Oro Bay Airfield

Oro Bay (Cape Sudest) Airfield
Part of Fifth Air Force
Located in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea
Oro Bay Base - December 1943
Site information
Type	Military airfield
Controlled by	United States Army Air Forces
Location
Oro Bay Airfield Location within Papua New Guinea
Coordinates	08°40′16.37″S 148°24′42.44″E
Site history
Built	1944
In use	1944

Oro Bay Airfield (also known as Cape Sudest Airfield) is a former World War II airfield in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.

History

Oro Bay Airfield was primarily an emergency landing field, although it was briefly used as a headquarters base for the 308th Bombardment Wing (1 February-2 July 1944) and as an operational airfield for the 417th Bombardment Group (28 January-4 February 1944) which flew A-20 Havocs. Operational squadrons assigned to the airfield were:

• 672d Bombardment Squadron: 28 January-4 February 1944
• 673d Bombardment Squadron: 28 January-4 February 1944
• 674th Bombardment Squadron: 28 January-4 February 1944

In addition, the 547th Night Fighter Squadron flew a night fighter variant of the P-38 Lightning and P-61 Black Widow from the airfield (5 September-6 October 1944).

See also

• USAAF in the Southwest Pacific

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• www.pacificwrecks.com