Falalop Airfield | |
---|---|
Falalop, Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia | |
Coordinates | 10°01′14″N 139°47′23″E / 10.02056°N 139.78972°E |
Type | Military Airfield |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Navy |
Site history | |
Built | 1942 |
Built by | Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service/Seebees |
In use | 1942-present |
Materials | Coral |
Falalop Airfield or Naval Air Base Ulithi (NAB Ulithi) is a former World War II airfield on the island of Falalop, part of Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands.
Ulithi Atoll was captured unopposed on 20 September 1944. On 8 October the 51st Naval Construction Battalion began to improve the abandoned Japanese airfield on Falalop creating a coral-surfaced 3,500ft by 150ft runway, 6 taxiways, hardstands, lighting, a traffic-control tower, operations buildings, tank farm and a seaplane ramp. The airfield was fully operational by 1 December 1944.[1]
Marine Air Group 45 (MAG-45) deployed to Falalop in late September to establish base operations.
Units stationed at Falalop included VMD-354 operating photo-reconnaissance F4Us and VMF(N)-542 operating F6F-3N night-fighters.
On 7 December 1944 a detachment of two PBYs of VPB-23 was deployed to Fafalop for air-sea rescue missions. A further 3 aircraft were deployed on 20 June 1945. All VPB-23 aircraft were transferred to Tanapag Harbour on Saipan on 13 December 1945.[2]
The airfield remains in use today.