Type Military Airfield Built by Seebees Materials Coral | Condition abandoned In use 1943-4 Year built 1943 | |
 | ||
Battles/wars Bougainville Campaign
Operation Cartwheel Controlled by Royal New Zealand Air Force, United States Navy | ||
Ondonga Airfield is a former World War II airfield on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands archipelago.
Contents
World War II
The Munda Point area was secured on 5 August 1943. While the rehabilitation and expansion of Munda Point Airfield was the first priority for the Seebees, the 37th and 82nd Naval Construction Battalions soon began building another fighter airfield on Ondonga Island across from Munda Point. Construction proceeded with difficulty as the island was covered with dense jungle over bog and the site was periodically shelled by Japanese artillery on Kolombangara Island and bombed by Japanese aircraft flying from Bougainville. After 25 days the Seebees had completed a coral-surfaced 4,500 feet (1,400 m) by 200 feet (61 m) fighter runway. By February 1944 the Seebees had completed a second parallel runway, roads, taxiways, hardstands, a control tower and a 12,000 barrel tank farm.
Royal New Zealand Air Force units based at Ondonga included:
US Navy units based at Ondonga included:
USMC units based at Ondonga included:
Postwar
The airfield is abandoned and overgrown with vegetation.