Matsuwa Airfield

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Larry D.
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Matsuwa Airfield

#1

Post by Larry D. » 09 Nov 2021, 01:44

a.k.a. Matsuwa-Jima, Matusuwa; Matsuwato; today: Ostrov Matua) in the north-central part of the Kuriles. This airfield appears to have been build in 1943 or prior by the Japanese Army. Is there anything in the surviving Japanese records indicating the date of construction, which JAAF Airfield Construction Company or Battalion built it, the composition of the original runway (rolled dirt, crushed stone, asphalt, concrete, etc.)? I realize this question is really, really obscure, but that's what this thread is for - attempts to get answers to questions that cannot be found elsewhere.

Thanks, L.

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fontessa
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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#2

Post by fontessa » 09 Nov 2021, 04:38

Hello Larry,

The construction unit was maybe one of 130th - 132nd Field Airfield Construction Units. Unfortunately the detail is unclear.
The below shows Matsuwa Airfield in 1945.


松輪飛行場.jpg
松輪飛行場.jpg (255.91 KiB) Viewed 7057 times

松輪飛行場 1945.jpg

fontessa


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Akira Takizawa
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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#3

Post by Akira Takizawa » 09 Nov 2021, 09:00

Matsuwa Airfield was not built by IJA, but by IJN. Read below.

http://navgunschl2.sakura.ne.jp/bangai/ ... tsuwa.html

Taki

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fontessa
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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#4

Post by fontessa » 09 Nov 2021, 10:25

Akira Takizawa wrote:
09 Nov 2021, 09:00
Matsuwa Airfield was not built by IJA, but by IJN. Read below.
http://navgunschl2.sakura.ne.jp/bangai/ ... tsuwa.html
I have checked the list of Naval Construction Units. But I couldn’t find the unit dispatched to Kuril. In the 2nd map I posted, there is the notation “Original hanger sites”. So I guess the airfield was at least expanded by one of 130th - 132nd Field Airfield Construction Units for placed IJA airplanes.
http://kitabatake.world.coocan.jp/rikukaigun56.html

fontessa

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Akira Takizawa
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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#5

Post by Akira Takizawa » 09 Nov 2021, 13:42

Matsuwa Airfield was used mainly by IJN and secondarily used by IJA. But, it was IJN airfield and IJN was in charge of its construction(設定).

Taki
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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#6

Post by Larry D. » 09 Nov 2021, 16:10

Thank you Fontessa and Akira! No one in all of Japan and the rest of the world knows the subject of Japan in World War II better than you.

I was very interested in what you might be able to find on Matsuwa airfield because there is much confusion on the internet concerning the airfield's history and you have cleared up much of this confusion. From the little I have been able to gather from the documents I have (all in English), all or nearly all of the airfield ground support during 1943-45 was provided by the JAAF rather than the JNAF, That led me to believe that the airfield was built and owned by the Army rather than the Navy even though the Navy made more sense.

Rough Draft Outline of Findings Prior to the New Information You Provided:

Matsuwa: on Matsuwa Is. (a.k.a. Matsuwa-Jima, Matusuwa; Matsuwato; today: Ostrov Matua) in the north-central part of the Kuriles - [AB, NAS].
Airfield Description:
15 Aug 45: Matsuwa air base, also used by the JNAF, had 2 concrete runways, 80 x 1200 and 50 x 850 meters, 3 large and 4 small open aircraft shelters, fuel, bomb, torpedo storage, communications facilities, night landing capabilities, and a triangular reinforced air raid shelter for 250 persons.
Operational and Base Units:
3rd Hikosentai (Reconnaissance and Light Bomber – Lily) - detachment based at Matsuwa Mar – May 1944.
32nd Hikosentai (Maritime Coastal Patrol Regiment - Sonia) - a Chutai or more stationed at Matsuwa Jul–Nov 44.
54th Hikosentai (Fighter Regiment - Oscar) - elements occasionally here Nov 43 – Nov 44.
502th Kōkūtai (Naval Air Group) with Aichi D3A Type 99 (Val) carrier bombers (elements of) - stationed here Aug-Sep 44.
553rd Kōkūtai (Naval Air Group) with B5N Kate and B6N Jill carrier attack planes (elements of) - stationed at Matsuwa Apr-Aug 44.
57th Naval Guard Unit (under Kuriles Area Base Force) (elements of) - said to be at Matsuwa c. 1943-44.
10th Hikojo Chutai (Airfield Company) - here 1943/44 – 1945.
69th Independent Mixed Brigade (elements of) - here in 1944?
41st Independent Mixed Infantry Regiment (elements of) - defended the island in 1944-45 and all or elements still there 18 Aug 45 with 2,380 officers and men.
6th Independent Tank Company (elements of) - here in Aug 45 according to some unconfirmed sources that are probably incorrect.
2nd Koku Ido Shurihan (Mobile Aircraft Repair Section) - here 4 May 45.
10th Koku Tsushin Rentai (Air Signals Rgt.) (elements of) - here in 1944.
20th Kosokutai (Air Navigational Aids Rgt.) (detachment) - probably here in 1944.
11th Taiku Musentai (Ground-to-Air Radio Unit) - here mid-1944.
11th Yasen Kisho Tai (Field Meteorological Unit) (detachment) - here 1944.
Remarks:
13 Apr 44: airfield bombed by 3 28th Composite Bomb Gp. B-24 Liberators.
14 Apr 44: airfield bombed by 3 28th Composite Bomb Gp. B-24 Liberators.
5 Nov 44: airfield bombed by 4 28th Composite Bomb Gp. B-24 Liberators.
20 Jul 45: airfield bombed by 8 28th Composite Bomb Gp. B-24 Liberators.
12 Aug 45: installations on Matsuwa bombarded by USN TF 62 (Rear Adm. J.H. Brown).
18 Aug 45: Matsuwa now located in the Russian area of control.
23 Aug 45: Matsuwa garrison ordered to surrender 5 days after the Russians invaded the Kuriles.
26 Aug 45: Matsuwa (Matua) taken by Soviet forces.

