PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Momote / Hyane Field

[jdvoss]

Momote AAB, Manus Island, Papua New Guinea

Momote Airfield was wrestled from the Japanese by the US Army's 1st Calvary Division in March 1944. The Japanese had constructed a 4100 foot airstrip (known as Hyane Field) and the the US forces promptely expanded it to 7800 feet to accept squadrons of B-24 Liberators, P-61 Black Widows, RAAF Kittyhawks & Spitfires and RNZAF F4U Corsairs. It is still used today by Air New Guinea for service to Port Moresby. I took the photo from a TAA DC-3 on a flight from Rabaul to Wewak with intermediate stops at Kavieng and Momote. Momote airfield now serves the communities of Lombrum and Lorengau which were large naval bases for the USN, RN, RAN and the RNZN during WWII. In the far distance you can see a peninsula which was the site of Mokerang AAB which had a number of B-24's assigned. If you look at google.earth you can make out the original runways although it's a bit fuzzy.

For a few wartime photos of the field check out www.pacificwrecks.org

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thanks jd. What date was your image?

[jdvoss]

Peter:

Thank you so much for your response. I took the photo in 1964...but don't be alarmed. If you check the google.earth image of current day Momote it hasn't changed much. The g.e image shows the addition of a small terminal bldg but that seems to be the difference. It's still a remote field with very little traffic.

JohnV

[REF]

Thats a nice phot, its great to have a bit of history with the airfields too. Thanks for posting it.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Peter:

Thank you so much for your response. I took the photo in 1964...but don't be alarmed. If you check the google.earth image of current day Momote it hasn't changed much. The g.e image shows the addition of a small terminal bldg but that seems to be the difference. It's still a remote field with very little traffic.

JohnV

Thanks John, I figured your photo was old which makes it all the more valuable. I just wish our UK airfields had retained their mid-60's look as much as those on the Pacific rim.