Location
Located on Dalop Island, on the eastern tip of Majuro Atoll. Uliga and Darrit Islands contained the base facilities, camps and port director's area.

Construction
A runway was first built by the Japanese and completed during autumn 1942, with the assistance of Korean and Marshallese laborers. After completing their work, laborers were sent to Mili Atoll. The runway spanned the entire island. A coral-surfaced airstrip, 5,800 by 445 feet, was constructed.

American Usage
After the American landing on Majuro on January 30, 1944, the airfield was briefly a battlefield and was declared secured on February 2, 1944,

Immediately, the Americans repaired and further developed the airfield into a major base. The US Navy 100th Construction Battalion (Seabees) repaired and expanded the single crushed coral runway to 5,800' x 445' runway and adding ravetments.

The airfield was operational on D-Day +12 for emergency landings. By April 15, the airfield, taxiways, aprons, housing, shops, and piers were completed. Additional construction included 10 miles of coral roadways and 11,000' of 30' coral causeways connecting Majuro to other smaller islands.

By the middle of March 1944, fighters, bombers and seaplanes were operating from the airfield. The 4th Marine Air Wing HQ and Marine Air Group 13 were based on the island. Also, the airfield accommodated two Marine dive-bomber squadrons, half a patrol squadron, and temporary staging for one Army fighter group. One photo dated May 29, 1944 shows 274 aircraft at the airfield.

American Units Based at Majuro
VF-39 (F6F Hellcat)
VMF-155 (F4U) 1945
|VMF-224 late 1944
VMSB-231 (Helldivers) 1945
(Partial list)

In addition, it was a Naval Air Transport Service airfield and the island provided fleet anchorage, medical facilities, and a loran transmitting station. Repair ships, submarine and destroyer tenders, together with tankers and supply ships, were to provide for the needs of the fleet.

Majuro was used as a staging base for re-arming and re-fueling for USAAF 7th Air Force missions by B-25 medium bombers based at Makin and Eniwetok.

US Navy Construction Battalion Detachment 1034 (Seabees) arrived during February 1944. This detachment of six officers and 250 men handled all cargo operations until August 1944, when they moved to Japtan Island, Eniwetok Atoll. The 60th Battalion performed all construction and maintenance work until relieved by CBMU 591 on June 18, 1944. The 60th left Majuro on July 5, 1944, for Pearl Harbor, CBMU 591 remained to take care of construction and maintenance. On V-J Day, all facilities were still operating at capacity, and no roll-up steps had been taken.

Today
The airstrip is disused since the war.

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009