Carney Airfield
Encyclopedia
Carney Airfield is a former World War II
airfield on Guadalcanal
, Solomon Islands
in the South Pacific
. It is located near Koli Point about fifteen miles from Henderson Field
, closes to the Metapona River to the east and the Naumbu River to the west. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.
.
Designed as a fighter airfield, Carney hosted a number of USAAF command organizations and fighter squadrons, along with United States Navy
PBY-4 Catalina squadrons.
Units assigned were:
After the war, the airfield was abandoned, and has fallen into a state of disuse.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airfield on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. It is located near Koli Point about fifteen miles from Henderson Field
Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)
Henderson Field is a former military airfield on Guadacanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. Today it is Honiara International Airport.-Japanese construction:...
, closes to the Metapona River to the east and the Naumbu River to the west. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.
History
Also known as "Bomber 2 Field", Carney Airfield is named for Captain J.V. Carney, USNR Civil Engineer Corps who was Commanding Officer of Naval Construction Battalion 14 (SeaBees) who was killed 16 December 1942 flying aboard an SBD DauntlessSBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
.
Designed as a fighter airfield, Carney hosted a number of USAAF command organizations and fighter squadrons, along with United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
PBY-4 Catalina squadrons.
Units assigned were:
- Headquarters, Thirteenth Air ForceThirteenth Air ForceThe Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
, 21 January-15 June 1944 - Headquarters, XIII Bomber CommandXIII Bomber CommandThe XIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946....
, 20 August 1943-June 1944 - Headquarters, XIII Fighter CommandXIII Fighter CommandThe XIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Manila, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946....
, December 1943-15 August 1944
- 18th Fighter Group18th WingThe United States Air Force's 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force’s largest combat wing. It is the largest and principal organization in the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force....
, 17 April 1943-23 August 1944 - 347th Fighter Group, 29 December 1943-15 January 1944
- 4th Reconnaissance Group4th Reconnaissance GroupThe 4th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force and was stationed at Clark Field, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 January 1946....
, 6 May-12 December 1944 - 419th Night Fighter Squadron419th Night Fighter SquadronThe 419th Night Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Thirteenth Air Force, being inactivated at Floridablanca, Luzon on February 20, 1947.-History:...
, 15 November 1943-21 August 1944
- VB-106 (PBY-4)
- VMD-254 (PBY-4)
- VB-101 (PBY-4)
- VB-102 (PBY-4)
- VB-104 (PBY-4)
After the war, the airfield was abandoned, and has fallen into a state of disuse.
See also
- USAAF in the South PacificUnited States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific AreaDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the Empire of Japan in the South Pacific Area. As defined by the War Department, this consisted of the Pacific Ocean areas which lay south of the Equator between longitude 159° East and 110° West...