Location
Lat 2 degrees 33' S Long 140 degrees 29' E. Located two miles east of the north-west arm of Lake Sentani, to the west of Hollandia (Jayapura). Also commonly known as "Hollandia Drome". The Toatjidako River runs to the east of the airfield complex and the Delaoe River to the west.

Construction
Built by the Japanese. This was a large Japanese airfield complex, with two runways, a western runway of 4,500' and a second southern runway was 6,200 x 340' (as of October 10, 1943). There were larger bomber revetments to the west of the strip, with (24) revetments and an additional (27) to the east of the field, connected by taxiways to the two runways, for a total of (51) anti-aircraft defenses included (4) light guns, later upgraded.

A barracks area was located to the north of the strip, and road connected the strip to Hollandia town. In a later photo from March 21, 1944 the shorter runway is reported as being used as a parking and taxi area., and revetments around the north of the two strips and to the north-east.

Japanese Units Based at Hollandia Area airfields:
7th Koku Kyoikutai
7th Sentai (Ki-49) mid-1943
33rd Sentai (Ki-43)
63rd Sentai (Ki-43) Dec 43 - Feb 1944 det Wewak & Hyane
77th Sentai (Ki-43)
248th Sentai (Ki-43)

Ki-43-IIb Oscar Manufacture Number ?
Captured and repaired by 80th FS, sent to USA

American Expansion
Captured by US Army forces after the April 22, 1944 landings. The US Army further developed this airfield into two parallel runways: the longer 6,000' x 100' with a 500' overrun and 50' shoulders, surfaced with paced dirt, previously with marston matting. The shorter 5,500' x 100'. Both runways were oriented ESE to WNW. Extensive taxiways and over 100 aircraft ravetment areas to the north-east of the runways.

By July 1, 1945, this airfield was closed and listed as a reserve military airfield, and the tower was not manned.

Today
Disused since the war and overgrown.

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Last Updated
March 28, 2013

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Area Map 1945

July 1945