Location
Located on southern end of Yap Island.

Construction
Built by the Japanese, the base was completed in May 1944.

Wartime History
Base the 61st Air Flotilla and 22nd Air Flotilla. This airfield was detected as early as April 1, 1944 by raiding USN planes.

Japanese Units Based at Yap
523 Kokutai (D4Y Judy) late May - July 1944 (disbanded)
202 Kokutai (A6M Zero) late May - July 1944 (disbanded)
261 Kokutai (A6M Zero) late May - July 1944 (disbanded)
265 Kokutai (A6M Zero) mid June - July 1944 (disbanded)
201st Kokutai Buntai S306 (survivors of 263 and 343 Kokutai) July 16 - August 2, 44

American Missions Against Colonia Airfield
June 28, 1944 - August 10, 1944

Bombed by US Navy carrier planes and B-24 heavy bombers during 1944. On July 16th buntai-cho Lt. (j.g.) Naoshi Kanno, formally took over the air defense of Yap with his newly activated Buntai S306. By early August, the remaining air strength of eight fighters was transferred to Palau, leaving twenty or so unserviceable aircraft dispersed around the airfield.

Today
Still in use today as the island's principal airport. The remains of several Zeke fighters are off to the side of the old airstrip. All were damaged during attacks. The ground in this area was at one time littered with airfield debris: spare parts, rusted guns and ammunition shells.

Don Baer visited in 1976:
"I was on Yap in 1976. At the time there were two Zeros to the side of the runway. They were in fair condition then."

A6M5b Model 52 Zero
Abandoned at the airfield

A6M3 Zero
Abandoned at the airfield

A6M5 Model 52 Zero
Abandoned at the airfield

B5N2 Kate
Abandoned at the airfield

L2D Tabby
Abandoned at the airfield

G4M Betty
Abandoned at the airfield

75mm Anti-Aircraft Gun (Type 88)
Emplaced at the airfield

Recovered Aircraft
In 1980, two groups of Japanese aircraft restorers salvaged wrecks from Yap. Nobuhiko End recovered a Judy. Nobuo Harada recovered several Zeros.

D4Y1 Manufacture Number 4316 Tail "Taka"-13
Salvaged in 1988, restored displayed at Yasukuni Museum

A6M5 Zero Manufacture Number 1493
Recovered 1980, partially restored today.

A6M2 Zero Manufacture Number 92717
Recovered 1980, cockpit only, used for parts of other restorations

A6M2 Zero Manufacture Number 91518
Recovered 1980, restored to static display

A6M5 Zero Manufacture Number 4708
Recovered 1980, restored to static display

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009