Awase Airfield or NAB Awase is a former

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

airfield on the Pacific coast of

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

History

World War II

The Awase area was captured during the first week of the Battle of Okinawa and was surveyed for possible airbase construction in late April 1945. Two Naval Construction Battalions 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 (MAG-14) comprising

VMF-212 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 (VMFA-212) was a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Most recently known as the "Lancers", the squadron was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan and fell under the command of Mar ...

VMF-222 Marine Fighting Squadron 222 (VMF-222) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was activated and fought during World War II. Known as “The Flying Deuces,” they fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) ...

and

VMF-223 Marine Attack Squadron 223 (VMA-223) is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II ( V/STOL) jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina ...

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 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, ...

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 the ...

operating F6F-3Ns night-fighters transferred to Awase from

Kadena Airfield (IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its hi ...

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 The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of ...

, 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