[Sources:
- 3d Section of the General Affairs Dept./Japanese Naval Air HQ, Sheet VJ-6, from: Japanese Surrender Documents Submitted to SCAP by the Japanese Negotiators, 19 August 1945; in: MacArthur Memorial, Norfolk, Virginia, Record Group 4, Box 24, Folder 6.
- National Security Agency (NSA) Study SRH-258, Japanese Army Air Forces Order-of-Battle 1945, page IV-31.
- Hata, Ikuhiko, Yasuho Izawa and Christopher Shores. Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces 1931-1945. London: Grub Street, 2002. ISBN: 1 902304 89 6.

Larry D.

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fontessa
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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#7

Post by fontessa » 09 Nov 2021, 16:20

Akira Takizawa wrote:
09 Nov 2021, 13:42
Matsuwa Airfield was used mainly by IJN and secondarily used by IJA. But, it was IJN airfield and IJN was in charge of its construction(設定).
Thanks for the clarification.

fontessa

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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#8

Post by Rzewsky » 02 Feb 2022, 17:56

Scheme of the Tagan airfield, 1943. From this we can conclude that the airfield was ready by the summer of 1943, although its construction continued until 1944. The start of construction can only be determined tentatively. 1941-1942, and possibly earlier. During 1942, two transports of the auxiliary fleet of the Japanese Navy, which provided the construction of airfields on the Kuril Islands, called at Matsuwa. Kaiko Maru" June 21-23 and July 23, 1942. "Kinsen Maru" July 15-26, August 21, October 4-15 and November 10-13. In July 1943, 600 cubic meters of timber and 322 people were delivered to Matsuwa. Contractor Korean coal mine workers from the Tanaka gumi company arrived in Matsuwa. They were recruited from the Kushiro region as a volunteer force of 200. After construction was completed, they returned to Hokkaido.Image

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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#9

Post by Rzewsky » 02 Feb 2022, 18:30

In 1943 - 1944, work was carried out to expand and increase the bands. Rocky soil 3 cm thick was laid and compacted. Asphalt was laid on top. Construction was completed approximately in May 1945. During the bombing of American aircraft, the runway was partially damaged. The traces of the runway repair are still visible today. As for the separate sixth tank company. The company arrived at Matsuwa on April 15, 1944 from the port of Otaru on the Melbourne Maru. Company commander Lieutenant Tsukagoshi. The company was armed with 15 Ha-Go light tanks, type 95. At the end of May 1945, the 6th company left Matsuwa

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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#10

Post by Larry D. » 02 Feb 2022, 20:39

Rzewsky:

Thank you for the additional details!
You said:
In 1943 - 1944, work was carried out to expand and increase the bands.
What do you mean by "bands"?

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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#11

Post by Rzewsky » 03 Feb 2022, 12:08

Excuse me, machine translation. Works on the expansion and lengthening of the runway. I have many more materials on the island of Matua.

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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#12

Post by Rzewsky » 03 Feb 2022, 15:23

Image
Information about the 6th tank company is here.

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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#13

Post by Larry D. » 03 Feb 2022, 16:29

Rzewsky wrote:
03 Feb 2022, 12:08
Excuse me, machine translation. Works on the expansion and lengthening of the runway. I have many more materials on the island of Matua.
Thanks for the explanation. I do not think there is a single English language word for "expanding and lengthening the runway", so the machine translator did not have a word for it. Much appreciated!

L.

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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#14

Post by williamjpellas » 24 Mar 2022, 03:18

I have been looking for information as to whether the very long runway(s) on Matua / Matsuwa Island were ever used by German sonderkommando aircraft, specifically repurposed ultra long range bomber prototypes from the canceled amerikabomber project. It is known that at least a handful of flights originating in Finland and perhaps elsewhere in the northernmost reaches of German-held territory flew across the polar seas off the northern coast of the USSR and apparently on to Japan. At least one declassified US intelligence document (which for some reason is currently refusing to be copied so I can paste it here) states that the Japanese Navy was keenly interested in establishing more regular contact with Nazi Germany via this route and method.

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Re: Matsuwa Airfield

#15

Post by Larry D. » 31 Mar 2022, 00:50

williamjpellas wrote:
24 Mar 2022, 03:18
I have been looking for information as to whether the very long runway(s) on Matua / Matsuwa Island were ever used by German sonderkommando aircraft, specifically repurposed ultra long range bomber prototypes from the canceled amerikabomber project. It is known that at least a handful of flights originating in Finland and perhaps elsewhere in the northernmost reaches of German-held territory flew across the polar seas off the northern coast of the USSR and apparently on to Japan. At least one declassified US intelligence document (which for some reason is currently refusing to be copied so I can paste it here) states that the Japanese Navy was keenly interested in establishing more regular contact with Nazi Germany via this route and method.
If that's true, and it sounds very plausible, then there should be some mention of Matsuwa in the Japanese diplomatic traffic (MAGIC) during the last year of the war. It seems like researchers have done quite a bit of digging in the primary documentation for evidence of this connection but come up empty. There has to be a documented reason for providing and using the resources to lengthen and improve the runway at Matsuwa.

L.

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