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Kobler Field is a former a

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 Saipan in the Mariana Islands, part of Naval Advance Base Saipan. It was closed in 1977 and redeveloped as a residential housing area.

History

World War II

Kobler Field was constructed between August and October 1944 near Aslito on the southern end of Saipan as a base for

Twentieth Air Force The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. 20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...

B-29 Superfortresses carrying out the strategic bombing campaign against the

Japanese Home Islands The Japanese archipelago (Japanese: 日本列島, ''Nihon rettō'') is a group of 6,852 islands that form the country of Japan, as well as the Russian island of Sakhalin. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East Chin ...

. The facility had a runway, repair and maintenance facilities, and hardstanding for 120 aircraft. The airfield was named after Lt. Wayne F. Kobler, a 19th Fighter Squadron pilot who was killed on 27 June 1944 while flying his

P-47 The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomber ...

on a low-level attack mission on

Tinian Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the ...

. As

Isely Field Saipan International Airport , also known as Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, is a public airport located on Saipan Island in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The airport is owned by Commonwealth Port ...

, North Field, and West Field on Tinian became operational, Kobler Field was increasingly used by the Twentieth Air Force as an auxiliary field for storage and basing of miscellaneous aircraft. A

LORAN LORAN, short for long range navigation, was a hyperbolic radio navigation system developed in the United States during World War II. It was similar to the UK's Gee system but operated at lower frequencies in order to provide an improved range u ...

navigation station was established at the end of Kobler Field in November 1944, which the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

continued to operate until January 1978. The 819th Bombardment Squadron flying B-24 Liberators deployed to Kobler Field in August 1944 to undertake attacks on Japanese islands and shipping. On 22 June 1945, following a raid on

Kure Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. History The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Ja ...

, a B-29 crashed at Kobler Field while attempting to land on two engines.

Postwar

In the postwar era, Kobler Field was transferred to

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

administration and remained under US Navy control until placed out of service in the early 1960s. VF-13A flying F4U-4s operated from Kobler Field from 1946 into 1947.

VA-12 Attack Squadron TWELVE (ATKRON TWELVE or VA-12), also known as the "Flying Ubangis" or "Clinchers", was an attack squadron of the United States Navy active during the Cold War. From their home port at Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Florida, ...

was shore-based at NAB Kobler Field from 21 August–19 September and November–December 1946. VA-1A was shore-based at NAB Kobler Field from 28 December 1946 until 9 January 1947.

Carrier Aircraft Service Unit US Navy K-class blimp Carrier Aircraft Service Units (CASU) were United States Navy units formed during World War II for the Pacific War to support naval aircraft operations. From 1942 to 1946, 69 Carrier Aircraft Service Units were formed to ...

(CASU) 47 was also based at NAB Kobler Field. On 16 May 1968, Continental Micronesia's first commercial flight, a Boeing 727-100 jet known as ''Ju Ju'', took off from Kobler Field to

Honolulu International Airport Daniel K. Inouye International Airport , also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main airport of Oahu, Hawaii.Saipan International Airport Saipan International Airport , also known as Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, is a public airport located on Saipan Island in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The airport is owned by Commonwealth Port ...

Current status

Following its closure, Kobler Field was redeveloped as Koblerville, a residential housing area. One runway is now Beach Road/Koblerville Road. Saipan Southern High School and Koblerville Elementary School are located in the path of the second runway.

References

External links