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Location
Located about 4 to 5 miles east of Arawe (Cape Merkus). Pronounced "Ara-wee".
Construction
Prewar landing ground, as a civilian emergency landing ground for flights to Rabaul from Salamau or Lae. It is unknown if any aircraft ever landed at this strip, or if it was simply made in prepairation for flights or emergencies.
Wartime History
When the Japanese occupied this area during 1943, fuel was barged to this location, possibly in preparation for its use as an airfield. Possibly, this strip was an emergency landing place or very limited flight operations by the Japanese, if at all. It was never used by the Allies.
Richard Dunn adds:
"By mid-1943 Gasmata was already untenable due to Allied raids. If there ever was any thought of developing Merkus as an operational airfield, it was no doubt abandoned by that time."
Battlefield
Strategically unimportant to the
Americans had no intention of seizing or using this airfield. But the
Japanese believed it was the objective of their landing.
After the arrival of American reinforcements and tanks,
the Japanese were ordered to retreat to the vicinity
of the airfield, but were attacked by 112th Calvary
counter attack. The airfield was never utilized by American forces.
Today
The prewar airfield has been disused since the wat and was listed as unserviceable.
Today, there is a new airstrip built by a timber company at a different angle in the same general area, known as "Lupon Airfield". Also spelled "Lupin Airfield". This runway runs roughly east-north-east to west-south-west direction, parallel to the coastline, and in a different location than the prewar built landing ground.
Mark Reichman adds:
"I just got a story from a guy from Pililo Island in the Arawes across from Amalut where the landing was. He said there was an airstrip called "Kasauna" which is by the village of Meselia which is on the coast west of the Pulie River. There is a timber company airstrip there now but the new airstrip is at a different angle from the WWII strip and only touches the tip of the old airstrip. He said the Japanese built it. It sounds like the same one. The report says the strip was some 4 miles to the east of defense area (Amalut) and they called it, "Lupin Airdrome." I have a map that shows a village some 4 miles away from the landing at Amalut called "Lupon." My informant said Kasauna is the name of the area the strip was at close by Lupon Village so it must be the same."
References
Thanks to Brian Bennett for additional information
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Last Updated
October 1, 2009
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