After the occupation of the Solomon Islands in April 1942, the Japanese military planned to capture Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the southern Solomons, extending their southern defensive perimeter establishing bases to support possible future advances. Seizure of Nauru, Ocean Island, New Caledonia, Fiji, and Samoa would cut supply lines between Australia and the United States, with the result of reducing or eliminating Australia as a threat to Japanese positions in the South Pacific.
The airfield on Guadalcanal was first surveyed by Japanese engineers when they arrived in the area in early May, and was known as "Lunga Point", or "Runga Point" to the Japanese, and code named "RXI". The airfield would allow Japanese aircraft to patrol the southern Solomons, shipping lanes to Australia, and the eastern flank of New Guinea.
Henderson Field(IATA: MDY,ICAO: PMDY) is a public airport located on Sand Island in Midway Atoll, an unincorporated territory of the United States. The airport is used as an emergency diversion point for ETOPS operations. It still serves in this capacity, for instance in June 2011, in July 2012 and in July 2014.
Henderson Field (originally known as Naval Air Station Midway Islands) on East Midway Island is a former World War II airfield in the Central Pacific. The airfield was abandoned after the war.
History
The Midway Islands are best known as the location of the pivotal battle of the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Henderson Field was built in 1941. It consisted of a seaplane facility on Sand Island and a landplane airfield on Eastern Island. The Eastern Island airfield initially comprised three runways, 2 hangars & a barracks.
Midway was shelled by a Japanese destroyer on the same day as the Pearl Harbor attack, and was shelled by a submarine several months later.
During the climactic Battle of Midway in 1942, the Japanese were so sure of their victory that they deliberately spared the runways of Eastern Island for their use after the capture of the island. That didn't happen, due to their overwhelming defeat in the waters surrounding Midway.
He is known for his courageous exploits and acts of bravery during World War II, notably the Battle of HendersonField in Guadalcanal, where his unit endured heavy gunfire from an estimated 3000 ...
A few weeks later, the USS South Dakota was involved in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. As part of the broader Guadalcanal Campaign, the engagement began with Japanese bombers targeting the American-held HendersonField.
Medal of Honor-worthy actions on Guadalcanal. HendersonField on Guadalcanal, 1942...Landing on the island in September 1942, he showed his strength and determination just one month later, during the Battle for Henderson Field.
He needn’t have gone to war. He was too old. But Harold J. Bissner Sr ... 7, 1941 ... Bissner Jr ... was deployed to protect the landings at Guadalcanal. His father was in the same theater of war, in charge of the operations at HendersonField during that major U.S.
On Guadalcanal, marine and army infantry repelled numerous Japanese attacks ... On Guadalcanal, the 1st Marine Regiment ... On Guadalcanal, the Japanese launched an offensive to capture HendersonField.
He’s awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Guadalcanal Campaign... Basilone’s most famous and heroic actions occurred during the Battle for HendersonField during the Guadalcanal Campaign.
In August 1942, the Americans landed on Guadalcanal and captured a Japanese airfield under construction, which later became HendersonField... Henderson Field, where they were expected to get some rest.
On August 30, VMF-224 flew into HendersonField, the Guadalcanal airbase which the Marines had captured from the Japanese earlier that month and held in the face of heavy enemy counterattack.
30, VMF 224 flew into HendersonField, the Guadalcanal airbase that the Marines had captured from the Japanese earlier that month ... crashed between Henderson Field and Mount Austen on Guadalcanal.
On August 30, VMF-224 flew into HendersonField, the Guadalcanal airbase which the Marines had captured from the Japanese earlier that month and held in the face of heavy enemy counterattack.
Colorado Springs Gazette
13 Nov 2024
Colorado Springs Gazette
13 Nov 2024