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Thread: Aleutian Airfields of WW2

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01-11-2008 13:48 #1

Daveg4otu
Aleutian Airfields of WW2
SuperMod
Been looking at the Aleutians after reading an article about the Jap occupation of Attu
and the ensueing campaign to dislodge them..... it struck me how little seems to have
been written about the airfields that were built(- and operated )throughout the Aleutians
in the most difficult conditions or terrain .

Join Date: Aug 2008 A bit out of our area I know but still fascinating ...
Location: Torquay
Posts: 1,295 Had a look on GE to see what could be seen - unfortunately Hi-res coverage of the
islands is far from complete ...but here are some I found (mostly abandoned)...

First is Shemya ..N52.43.16/E174.05.53... Two airfields - one in use(Now known as

Eareckson/PASY )- one abandoned .

Both below are Amchitka ..three airfields - or maybe just two and one of them has widely
seperated runways ...?
Top one at N51.26.33 /E 179.08.09

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This one at N51.22.43/E179.16.33..note smaller NW/SE RW to the east, and what looks
like a short strip beyond a ridge just to the north of the main runway- 3 runways in
all.This is shown on modern charts as abandoned.

Below-This is just one of several airfields that were constructed on Attu by both US and
Japanese forces ..this one is the Navy field at Casco Beach/Navy Town(originally PSP
runways)- unfortunately the two main Japanese strips at Holtz bay are not in the Hi-res
coverage.The field is now known as Casco Cove CGS(Coast Guard Station) /
N52.49.12/E173.17.54.ICAO code PAAT.

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Also on Attu is the remains of Alexai Field - a Naval airfield with two runways......

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This one is Adak , The US Navy "Albert E. Mitchell Field"- closed 1950.
N51.56.30/E176.36.04

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The present day field on ADAK is at N51.52.48/W176.38.43(ICAO code PADK)

Last edited by Daveg4otu; 08-10-2010 at 18:02.

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 24-11-2009 07:21 #2

jdvoss
Re: Aleutian Airfields of WW2
Member
Dave:
Here is a list of WWII era US Naval airfields in the Aleutians:

NAS Adak
Join Date: Nov 2009 NAAF Amchitka
Location: Northern California NAAF Atka
Posts: 37 NAS Attu
NAAF Cold Bay
NAS Dutch Harbor
NAAF Kiska
NAF Otter Point
NAAF Sand Point
NAAF Shemya
NAAF Tanaga
Key: NAF - Naval Air Facility, NAAF - Naval Auxilary Air Facility, NAS- Naval Air Station

Last edited by Daveg4otu; 08-10-2010 at 17:53.

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05-10-2010 15:15 #3

Daveg4otu
Re: Aleutian Airfields of WW2
SuperMod
Here are some more - including some of those in the list above from jdvoss...

This one is Atka (N52.13.16/W174.12.36).In use now ,ICAO code PAAK.

Join Date: Aug 2008

Location: Torquay
Posts: 1,295

Next Unmak where there is one current airfield- Nikolski- ICAO code PAKO (top),plus the
remains of Fort Glenn AAF (Otter Point)(N53.22.39/W167.53.45).The Naval Seaplane Base
at NAAF Otter Point was adjacent to Ft Glenn AAF.

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Also on Unmak is this pair of abandoned runways(a satellite of
Glenn)(N53.29.54/W167.55.3

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Another satellite field for Glenn was located some miles to the SW...possibly the runway
seen below(N53 16.15/W 168.09.17.).

On Tanaga(below) there are the remains of the runway - at the centre of the picture -
running NE/SW(N51.40.59/W178/03.00).According to a recent Volcanic survey , the
control tower still remains almost complete ......

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Below is the Cold Bay Airport(PACD)- originally built as Fort Randall Army Airfield in 1941,
later renamed Thornbrough Air Force Base in 1948 - became Cold Bay Airport in 1953.
Just to the southeast, another strip - possibly abandoned -is visible in the picture.

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 Last edited by Daveg4otu; 08-10-2010 at 20:49.

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05-10-2010 20:16 #4

Daveg4otu
Re: Aleutian Airfields of WW2
SuperMod
Dutch Harbor, Unalaska.
Prior to 1942 there a seaplane base and ramp at Dutch harbor and the intention was to
build a two runway field .Only one runway was complete before the Japanese attack in
June 1942 - the red line(top picture) shows the proposed but unbuilt second
runway.Nowadays known as Unalaska Dutch Harbor (PADU)
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Torquay It was also intended to build another field in the Makushin Valley but this was never
Posts: 1,295 completed ...the red lines in the lower picture show the approximate location.
Some 50 miles to the west ,the present day Chernofski Harbor Seaplane Base(KCN.. 53-
23-56.8120N / 167-33-06.8400W) is in approximately the location of the auxiliary Naval air
station (subsidiary to NAF Otter Point on Unmak).

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 Last edited by Daveg4otu; 08-10-2010 at 20:48.

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05-10-2010 20:23 #5

Daveg4otu
Re: Aleutian Airfields of WW2
SuperMod
Sand Point NAAF
There was a Naval air station at Sand Point - however whether or not it was on the site
of the present day airport (55-18-49.3000N / 160-31-17.1000W)is uncertain.

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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Torquay
Posts: 1,295

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05-10-2010 20:45 #6

Daveg4otu
Re: Aleutian Airfields of WW2
SuperMod
Kiska....
The Japanese occupying forces started to build an airfield on Kiska at 51° 58′ 18″ N, 177°
31′ 17″ E but although used it was unfinished when the US Forces reoccupied the island .

Join Date: Aug 2008 The US Forces completed the field which was abandoned at the end of the war.
Location: Torquay

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Location: Torquay
Posts: 1,295

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Today 04:50 #7

alpha_1
Re: Aleutian Airfields of WW2
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010 This is great information, guys! I'm in the 'scratch the surface' stages of working up a
Posts: 4 USN/USAAF/RCAF Aleutians air campaign for my favourite flight sim (Combat Flight
Simulator 2). There's good information on the campaigns and the living conditions, besides
the fact that I have 'hands-on' experience in that category, having grown up in Northern
Canada. Same old story though, as already mentioned here.....not much info on airfield
layouts from '42-'43. What I see here is a great help, however a lot of airfield design
would be 'by guess or by golly' simply because of the dearth of graphic info.
Are there any other sources available for more detailed info that anyone is aware of? Any
help in pursuing this would be a great help.
Cheers!

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