Girua Airport

Girua Airport
IATA: PNPICAO: AYGR
PNP
Location of airport in Papua New Guinea
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Government
Serves Popondetta, Papua New Guinea
Elevation AMSL 311 ft / 95 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
03/21 1,672 5,485 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[1][2]

Girua Airport (IATA: PNPICAO: AYGR) is an airport serving Popondetta, a city in the Oro (or Northern) province in Papua New Guinea.

Contents

Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
Air Niugini Port Moresby

History

Girua Airport is located near Dobodura, to the north-east of the Embi Lakes, north-east of Inonda. To the south is Mt. Lamington, a volcano that dominates the skyline. The airport was built during World War II as part of the Dobodura Airfield Complex during late 1942 and early 1943. During the war, the airfield had several names, including No. 7, West 7, or Horanda No. 7 Airstrip or West 7. It was also known as Kenney Strip, in honor of 5th Air Force Commander General Kenney.

The main Dobodura complex had eleven airstrips, most interconnected for taxiing purposes. At the height of the Battle of Buna and Gona supplies began landing at the airfields including artillery spotting planes, a 105mm and five Bren Gun Carriers used to assault Cape Endaiadere,

After the battle, Dobodura was developed into a major airbase, with storage and repair facilities, and interconnecting taxiways to adjacent airfields. Today, Girua is the only airfield still in use, the others being abandoned after the war. [3][4]

Major USAAF units assigned

Headquarters, 13th, 89th, 90th Bomb Squadrons, B-25 Mitchell
Headquarters, 2d, 19th, 408th Bomb Squadrons, B-26 Marauder
Headquarters, 63d, 64th, 65th, 403d Bomb Squadrons, B-24 Liberator
Headquarters, 319th, 320th, 321st, 400th Bomb Squadrons, B-24 Liberator
Headquarters, 498th, 499th, 500th, 501st Bomb Squadrons, B-25 Mitchell
672d, 673d, 673d, 675th Bomb Squadrons, A-20 Havoc
Headquarters, 7th, 8th Fighter Squadrons, Curtiss P-40, 9th Fighter Squadron, P-47 Thunderbolt
Headquarters, 69th, 310th, 311th Fighter Squadrons, P-47 Thunderbolt
432d Fighter Squadron, P-38 Lightning, (May 15 – July 12, 1944), (North Borio Airfield, Dobodura No. 15)
433rd Fighter Squadron, P-38 Lightning, (August 14 – October 3, 1943), (Borio Airfield, Dobodura No. 11)

See also

United States Air Force portal
Military of the United States portal
World War II portal

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. ^ Airport information for AYGR from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. ^ Airport information for PNP at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
  3. ^  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
  4. ^ Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links