Chengkung Airfield
Encyclopedia
Chengkung Airfield is a former World War II
United States Army Air Forces
airfield in China
, located approximately 20 miles south-southeast of Kunming
(Yunnan Province) in the People’s Republic of China.
" trans-Himalayan transport aircraft between India
and China for Tenth Air Force
and Air Transport Command
C-47 Skytrain
and C-46 Commando
aircraft. In addition, Air Technical Service Command maintained a maintenance and supply facility at the base to support the airlift operations over the Himalayas.
In addition to the transport mission, Chengkung was used by the 374th and 375th Bombardment Squadrons, flying B-24 Liberator
heavy bombers from the field beginning in March 1943. The 23d Fighter Group 76th Fighter Squadron staged P-51 Mustang
fighters from the field beginning in October 1943. Also the 16th Fighter Squadron, with P-40 Warhawks arrived in October. Also photo-reconnaissance aircraft used Chengkung throughout the war, flying combat intelligence missions over Japanese-held territory until 30 September 1945 when operations ceased and the facility was closed.
Today, the airfield has been dismantled, the land being used for agriculture. The only remnants of the base are parts of the main runway, which can be discerned in aerial photography. Taxiways and dispersals are largely removed, although some remain as single-lane roads connecting agricultural fields. No evidence of buildings or the support area remain.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
airfield in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, located approximately 20 miles south-southeast of Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
(Yunnan Province) in the People’s Republic of China.
History
Construction of the airfield began in November 1942, with the airfield opening on 27 January 1943. Chengkung was a major terminal for "the HumpThe Hump
The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces based in...
" trans-Himalayan transport aircraft between India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and China for Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
and Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
and C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
aircraft. In addition, Air Technical Service Command maintained a maintenance and supply facility at the base to support the airlift operations over the Himalayas.
In addition to the transport mission, Chengkung was used by the 374th and 375th Bombardment Squadrons, flying B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bombers from the field beginning in March 1943. The 23d Fighter Group 76th Fighter Squadron staged P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighters from the field beginning in October 1943. Also the 16th Fighter Squadron, with P-40 Warhawks arrived in October. Also photo-reconnaissance aircraft used Chengkung throughout the war, flying combat intelligence missions over Japanese-held territory until 30 September 1945 when operations ceased and the facility was closed.
Today, the airfield has been dismantled, the land being used for agriculture. The only remnants of the base are parts of the main runway, which can be discerned in aerial photography. Taxiways and dispersals are largely removed, although some remain as single-lane roads connecting agricultural fields. No evidence of buildings or the support area remain.