Kerevat Airfield (prewar: Tavilo Plantation; variant: "Keravat") was an
aerodrome
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
located near
Kerevat
Kerevat (or Keravat) is a town and seat of Gazelle District in East New Britain Province, on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea. It is home to a prison, the Kerevat National High School, the Kerevat Education Centre, and the Cocoa and Co ...
,
East New Britain
East New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea, consisting of the north-eastern part of the island of New Britain and the Duke of York Islands. The capital of the province is Kokopo, not far from the old capital of Rabaul, which was largely des ...
province,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
. Situated on the northern coast, it was south west of
Rabaul
Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
.
The airfield was constructed by the
Imperial Japanese
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...
in
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 opposin ...
during September 1943. Kerevat Airfield was neutralized by
Allied Powers' air bombing from 1944, who ran missions on the airfield between June 20, 1943, and May 16, 1944. The airfield was abandoned after the cessation of hostilities; however, the airstrip is still visible.
Structure
The airfield's single
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
was located on
Ataliklikun Bay east of
Vunakanauwas.
The runway was long and wide and ran parallel to the
Keravat River in an east–west direction, to the southwest of Rabaul.
[ It was not an all-weather concrete runway. Though the runway was upgraded, it was never fully operational, and its use was limited to crash landing as the airstrip, riddled with problems, was generally subject to drainage and other engineering problems, making it difficult for use for regular flight operations.]
World War II history
The 552nd Kōkūtai
A ''Kōkūtai'' () was a term used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) to designate a military aviation unit, similar to the Air Groups in other air arms and services of the time. (''Group'' in the British Royal Air Force, ''Gruppe ...
( D3A2 Val) unit was stationed here from December 18, 1943, to January 25, 1944.13th Air Force
The Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific) (13 AF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It was last headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stat ...
B-24
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
s; on February 22, 1944, by 13th AF B-24s, with fighter escorts; on February 23, 1944, by ten 13th AF B-25
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in e ...
s; April 17, 1944, by ten 13th AF fighter bombers, that pounded the runway; April 18, 1944, twelve 13th AF B-25 and nine fighter-bombers which failed to bomb Rapopo, instead bombing the airstrip at Keravat; April 20, 1944, by forty 13th AF fighter bombers; April 22, 1944, by 13th AF B-25s; and on May 10, 1944, by 13th AF fighters on a sweep, which hit trucks; and on May 16, 1944, by 13th AF fighter bombers which hit trucks and a saw mill was also damaged.Vunakanau Vunakanau is situated on a plateau just outside Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. Vunakanau Airfield was used in 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 1 ...
and Tobera Tobera airfield was an aerodrome located near Tobera, near Keravat, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The airfield was constructed by the imperial Japan during World War II (during August 1943). Tobera was later neutralized by Allied air bombing ...
; all of them were frequently bombed by allied forces. Two “Flying Nightmares” PBJ-1
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...
s bombed Kerevat and the other airports with 100-pound bombs so that Japanese fighters could not use them.
References
Bibliography
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East New Britain Province
World War II airfields in Papua New Guinea
Defunct airports in Papua New Guinea