. Later, Piva North Airfield (Piva Yoke) became the primary bomber strip with Piva South Airfield (Piva Uncle) another fighter base.

Allied units based at Torokina Airfield
USN
VC-40 (TBF)
ACORN 13
VF(N)-75 (F4U night fighter) Munda December 1943
USMC
VMTB-233 (TBF) 6 MIA on Feb 14 1944 to Rabaul
VMTB-242 (TBF)
VMF-211 (F4U)
VMF-216 (F4U) December 10, 1943
VMF-215
VMF-212 (F4U) September 1943
VMF(N)-531 (PV-1 night fighter) Munda December 1943
VMSB-341 (SBD) January 1944
USAAF
347th FG, 68th FS (P-38) Fiji February 4 - August 17, 1944 Middleburg
347th FG, 67th FS (P-39Q) March 2, 1944
RNZAF
14 Squadron (P-40) February 1944
18 Squadron (P-40) February 1944
19 Squadron (F4U) March 1944
A Marine-manned New Zealand ground control radar unit was set up, and reached operation about the time the airfield was completed.

On March 8, 1944 in conjunction with the Japanese Army counterattack against the American beachhead area around Torokina as Japanese artillery bombards Piva Airfield. On March 9, 1944 during the early morning, Torokina Airfield was shelled, forcing aircraft to immediately withdraw to avoid being damaged on the ground.

John Williams of ACORN 13 adds:
"Our unit operated the tower we fed and quartered the American pilots, we armed and fueled the planes and any other duties necessary to operate an airbase. Sorties of F4Us, TBF torpedo bombers and SBD dive bombers were flown off the strip.  Our main target was Rabaul.  Also the Kiwis flew the old P-40s from there.  Boyington took off from that field the day he was shot down over Rabaul."

A swimming beach was located on the beach parallel to the runway.

Postwar
Bougainville and Torokina was one of nine Pacific Island bases recommended by the US Navy to be retained as bases. The recommendation was made to the Navy Affairs Committee to both houses of Congress on September 5, 1945.

Today
The airfield is disused since the war. Most of the length is overgrown. The edge nearest to Cape Torokina is still clear, used as a playing field with the church and school nearby. The top photograph shows Torokina in 1944 from the swimming beach side, and strip in upper right. The bottom photograph shows looking south to Motufena Point from the strip this time the beach is on the right and the strip on the left.

References
Thanks also to Bob Marshall for additional assistance with this profile.

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Last Updated
March 17, 2019