Pungchacheng Airfield

Pungchacheng Airfield
Part of Fourteenth Air Force
Zhejiang Province, China
Pungchacheng Airfield
Coordinates	28°58′08″N 118°27′25″E / 28.96889°N 118.45694°E / 28.96889; 118.45694 (Approximate)
Type	Military airfield
Site information
Controlled by	United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Battles/wars	China Defensive Campaign 1942-1945

Pungchacheng Airfield is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield in China, located approximately 25 miles west of Quzhou (Zhejiang Province) in the People’s Republic of China.

History

The airfield was the home of the 33d Fighter Group, which operated P-40 Warhawks and later P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers from the airfield during the summer of 1944. In late August, the 311th Fighter Group was reassigned from Tenth Air Force in Burma to Pungchacheng with P-51 Mustangs, remaining at the base until the end of the war in September 1945. The fighters supported the Chinese ground forces against the Japanese, attacking the enemy's communications, and supported ground operations. Later, the P-51s flew escort missions of B-24 and B-25 bombers, as well as interceptor missions against enemy aircraft from the field.

The Americans closed their facilities at the end of 1945 and the airfield was turned over to local authorities. Today, the area where it existed during the war has since been developed into an industrial area. The airfield appears to have been developed into an airport after the war, as the remains of a large parking area and what appears to be two runways, aligned 16/34 and 02/20 are visible in aerial photography. The runways today appear to be roads in the industrial area, the large parking ramp being the foundation of several large buildings and storage tanks.

References

External links

USAAF Fourteenth Air Force in World War II
Previously: 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers" (Dec 1941-July 1942) China Air Task Force (July 1942-Mar 1943)
Airfields	China Ankang Chanyi Chengkung Chengtu Chihkiang Hanchung Hankow Hsian Hsingching Huhsien Kanchow Kiangwan Kunming Kwanghan Kweilin Laifeng Laohwangping Loping Liangshan Liuchow Luliang Nanning Peishiyi Pungchacheng Shwangliu Suichwan Tsuyung Yangkai Yunnani
Units	Wings 68th Composite 69th Composite 312th Fighter Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional) Groups Bombardment 308th Bombardment 341st Bombardment 402d Bombardment Fighter 23d Fighter 33d Fighter 51st Fighter 81st Fighter 311th Fighter 476th Fighter Transport 443d Troop Carrier Squadrons Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 11th Combat Cargo Night Fighter 426th Night Fighter 427th Night Fighter Reconnaissance 21st Photographic Reconnaissance 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Transport 322d Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth