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."
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.
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