Kukum Field

09°25′34″S 160°00′39″E / 9.42611°S 160.01083°E / -9.42611; 160.01083Site informationControlled byUSAAF
Royal New Zealand Air ForceConditionabandonedSite historyBuilt1942–43Built bySeebees/Marine Aviation EngineersIn use1943–69MaterialsCoral

Kukum Field also known as Fighter 2 Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.

World War II

From the beginning of the Guadalcanal Campaign it was planned that the area would be developed into a major air base. In November 1942 the 6th Naval Construction Battalion began work on a fighter strip at Lunga Point. The 6th Battalion was later replaced by the First Marine Aviation Engineers who completed the coral-surfaced runway by 1 January 1943. In June–July 1943 the 46th and 61st Battalions built a second coral-surfaced 4,000 feet (1,200 m) by 150 feet (46 m) runway with 75 feet (23 m) shoulders, coral taxiways 80 feet (24 m) wide, and 121 hardstands.^[1] The 26th Battalion built a tank farm providing storage for 2,000,000 US gallons (7,600,000 L; 1,700,000 imp gal) of aviation gasoline, 1,000,000 US gallons (3,800,000 L; 830,000 imp gal) of motor gasoline, and 42,000 US gallons (160,000 L; 35,000 imp gal) of diesel oil.^[1]: 249

USAAF units based at Kukum included:

• 12th Fighter Squadron operating P-39s from 7 February 1943 – 19 February 1944
• 68th Fighter Squadron operating P-38s and P-39s from January–December 1943
• 339th Fighter Squadron operating P-38s from 2 October 1942 (det) - 1 December 1943 and 29 December 1943 – 15 January 1944

USMC units based at Kukum included:

• VMF-124 operating F4Us from 12 February–September 1943

Royal New Zealand Air Force units based at Kukum included:

• 1 Squadron operating Lockheed Venturas from October 1944^[2]
• 2 Squadron operating Venturas from August–October 1944^[2]
• 3 Squadron operating Venturas from July–August 1944^[2]
• 14 Squadron operating P-40s from 11 June-25 July 1943^[2]: 186
• 15 Squadron operating P-40s 26 April–June 1943^[2]: 181 and from mid-September-mid-November 1943^[2]: 197
• 16 Squadron operating P-40s from 25 July - September 1943^[2]: 193
• 17 Squadron operating P-40s from mid-September-20 October 1943^[2]: 197

Postwar

Kukum Field remained operational after the war as a civilian airfield until 1969 when Henderson Field was modernized and reopened as Honiara International Airport. The airfield is now part of the Honiara Golf Course.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Carney Airfield
• Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)
• Koli Airfield
• United States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Area

References