Site of Motoyama Airfield No. 1/Central Field

Northern Mariana Islands / Northern Islands / Settlement /
 airport, Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down
Constructed by Japanese forces as part of their defensive build-up of Iwo Jima in mid 1944, Motoyama Airfield No. 1 consisted of three intersecting runways and hosted airwings of fighter and reconnaissance aircraft.

Operational until the 19th of February 1945, the airfield was utterly destroyed by American Naval bombardment and air attack but nonetheless became the site of a fierce land battle as US Marines fought their way off the beaches and into Iwo Jima in the face of stiff Japanese resistance. Cleared by February 26th, the airfield was re-leveled by combat engineers, allowing observation aircraft to land and refuel or rearm despite the danger posed by still-active Japanese artillery. On March 4th, 1945 the first B-29 to land at Iwo Jima did so at Motoyama No.1 when the flak-damaged "Dinah Might" flew through accurate ground fire and safely landed for refueling and repairs before proceeding onward for Tinian.

Placed into full operation as a Close Air Support airbase on March 1st, 1945, Motoyama No. 1 was renamed as "Central Field" and became one of the primary airfields for escort and strike aircraft carrying out missions against Japan itself. Largely stripped and abandoned during the postwar withdrawal of US forces, today little remains of the airfield.

www.pacificwrecks.com/airfields/japan/motoyama_no1/inde...
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   24°46'18"N   141°18'36"E

Comments

  • Not correct placement or shape. See wartime images for correct location and shape. Correct area is labeled Chidori Airfield #1.
This article was last modified 13 years ago