Motobu Airfield
Encyclopedia
Motobu Airfield is a World War II
airfield on the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa, near the East China Sea
coast. The airfield was deactivated after 1945.
and United States Navy
Seabee
s as a combat airfield to support the Army and Marine Corps ground forces during the Battle of Okinawa
. It had a 7,000' x 100' single runway and was used as the support field for Headquarters, Fifth Air Force
and its subordinate commands on Okinawa from August through October 1945 until they moved to Honshu
, Japan
for postwar occupation duty.
.* Assigned to nearby town of Hamasaki and used Motobu Airfield for air operations.
In addition to the Army units, several Navy aviation squadrons used the airfield. It's postwar use is undetermined. Today, parts of the runway can still be seen on aerial photography.
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 the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa, near the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
coast. The airfield was deactivated after 1945.
History
The airfield was built in April 1945 by the United States Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
and 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...
Seabee
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
s as a combat airfield to support the Army and Marine Corps ground forces during the Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
. It had a 7,000' x 100' single runway and was used as the support field for Headquarters, Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
and its subordinate commands on Okinawa from August through October 1945 until they moved to Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for postwar occupation duty.
Units assigned
- Headquarters, Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
*, August 4 – September 25, 1945 - Headquarters, V Bomber CommandV Bomber CommandThe V Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fifth Air Force, based at Irumagawa AB, Japan. It was inactivated on 31 May 1946....
*, August–October 1945 - Headquarters, V Fighter CommandV Fighter CommandThe V Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fifth Air Force, based at Fukuoka AB, Japan. It was inactivated on 31 May 1946....
*, August–October 1945 - Headquarters, 308th Bombardment Wing308th Bombardment Wing (World War II)The 308th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces, based at Nagoya, Japan. It was inactivated on 30 June 1948....
*, June 16 – September 22, 1945
.* Assigned to nearby town of Hamasaki and used Motobu Airfield for air operations.
- Headquarters, 3d Bombardment Group, A-20 Havoc, August 6 – September 8, 1945
- 8th Bombardment Squadron8th Special Operations SquadronThe 8th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates CV-22 Osprey in support of special operations.-Mission:...
, August 7 – October 26, 1945 - 13th Bombardment Squadron13th Bomb SquadronThe 13th Bomb Squadron is an active United States Air Force organization assigned to the 509th Operations Group, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri...
, August 7 – October 10, 1945 - 89th Bombardment Squadron89th Tactical Missile SquadronThe 89th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 38th Tactical Missile Wing, based at Wueschheim Air Station, West Germany. It was inactivated on 22 August 1990.-History:...
, August 6 – September 8, 1945 - 90th Bombardment Squadron90th Fighter SquadronThe 90th Fighter Squadron is part of the 3d Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates the F-22 Raptor aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
, August 6 – September 8, 1945
- Headquarters, 380th Bombardment Group, B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, August 9 – November 28, 1945
- 528th Bombardment Squadron528th Bombardment SquadronThe 528th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing, based at Plattsburgh AFB, New York. It was inactivated on 30 September 1995.-History:...
, August 8 – November 28, 1945 - 529th Bombardment Squadron529th Bombardment SquadronThe 529th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing, based at Plattsburgh AFB, New York. It was inactivated on 25 June 1966.-History:...
, August 18 – November 28, 1945 - 530th Bombardment Squadron530th Bombardment SquadronThe 530th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing, based at Plattsburgh AFB, New York. It was inactivated on 25 June 1966.-History:...
, August 10 – November 28, 1945 - 531st Bombardment Squadron531st Bombardment SquadronThe 531st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, being stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam...
, August 15 – November 28, 1945
- Headquarters, 22d Bombardment Group22d Air Refueling WingThe 22d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and also functions as the host wing for McConnell AFB....
, B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, August 15 – November 23, 1945
- 2d Bombardment Squadron2d Bombardment SquadronThe 2d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Strategic Air Command 22d Bombardment Wing stationed at March AFB, California...
, August 18 – November 23, 1945 - 19th Bombardment Squadron19th Special Operations SquadronThe 19th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It conducts crew training for AC-130 and MC-130 aircraft.-World War II:...
, August 14 – November 23, 1945 - 33d Bombardment Squadron33d Flying Training SquadronThe 33d Flying Training Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron based out of Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. It is a part of the 71st Flying Training Wing...
, August 15 – November 23, 1945 - 408th Bombardment Squadron408th Bombardment SquadronThe 408th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Strategic Air Command 22d Bombardment Wing stationed at March AFB, California...
, August 21 – November 23, 1945
- Headquarters, 417th Bombardment Group417th Bombardment GroupThe 417th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with V Bomber Command, being stationed at Itami Airfield, Japan, where it was inactivated on 5 November 1945....
, A-20 Havoc, August 17 – November 1, 1945
- 672d Bombardment Squadron672d Technical Training SquadronThe 672d Technical Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 705th Strategic Missile Wing,, based at RAF Lakenheath, England. It was inactivated on October 1, 1959.-History:...
, August 17 – November 3, 1945 - 673d Bombardment Squadron673d Bombardment SquadronThe 673d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 417th Bombardment Group, based at Itami Air Base, Japan...
, August 18 – November 4, 1945 - 674th Bombardment Squadron674th Bombardment SquadronThe 674th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 417th Bombardment Group, based at Itami Air Base, Japan...
, August 15 – November 1, 1945 - 675th Bombardment Squadron675th Bombardment SquadronThe 675th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 417th Bombardment Group, based at Itami Air Base, Japan...
, August 17 – November 5, 1945
In addition to the Army units, several Navy aviation squadrons used the airfield. It's postwar use is undetermined. Today, parts of the runway can still be seen on aerial photography.
See also
- USAAF in OkinawaUnited States Army Air Forces in OkinawaThe Battle of Okinawa was the last major ground battle between the armed forces of the Empire of Japan and the United States of the Pacific War.United States Army and United States Marine Corps ground forces landed on the island on 1 April 1945 at 08:30 am. The Battle of Okinawa lasted 83 days...