Late November 1943
November 22, 1943
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Location
Single runway that ran east to west, taking up about 2/3 of Tarawa (Betio) Island.
Construction
Japanese built airfield. There was a turnaround at the eastern end of the runway and
a taxiway with revetments in the middle between the runway
and the taxiway. The Japanese had Zeros, Vals, Nells and Bettys
operating from this base.
Japanese Units based at Tarawa
204th Kokutai (A6M Zero) February 1943
281st Kokutai (A6M Zero)
American Missions Against Tarawa (Betio)
January 26, 1943 - November 19, 1943
Battlefield
The Marines captured
the Betio's airfield as the target of the operation, to enable
land-based air operations asap against the Japanese in the Marshall Islands.
Captured Aircraft
At the airfield, Americans captured several aircraft:
American Usage
Renamed Hawkins Field for Marine 1st Lt. William Dean Hawkins who was killed in the battle to recapture Tarawa, and earned the Medal of Honor. After the battle, US Navy Seebees bulldozed all the debris off the
airfield and extended the runway right to the western end
and coral surfaced it. B-24s used this strip but it was
marginal for heavy bombers, and instead
used nearby Bairiki
(Mullinix) Airfield on Bonriki Island. This strip was reserved
for fighters, light aircraft and emergency landings only.
American Units Based at Tarawa Airfield
VF-1 from USS Barnes and Nassau land on Nov 25, 1943
41st BG HQ from Hickam Dec 17, 1943 - April 24, 1944 to Makin
41st BG, 396th BS (B-25) from Hickam Dec 24, 1943 - ?
41st BG, 820th BS (B-25) from Hickam Dec 24, 1943 - April 27, 43 to Makin
7th AF HQ from Funafuti Dec 30, 1943 - March 25, 1944 to Kwajalein
11th BG, 431st BS (B-24) from Funafuti Jan 16, 1944 - ?
11th BG, 26th BS (B-24) Nukufetau Jan 25, 1944 - April 14, 1944 to Kwajalein
11th BG, 98th BS (B-24) ? - April 4, 1944 to Eniwetok
11th BG HQ ? - April 5, 1944 to Kwajalein
28th BG, 77th BS (B-25) from Amchitka February 11, 1944 - ?
Today
Disused since the war, wreckage of Japanese aricraft is lying
about on the reef flats, where it was bulldozed after the American
occupation.
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