Location
Located at Aparri in Cagayan Province at the northern tip of Luzon.
Construction
Pre-war airstrip, located on
the northern tip of Luzon used as an emergency airstrip. There were two airfields: Aparri I (east) and Aparri II (south, Camalaniugan).
Wartime History
Used by
the Japanese Army Air Force aircraft from Formosa as early as mid-December 1941. The Japanese
flew excilled Filipino Revolutionary, General Artemio Ricarte
to Aparii on December 21, 1941, to
assist with Japanese occupation
Tony Feredo adds:
"US gliders at Calamaniugan, a short distance fom the Japanese airfield, atlthough it was said that Calamaniugan was also used as the airstrip."
Japanese Units Based at Aparri
60th Sentai (Ki-21)
14th Sentai (Ki-21)
American
Mission Against Aparri
January 14 - August 7, 1945
Liberation
The last
US Army paratrooper assault in the Philippines. Seven gliders
were used, to land troops for the first (and last) time
in the Pacific Theater by the 188th Glider Infantry Regiment
and 511th PIR on June
23, 1945. They landed at the mouth of the
Cagayan River, without incident. They linked up with a
large force of Filipino guerrillas. The combined force
advances southward to make contact with the US Army's 37th
Division. It was expected more glider landings would have
to be made during later for the expected invasion of
Japan. Wartime photo via 'Ken' Barber.
Today
Disused since the war?
Tony Feredo adds:
"I few over Appari but it was cloudy at that time when I was on my way to Batanes."
References
Thanks to Tony Feredo for additional information
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