Chengtu Airfield

Chengtu Airfield
Part of Fourteenth Air Force
Sichuan Province, China Chengtu (Fungwansham) Airfield Chengtu (Fungwansham) Airfield (China)
Type	Military Airfield
Coordinates	30°31′45″N 104°03′53″E / 30.52917°N 104.06472°E / 30.52917; 104.06472
Controlled by	United States Army Air Forces
Battles/wars	China Defensive Campaign 1942-1945

Chengtu Airfield is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield in China, located approximately 10 miles south of Chengdu (Sichuan Province) in the People’s Republic of China.

History

Chengtu was a prewar airfield, also known as Chungsing Chang, Fenghwangshan and Makiashipen. It was a major command and control base for Tenth Air Force, being the home of the 312th Fighter Wing from July 1944 until August 1945. The wing commanded three fighter groups (33d, 81st and 311th) in central China as well as provided support to Twentieth Air Force B-29 Superfortress groups which staged strategic bombardment missions over Japan though bases in the Chengtu area from their home bases in India (see: Operation Matterhorn).

Also, the 426th Night Fighter Squadron operated P-61 Black Widow night interceptor aircraft from the airfield, providing a night defense against Japanese fighter and bomber raids at night in the area, along with the B-29 bases before their move to the Marianas.

The base used until 30 September 1945 when operations ceased and the facility was closed. The Chengdu area has grown considerably since the war ended, and the former wartime airfield has bee redeveloped into the urban area. Several multi-lane freeways have been built over the wartime airfield, and industrial and other estates now use the land. A small section of concrete runway remains in a field, being the last evidence of the area's wartime history.

References

World War II portal

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
• Airfields & Seaplane Anchorages China
• USAFHRA search Chengtu
• pacific wrecks.com

External links