Segi Point Airfield

Segi Point Airfield
Segi Point, New Georgia

Aerial view of Segi Point Airfield
Coordinates 08°34′42.6″S 157°52′33.6″E / 8.578500°S 157.876000°E / -8.578500; 157.876000
Type Military Airfield
Site information
Controlled by United States Navy
Condition abandoned
Site history
Built 1943
Built by Seabees
In use 1943-4
Materials Coral
Battles/wars New Georgia Campaign
Bougainville Campaign
Operation Cartwheel

Segi Point Airfield is a former World War II airfield on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands archipelago.

History

World War II

The Segi Point area was secured by the 4th Marine Raider Battalion on 30 June 1943 in the opening phase of the New Georgia Campaign. The 47th Naval Construction Battalion landed with the Marines and immediately began construction of a fighter airstrip. Bad weather and poor soil conditions delayed construction, but by 18 July a coral-surfaced 3,300 feet (1,000 m) by 150 feet (46 m) runway was ready for use.[1] By the end of July taxiways and revetments had been completed. In August the runway was widened to 200 feet (61 m) and two 42,000 US gallons (160,000 l; 35,000 imp gal) gas tanks had been constructed and by September 52 hardstands had been completed.[2]

Seebees constructing Segi Point Airfield

USAAF units based at Segi Point included:

US Navy units based at Segi Point included:

Postwar

The airfield remains in use today as Seghe Airport.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. US Government Printing Office. 1947. p. 262.
  2. ↑ Bases, p.264
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 2/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.