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Location
10° 35' 0" S Lat 142° 17' 30" E Long. Located at the northern end of Horn Island.
Construction
Built by the Australian Civil Constructional Corps and the Department of Main Roads began construction of an advanced airfield on the island in 1940. Construction was completed during January 1942. Horn Island Airfield had two intersecting runways: east-west runway 5000' x 150'. The southeast-northwest runway is 4250' x 150', both surfaced with bitumen and gravel.
Wartime History
Attacked by Japanese bombers and fighters during early 1942, and defended by fighters. Later, Horn Island was an important stop on the ferry route from Australia northward to Port
Moresby.
Japanese
Missions Against Horn Island
March 14, 1942 - June 18, 1943
Units Based at Horn Island
USAAF
49th FG, 7th FS (Detachment of 12 P-40s) Batchelor February 1942 - April 18, 1942
RAAF
84 Squadron (Boomerang, P-40) Richmond April 43 -
May 44
7 Squadron (Beaufort) April - October 1944
Tadji
32 Squadron (Hudson) March - September 1942
By July 1945, the airfield was listed as an emergency airfield only.
Today
Still in use today as the main airport for far north Queensland.
References
Airdromes Guide Southwest Pacific Area - 1 July 1945
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Last Updated
November 7, 2011
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