Chabua Air Force Base

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Chabua Air Force Base
IATA: N/A - ICAO: VECA
Summary
Airport type Military
Operator Indian Air Force
Serves Chaba
Elevation AMSL 367 ft (112 m)
Coordinates 27°27′44″N, 095°07′05″E
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
05/23 9,003 2,744 Asphalt

Chabua Air Force Base (IATA: N/A, ICAO: VECA) is located at Chabua in the state of Assam, India. This Base was built in 1939 for the ferrying of supplies to Generalissimo Chang Kai Sheks' forces in and around Kunming, China. This was known as "Flying the Hump". Japanese occupation of Burma in 1942 had cut off the Burma Road, the last land route by which the Allies could deliver aid to the Chinese Government of Chiang Kai-shek. Until the Burma Road could be retaken and the Ledo Road completed, the only supply route available was the costly and dangerous route for transport planes over the Himalayas between India'a Assam Valley and Kunming, China. This route became known as the Himalayan Hump or simply The Hump. While the route kept the transports relatively free from enemy attack (Enemy action destroyed only seven aircraft, killing 13 men) it led over rugged terrain, through violent storms, with snow and ice at the higher altitudes the planes flew over the mountains. Flying the Himalayan Hump would turn out to be some of the most dangerous flying in the world. Over the course of action there were 460 aircraft and 792 men lost. Still, the operations were a success. There were 167,285 trips that moved 740,000 tons of material to support Chinese troops and other Allied forces.


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