Type Military airfield | In use 1944-1945 | |
 | ||
Built 1943 (Japanese)
Rebuilt by US Army (1944) Controlled by United States Army Air Forces | ||
Wakde Airfield is a World War II airfield located on Wakde Island, off the northern coast of New Guinea in West Papua Province, Indonesia. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.
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History
The airfield was constructed by the Japanese and was first noted by the Americans in February 1943. By June 1943, a single coral–surfaced 5,400' x 390' runway, with dispersal areas off the northern side was identified, and a barracks area on the south side was visible. By September, the Japanese had expanded the base further with a radio station and quarters for 1,000 personnel.
Wadke Airfield was seized by the United States Army on 15 May 1944. Construction work was begun to repair the airstrip once the battle was over on 18 May. The airfield was repaired and put into use by the 5th Air Force as a forward operations base. From Wakde, the first American reconnaissance mission of the Philippines since the fall of Corregidor in 1942 was undertaken, over Mindanao.