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Location
Located to the south of Rabaul. Prewar, this area was Tobera Plantation, planted with coconut palms growing copra.
Construction
The Japanese built a single concrete
runway 3,600' x 100' beginning in July 1943 and completed construction during August 1943. Japanese referred to this airfield as "South Airfield", or "Rabaul South". This was the shortest runway of all the Rabaul area airfields, and used primarily for fighters.
Japanese Units Based at Tobera
Kanoya Kokutai September 1942
201st Kokutai (Zero) withdrawn to Saipan
253rd
Kokutai (Zero) November 1942 - July 10, 1943 to Truk
Zuikaku Detachment (Zero) January 1944
(Replacement planes added from 2nd Carrier Division
105th Air Force (remnants of the 253rd Kokutai)
American Missions Against Tobera
October 24, 1943 - June 30, 1944
Wartime History
Neutralized from the air, aerial photographs
on February 25, 1944 show 33 aircraft, although most of these
were decoys or hulks. Those actually flying or under restoration
were carefully hidden under trees. The history of Tobera is told in the book The Siege of Rabaul by Henry Sakaida.
Tobera Mystery 'USA' In Kunai Grass
Brian Bennett adds: "A 17th Photo Squadron photograph recorded the letters 'USA' clearly cut into the kunai grass near Tobera Airstrip. Was this created by a downed Allied pilot, or a trick by the Japanese?"
Post War
After the war, area was so heavily bombed that the water table was upset
and poor for planting. Reclaiming of Former Airfield Aerial Photo Study
Douglas Joycey purchased half of Tobera Plantation and named it Vimy Plantation, that began to operated in the early 1950s, growing copra.
Jim Joycey adds:
"We moved onto our half of Tobera in the early 1950s, before the scrap merchants went through it. As a young lad I recall sitting in my 'zero' that was intact, except for bullet holes, and still had loaded guns."
Today
In the 1980s, including
a Japanese 120mm Dual Purpose Gun and search
light were recovered from the airfield to the Kokopo Museum.
During the early 1990s, Australian Rick Ray bought Vimy Plantation, and started his own plantation named
Golden Dolphin 3. Ray built his family home at roughly the center
point of the old runway, on a hardstand area.
Many
of the revetments are still visible, as the plantation has simply
planted around them and tunnel
entrances and trenches.
Kato
Rail Tractor
Used at the airfield on a 610mm gauge track alongside the strip
A6M3 Zero Manufacture
Number 3650
Destroyed at Tobera
Ki-43
Oscar
Wreckage abandoned at Vunakanu, in the 1980s moved to Tobera for safe keeping
A6M3 Zero
Wreckage abandoned at Vunakanu, in the 1980s moved to Tobera for safe keeping
G4M1
Betty
Wreckage abandoned at Vunakanu, in the 1980s moved to Tobera for safe keeping
PBJ-1D Bureau Number 35143
Pilot Smith shot down May 5, 1944 wreckage discovered 1996, recovered 1999-2000
P-38G Serial
Number 42-12848
Pilot Love MIA November 2, 1943 investigated by US Army CILHI in 1999
SBD-5 Dauntless Serial Number NZ5050
Pilot Cray MIA April 17, 1944 possibly MIA in Tobera area
SBD-5 Dauntless Bureau Number 54383
Pilot Becker MIA July 3, 1944
B-25C Mitchell 42-32319
Pilot Thompson crashed January 12, 1944
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Last Updated
October 1, 2009
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