1943

April 1, 1944

1944

David Paulley 1982

Location
Located on the south-east tip of Huon Peninsula at Finschafen. A half mile inland, parallel to Schneider Harbor, with Dregerhaffen to the south-east.

Construction
The US Army 808th Aviation Engineer Battalion (and possibly 870th (Negro) Battalion)  built the 6,000' x 100' coral and steel matting single runway running NNW to SSE. The tower was code named 'Harvest'. In mid-November, US Navy Seabees preformed rough grading on the northern end of the strip, and crushed coral for the entire area. On January 5, 1944 the 808th departed, and the Seabee 60th Battalion completed the airfield, building fighter and medium bomber hardstands, mostly located to the north, with more to the east and a few on the southern side of the runway. Other improvements included a 4 x 2,000' barrel aviation fuel storage with piping and pumping units. Seabee 47th and 78th Battalions also assisted with construction.

Taz adds:
"Dad's CB unit cleared a nearby mountain and starting building the airfield. Japanese aircraft from Rabaul would come and bomb it. The CBs kept rebuilding in an attempt to stay ahead of the bombing. Eventually, they pressed all the men into service to finish the field."

Units Based at Finschafen (partial list)
348 FG, 340 FS (P-47) Port Moresby Dec 13, 43 - March 13, 44 Saidor
348th FG (HQ) Port Moresby December 16, 43 - March 29, 44 to Saidor
348th FG 342 FS (P-47) Port Moresby Dec 17, 1943 - Mar 27, 44 Saidor348th FG 341 FS (P-47) Port Moresby Dec 17, 1943 - Mar 27, 44 Saidor
8th FG, 36th FS (P-47) Nadzab Jan 9, 1944 - March 28, 1944 to Nadzab
6th PRG, 26th PRS (F-5) Dobodura February 19, 1944 - ?
8th FG, 35th FS (P-40) ? - February 19, 1944 to
8th FG HQ ? - February 20, 1944 to Cape Gloucester
380th BW 418 NFS (P-61) Dobodura March 28 - May 12, 1944 Hollandia
71st TRG, 17th TRS (B-25, L-5) Dobodura March 1 - July 29 44 to Biak
71st TRG, 82nd TRS (P-39 det) Dobodura Dec 1, 43 - April 19, 44 Saidor
49th FG HQ Gusap April 19, 1944 - May 17, 1944 to Hollandia
317th TCG HQ Port Moresby April 19 - June 22, 1944 to Hollandia
317th TCG, 39th TCS (C-47) Port Moresby April 23 - July 1, 44 Hollandia
49th FG, 7th FS (P-40) Gusap April 27 - May 3, 1944 Hollandia
86th FW HQ from USA May 1 - August 4, 1944 Toem (Middleburg)
375th TCG, 22nd TCS Garbutt Aug 29, 1944 - Aug 1, 1945 Nielson
2nd Combat Cargo Grp, 8th Combat Cargo Sqn (C-46) ? - Jan 1, 45 Biak

Post War Scrapping
Many aircraft shipped from the United States were assembled at Finschafen and then flown to other airfields for operations. At the war's end, millions of dollars of equipment both new and used was bulldozed into a huge holes in the area and abandoned. Aircraft were smelted after the war for great profit, largely by Ted Foad. There are rumors and facts about caches of buried equipment in the area.

Salvage Operations
Over the decades a number of aircraft or partial wrecks have been salvaged from this location, either abandoned at the airfield or partially /  or completely buried.  In 2002, three Thunderbolts, reportedly P-47D 42-75284, P-47D 42-22521, P-47D 42-8074 were reportedly recovered from this location and exported to Australia then to USA.

P-40N "The Carolina Belle" 42-104947
Cockpit section recovered in 1997

P-40N Serial Number 42-104959
Wings and cockpit section recovered in 1974

P-40N "The Saint" Serial Number 42-105526
Fuselage recovered in 1974

P-40N Serial Number 42-105513
Recovered in 1987(?) to Australia

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