Awase Airfield or NAB Awase is a former World War II airfield on the Pacific coast of Okinawa.

History

World War II

The Awase area was captured during the first week of the

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

and was surveyed for possible airbase construction in late April 1945. Two

Naval Construction Battalions , colors = , mascot = Bumblebee , battles = Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Cape Gloucester, Los Negros, Guam, Peleliu, Tarawa, Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, Philippines ...

commenced construction of a 5000 ft fighter airstrip on April 23, the 34th and 36th CBs.Naval Construction Battalion cruisebook, Seabee Museum Archives website, 2020-01-2

/ref> Along with the airfield the African American Seabees of the 34th constructed a JCC(Joint Communications Center) Radio Transmitter Station.Naval Construction Battalion cruisebook, Seabee Museum Archives website, 2020-01-22, p.1

/ref> Construction of the airfield was delayed by torrential rains late May into June so the heavy earth-moving equipment was diverted to the maintenance and upgrading of the island's roadways. On 30 June 1945 the base was declared operational and the first aircraft from Marine Aviation Training Support Group 33, Marine Air Group 33 (MAG-33) landed at the airfield.

Marine Aircraft Group 14 Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina that is currently composed of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons, one F-35C squadron, one UAV squadron, one ...

(MAG-14) comprising VMF-212, VMF-222 and VMF-223 all operating F4Us were based at Awase from July until September 1945. VMF-312 operating F4Us was based at Awase from July to November 1945.

VMA-322 Marine Attack Squadron 322 (VMA-322) was an attack squadron in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the “Fighting Gamecocks”, fought in World War II and later became a part of the Marine Forces Reserve based out of Nava ...

operating F4Us was based at Awase from July to November 1945.

VMF-323 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323) is an aircraft carrier-based aviation squadron of the United States Marine Corps. The squadron is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Ca ...

operating F4Us transferred to Awase from Kadena on 15 July and remained there until the end of the war.

VMF(N)-543 Marine Attack Squadron 543 (VMA-543) was an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the “Night Hawks”, were part of the Marine Forces Reserve and were based at Naval Air Station Glenview, Illinois until ...

operating F6F-3Ns night-fighters transferred to Awase from Kadena Airfield in July and remained there until the end of the war. VMB-612's PBJ-1Ds were transferred to Awase in November 1945 when the unit was disestablished. Okinawa airfields 1945

Postwar

In 1950 the US Navy upgraded and the US Air Force constructed communications facilities on the base. By March 1977 all of the airfield area had been returned to Japanese control other than the 0.552 km2 Awase Communication Station at the tip of the Awase peninsula. This base is responsible for communications with the United States Seventh Fleet, and all radio transmission of the U.S. Naval Forces in Okinawa. The station was upgraded by Mobile Construction Battalion 7.

References

{{reflist Airfields of the United States Navy Airfields in the Pacific theatre of World War II Japan campaign Military installations closed in the 1950s Closed installations of the United States Navy

History

World War II

Postwar

See also

References