Orote Field

 Second World War 1939-1945, military, former air force base

Originally constructed in 1921 for a US Marine Corps amphibious patrol squadron, Orote Field was sited near the village of Sumay and operated for nearly a decade until its closure as a cost-saving measure in 1931. Largely abandoned thereafter, it was captured without damage by Japanese forces in 1941 and expanded considerably during their occupation by both Korean and Guamian labor.

Eventually becoming the home to up to 100 "Zeros" and 10 J1N1 "Irvings" and being renamed as Guamu Dai Ichi (Guam No. 1), the airfield remained in Japanese control until the US amphibious assault on Guam in July 1944. Heavily damaged and neutralized as an airfield by pre-invasion airstrikes and naval bombardment, the airbase nevertheless became the site of numerous firefights between US Marine Corps forces and Japanese defenders, with an estimated 3,000 Japanese troops being killed in action either defending the airfield and Orote Peninsula or during a final massed Banzai Charge on July 24th, 1944.

Declared secure on July 29th, the airfield was set upon by SeaBee forces and quickly made ready for air operations by Marine Corps airwings. Utilized by the aircraft of Marine Air Group (MAG) 21 as they carried out close air support missions over Guadalcanal itself through the end of the Guadalcanal campaign before relocating to Agana Airfield in 1945. Used thereafter by the US Navy as a shoreside aircraft repair facility, the airfield was once again declared surplus and closed down in 1946. Never returning to full active service, today the airfield serves as a training facility for pilots of C-130 Transport aircraft to practice touch-and-go landing evolutions on the crosswind runway, and is also frequently used for helicopter operations for US Navy SEAL teams.

www.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/oro.htm
www.pacificwrecks.com/airfields/marianas/orote/index.ht...