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On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip. On 1 October 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 35 aircraft at Buka, including 19 dive bombers. During 1943, the airfield was attacked repeatedly by Allied bombers, widely cratering the runway, and other areas.
351:
special detachment was sent to inspect Buka
Airfield, but considered it unacceptable as a prospect for a speedily constructed major airfield. Nonetheless, by December 1942 the airfield was further improved by the Japanese with bitumen surfacing, an electrical power plant, underground fuel tanks, and
339:
built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in
December 1941. On 2 January 1942 with the Japanese approaching, they prepared the airfield for demolition, blowing holes in the runway, and logs and pipes to prevent aircraft from landing. The following day, orders came to repair the field for aircraft
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Today the airport is the primary air portal into
Bougainville, and even 75 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
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new pillboxes and trenches. From
December onwards many hulks were at the strip. Coastwatchers reported nighttime patrol flights during full moon. Also, scouting by a
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In
January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea. A detachment of
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Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force
History.
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Aerial view of the Buka
Passage showing Japanese-held Buka airfield (center) and Bonis airfield (left) in 1943
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A small single storey terminal building houses check-in counters for both airlines serving the airport.
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Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air
Transport Command in the South West Pacific Theater
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flying down each coast of
Bougainville and returning by afternoon as part of regular reconnaissance.
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Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the
Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II
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from the airfield from 25 January – 27 May 1944 before moving forward into New Guinea.
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It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of
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to land. However, the airfield was occupied by the Japanese during mid-March 1942.
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In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes. Residents of
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There used to be one navigational aid, the Buka NDB/DME situated on nearby
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prevented service at the airport, demanding the government pay land fees.
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at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
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The airport services small narrow body jets or turboprop aircraft.
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657:(reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
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566:. Radio New Zealand International. 14 September 2004.
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1175:1941 establishments in the Territory of New Guinea
322:. However this has been removed since Dec 2019.
651:Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II
335:The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when
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564:"Land dispute in PNG affects airport at Buka"
8:
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34:Airport on Buka Island, Papua New Guinea
695:Accident history for Buka Airport (BUA)
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194:Location of airport in Papua New Guinea
608:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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7:
631:Air Force Historical Research Agency
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1155:Autonomous Region of Bougainville
996:17th Photographic Reconnaissance
295:Autonomous Region of Bougainville
1006:38th Photographic Reconnaissance
1001:36th Photographic Reconnaissance
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625: This article incorporates
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776:USAAF in the Southwest Pacific
1:
1047:United States Army Air Forces
648:Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) .
1150:Airports in Papua New Guinea
535:Airport information for AYBK
368:419th Night Fighter Squadron
551:Airport information for BUA
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771:USAAF in the South Pacific
516:USAAF in the South Pacific
26:
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991:4th Photographic Charting
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395:Airlines and destinations
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541:(effective October 2006)
699:Aviation Safety Network
1170:Buka, Papua New Guinea
627:public domain material
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349:Imperial Japanese Navy
29:British United Airways
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148:5.42222°S 154.67250°E
120:11 ft / 3 m
27:For the airline, see
746:Thirteenth Air Force
975:550th Night Fighter
970:419th Night Fighter
965:418th Night Fighter
897:4th Reconnaissance
153:-5.42222; 154.67250
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43:Buka Island Airport
1022:13th Troop Carrier
913:403d Troop Carrier
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949:868th Bombardment
944:100th Bombardment
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372:P-61 Black Widows
337:Australian troops
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16:(Redirected from
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583:. Archived from
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578:"Archived copy"
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483:Aviation portal
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347:On 26 July, an
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114:Elevation
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984:Reconnaissance
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890:Reconnaissance
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590:on 13 May 2015
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906:Troop Carrier
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850:414th Fighter
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845:347th Fighter
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642:0-89201-092-4
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511:Kieta Airport
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18:Buka Airfield
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840:18th Fighter
817:XIII Fighter
750:World War II
703:
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619:
592:. Retrieved
585:the original
572:
558:
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501:Buin Airport
450:
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420:Port Moresby
405:Destinations
389:
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354:Betty Bomber
346:
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331:World War II
317:
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282:
274:
267:Buka Airport
266:
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84:Airport type
36:
937:Bombardment
812:XIII Bomber
411:Air Niugini
291:Buka Island
151: /
139:154°40′21″E
126:Coordinates
104:Buka Island
1144:Categories
1119:Fourteenth
1114:Thirteenth
522:References
447:Facilities
136:05°25′20″S
95:Government
1129:Twentieth
1124:Fifteenth
930:Squadrons
757:Airfields
217:Direction
1104:Eleventh
805:Commands
673:70605402
604:cite web
594:11 April
455:See also
402:Airlines
289:serving
285:) is an
256:Source:
246:Asphalt
224:Surface
92:Operator
1109:Twelfth
1084:Seventh
833:Fighter
764:Pacific
431:PNG Air
386:Postwar
326:History
293:in the
287:airport
221:Length
205:Runways
79:Summary
1089:Eighth
1069:Fourth
1059:Second
859:Bomber
826:Groups
679:
671:
661:
640:
436:Rabaul
424:Rabaul
342:Rabaul
243:1,562
240:5,125
237:04/22
100:Serves
87:Public
1099:Tenth
1094:Ninth
1079:Sixth
1074:Fifth
1064:Third
1054:First
798:Units
743:USAAF
681:72556
655:(PDF)
588:(PDF)
581:(PDF)
539:DAFIF
537:from
370:flew
365:USAAF
258:DAFIF
677:OCLC
669:LCCN
659:ISBN
638:ISBN
610:link
596:2015
313:Ieta
306:Buka
283:AYBK
279:ICAO
271:IATA
116:AMSL
69:AYBK
65:ICAO
54:IATA
748:in
697:at
416:Lae
297:in
275:BUA
229:ft
188:BUA
164:Map
58:BUA
1146::
675:.
667:.
606:}}
602:{{
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418:,
301:.
281::
277:,
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232:m
106:,
67::
56::
730:e
723:t
716:v
683:.
644:.
612:)
598:.
269:(
31:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
