Xinjin Airport

Xinjin Airport 新津机场 Xinjin Jichang Hsinching Airfield (A-1)
IATA: none – ICAO: ZUXJ
Summary
Operator		Government
Serves		Chengdu, China
Location		Xinjin County
Coordinates		30°25′13″N 103°50′41″E / 30.42028°N 103.84472°E / 30.42028; 103.84472Coordinates: 30°25′13″N 103°50′41″E / 30.42028°N 103.84472°E / 30.42028; 103.84472
Map
ZUXJ Location of Xinjin Airport

Xinjin Airport is an airport in Xinjin County, in the southwestern part of the Chengdu metropolitan area ("prefecture-level city") in Sichuan province in the People's Republic of China. The airfield is located approximately 2 km east of the Xinjin County seat, just east of the 108 National Road. It is currently used by Civil Aviation Flight University of China for pilot training.^[1]

History

The airfield was first constructed in 1928, and upgraded during World War II, first in 1940 and then in 1943.^[1] The facility was used by the United States Army Air Force XX Bomber Command beginning in March 1944. It was known as Hsinching Airfield (A-1), and was the forward staging base for the 40th Bombardment Group, which carried out B-29 Superfortress raids on the Japanese Home Islands. It was one of four B-29 bases established by the Americans in China.

40th Bombardment Group Boeing B-29-5-BW Superfortress 42-6281 "20th Century Unlimited" at Hsinching Airfield (A-1), China, advanced China Base of the 40th Bomb Group after completion of a raid on Anshan, Manchuria. Mission #4, 29 July 1944

Staging through Hsinching from its base at Chakulia, India, on June 15 the group participated in the first American Air Force attack on the Japanese Home Islands since the Doolittle raid in 1942. Operating from bases in India, and at times staging through fields in China, the group struck such targets as transportation centers, naval installations, iron works, and aircraft plants in Burma, Thailand, China, Japan, Indonesia, and Formosa, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation for bombing iron and steel works at Yawata, Japan, on August 20, 1944.

Effective 6 April 1944, Hsinching Airfield was also the forward headquarters of XX Bomber Command while its rear echelon remained at Kharagpur Airfield in India. When the B-29 bombers were moved from India in February 1945 to the newly captured bases in the Mariana Islands, the B-29 use of Hsinching Airfield ended.

The Tenth Air Force 24th Combat Mapping Squadron established a detachment at the airfield in March 1944 to photograph bombing targets both before and after XX Bomber Command missions. In December 1944, the unit was replaced by Flight "C", 1st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range), which remained until May 1945.

From 2nd WRS Squadron History obtained from Air Force Historical Research Agency At the request of the XX Bomber Command, preparations for sending a 2nd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flight to China began during the latter part of November (1944). It was decided that "C" Flight, with Capt Jean W Dixon as flight commander would undertake the initial assignment in the forward area. The flight consisted of Capt Dixon and crew, 1st Lt Joseph Shannon and crew, and 1st Lt James R Malin and crew with B-25D aircraft nos. 673, 674 and 675. On 22 November, key ground personnel of "C" flight arrived at Hsing Ching Army Air Base, while the squadron aircraft arrived 25 November. "C" flight operations were so arranged as to provide weather recon of the North China sectors several days prior to the first B-29 raid in each of the series of missions run by the XX Bomber Command from the Chengtu area. Recon to the North continued a day prior to the actual running of the B-29 missions. Our aircraft provided a route weather coverage within a 700-statute-mile (1,100 km) radius of action, with particular attention given to icing conditions, cloud levels, and turbulence and winds, together with a visual check of the predetermined redezvous area.

Also the Fourteenth Air Force 1st Combat Cargo Squadron performed special operation cargo drops from the airfield during the spring (January-Mar) 1945 with C-47s.

The Americans used the airfield as a communications station for the remainder of the war, and turned over the airfield to the Chinese government on 29 August 1945.

See also

• Operation Matterhorn

References

v t e USAAF Fourteenth Air Force in World War II Previously: 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers" (Dec 1941-July 1942) China Air Task Force (July 1942-Mar 1943) Airfields China Ankang Chanyi Chengkung Chengtu Chihkiang Hanchung Hankow Hsian Hsingching Huhsien Kanchow Kiangwan Kunming Kwanghan Kweilin Laifeng Laohwangping Loping Liangshan Liuchow Luliang Nanning Peishiyi Pungchacheng Shwangliu Suichwan Tsuyung Yangkai Yunnani Units Wings 68th Composite 69th Composite 312th Fighter Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional) Groups Bombardment 308th Bombardment 341st Bombardment 402d Bombardment Fighter 23d Fighter 33d Fighter 51st Fighter 81st Fighter 311th Fighter 476th Fighter Transport 443d Troop Carrier Squadrons Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 11th Combat Cargo Night Fighter 426th Night Fighter 427th Night Fighter Reconnaissance 21st Photographic Reconnaissance 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Transport 322d Troop Carrier United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

v t e USAAF Twentieth Air Force in World War II Airfields China Hsinching Airfield (A-1) Kwanghan Airfield (A-3) Kuinglai Airfield (A-5) Pengshan Airfield (A-7) India Chakulia Airfield Dudhkundi Airfield Piardoba Airfield Kalaikunda Airfield Marianas Harmon Airfield (Guam) Isely Airfield (Saipan) North Airfield (Guam) North Airfield (Tinian) Northwest Airfield (Guam) West Airfield (Tinian) Units Commands VII Fighter XX Bomber XXI Bomber Wings 58th Bombardment 73d Bombardment 313th Bombardment 314th Bombardment 315th Bombardment 301st Fighter Groups Bombardment 6th Bombardment 9th Bombardment 16th Bombardment 19th Bombardment 29th Bombardment 39th Bombardment 40th Bombardment 330th Bombardment 331st Bombardment 444th Bombardment 462d Bombardment 468th Bombardment 497th Bombardment 498th Bombardment 499th Bombardment 500th Bombardment 501st Bombardment 502d Bombardment 504th Bombardment 505th Bombardment 509th Composite Fighter 15th Fighter 21st Fighter 413th Fighter 414th Fighter 506th Fighter 507th Fighter United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth