Haleiwa Fighter Strip
Encyclopedia
Haleiwa Fighter Strip was a military airfield located on Oahu
, Hawaii
. It was used as part of the island's defense in World War II
.
.
Originally used as an emergency landing field for Fighter aircraft
, in 1941 Haleiwa Field had only an unpaved landing strip and very austere conditions. Haleiwa Field was mainly used to simulate real battle conditions for gunnery training. Those on temporary duty there had to bring their own tents and equipment. During the war, the runway was paved and it became a busy reliever base for fighter aircraft patrolling the islands. A World War II era photo depicted a Bell P-39 taxiing past a temporary wooden control tower and another wooden building at Haleiwa.
. A total of eight Curtiss P-40
Kitty Hawk and 2 Curtiss P-36 Mohawk pursuit planes were at the field on the morning of December 7.
Lt. George S. Welch and 2nd Lt. Kenneth M. Taylor
, both P-40 pilots, were at Wheeler when the attack began. They had previously flown their P-40B fighters over to the small airfield at Haleiwa as part of a plan to disperse the squadron’s planes away from Wheeler. Not waiting for instructions the pilots called ahead to Haleiwa and had both their fighters fueled, armed and warmed up. Both men raced in their cars to Haleiwa Field completing the 16-mile trip in about 15 minutes. With their P-40s, now warmed up and ready, they jumped into their cockpits. The crew chiefs informed them that they should disperse their planes. "The hell with that", said Welch. Ignoring the usual pre-takeoff checklists the aircraft took off down the narrow airstrip.
Once in the air they spotted a large number of aircraft in the direction of Ewa and Pearl Harbor. Only then did they realize what they were up against. “There were between 200 and 300 Japanese aircraft," said Taylor; "there were just two of us!" The two P-40's engaged the aircraft attacking Ewa Mooring Mast and shot down five Japanese planes. They then returned to Wheeler to replenish their ammunition. While there, another wave of dive bombers appeared and Lt. Taylor raced back into the air. His P-40's cockpit was damaged as a Japanese plane chased him. Lt. Welch was able to down the plane following him and they both returned to Wheeler. Lt. Welch was credited with a total of four Japanese planes shot down and Lt. Taylor downed two. Just as suddenly as it began, the sky was empty of enemy aircraft. Both are credited with being the first "Aces" of World War II. Taylor & Welch were both awarded the Distinguished Service Cross" Welch and Taylor's dramatic ride and takeoff were shown in the movie Tora, Tora, Tora.
A total of nine Japanese aircraft were shot down by pilots from the Haleiwa field during the Pearl Harbor attack, four by 2nd Lt. Welch and two by 2nd Lt. Taylor, who flew P-40B Tomahawks equipped with twin .50 caliber machine guns. Flying P-36A gunnery trainers stripped of their .50 caliber machine gun and equipped only with a single .30 caliber machine gun to be used for target training, 1st Lieutenant Lewis M. Sanders was credited with shooting down one of the attacking Japanese aircraft, while 2nd Lieutenants Harry W. Brown and Phillip M. Rasmussen were each being credited with shooting down the remaining two attacking aircraft.
All five pilots were later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for their bravery and valor during the attack.
Little of Haleiwa Field remains today, although the area is not completely abandoned. The remains of the single runway that was paved during World War II can still be seen but the tarmac is severely compromised by weed growth. The area is currently being used as a motion picture location for various TV shows and movies. Homeless squatters have occupied camps in the heavily overgrown areas. On the north end of the runway still stands the foundation of the control tower and concrete slabs from building foundations.
The land, called Puaena Point, remains undeveloped and is owned by Kamehameha Schools
. Sometimes called "Police Beach", there was a proposal for development in 2000.
It is marked on maps as Puaena Beach Park, but not easily accessible. An ancient surfing
area around the point for experts, is accessed from Haleiwa Beach Park off of Kamehameha Highway, Hawaii Route 83.
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It was used as part of the island's defense in World War II
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...
.
History
This obscure former military strip became famous during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
.
Originally used as an emergency landing field for Fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, in 1941 Haleiwa Field had only an unpaved landing strip and very austere conditions. Haleiwa Field was mainly used to simulate real battle conditions for gunnery training. Those on temporary duty there had to bring their own tents and equipment. During the war, the runway was paved and it became a busy reliever base for fighter aircraft patrolling the islands. A World War II era photo depicted a Bell P-39 taxiing past a temporary wooden control tower and another wooden building at Haleiwa.
Pearl Harbor Attack
On December 7 the Japanese heavily strafed the aircraft at Wheeler Field and few were able to get airborne to fend them off. Haleiwa was an auxiliary field to Wheeler and contained a collection of aircraft temporarily assigned to the field including aircraft from the 47th Fighter Squadron47th Fighter Squadron
The 47th Fighter Squadron is part of the 917th Fighter Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and falls under the operational control of the 442nd Fighter Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.-World War II:...
. A total of eight Curtiss P-40
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
Kitty Hawk and 2 Curtiss P-36 Mohawk pursuit planes were at the field on the morning of December 7.
Lt. George S. Welch and 2nd Lt. Kenneth M. Taylor
Kenneth M. Taylor
Kenneth Marlar Taylor was a new United States Army Air Forces Second Lieutenant pilot stationed at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Along with his fellow pilot and friend George Welch, they got airborne while under fire and Taylor shot down four Japanese dive bombers...
, both P-40 pilots, were at Wheeler when the attack began. They had previously flown their P-40B fighters over to the small airfield at Haleiwa as part of a plan to disperse the squadron’s planes away from Wheeler. Not waiting for instructions the pilots called ahead to Haleiwa and had both their fighters fueled, armed and warmed up. Both men raced in their cars to Haleiwa Field completing the 16-mile trip in about 15 minutes. With their P-40s, now warmed up and ready, they jumped into their cockpits. The crew chiefs informed them that they should disperse their planes. "The hell with that", said Welch. Ignoring the usual pre-takeoff checklists the aircraft took off down the narrow airstrip.
Once in the air they spotted a large number of aircraft in the direction of Ewa and Pearl Harbor. Only then did they realize what they were up against. “There were between 200 and 300 Japanese aircraft," said Taylor; "there were just two of us!" The two P-40's engaged the aircraft attacking Ewa Mooring Mast and shot down five Japanese planes. They then returned to Wheeler to replenish their ammunition. While there, another wave of dive bombers appeared and Lt. Taylor raced back into the air. His P-40's cockpit was damaged as a Japanese plane chased him. Lt. Welch was able to down the plane following him and they both returned to Wheeler. Lt. Welch was credited with a total of four Japanese planes shot down and Lt. Taylor downed two. Just as suddenly as it began, the sky was empty of enemy aircraft. Both are credited with being the first "Aces" of World War II. Taylor & Welch were both awarded the Distinguished Service Cross" Welch and Taylor's dramatic ride and takeoff were shown in the movie Tora, Tora, Tora.
A total of nine Japanese aircraft were shot down by pilots from the Haleiwa field during the Pearl Harbor attack, four by 2nd Lt. Welch and two by 2nd Lt. Taylor, who flew P-40B Tomahawks equipped with twin .50 caliber machine guns. Flying P-36A gunnery trainers stripped of their .50 caliber machine gun and equipped only with a single .30 caliber machine gun to be used for target training, 1st Lieutenant Lewis M. Sanders was credited with shooting down one of the attacking Japanese aircraft, while 2nd Lieutenants Harry W. Brown and Phillip M. Rasmussen were each being credited with shooting down the remaining two attacking aircraft.
All five pilots were later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for their bravery and valor during the attack.
Postwar use
After the war Haleiwa Fighter Strip was reused as a civilian airport. It was apparently abandoned between 1947-1961.Little of Haleiwa Field remains today, although the area is not completely abandoned. The remains of the single runway that was paved during World War II can still be seen but the tarmac is severely compromised by weed growth. The area is currently being used as a motion picture location for various TV shows and movies. Homeless squatters have occupied camps in the heavily overgrown areas. On the north end of the runway still stands the foundation of the control tower and concrete slabs from building foundations.
The land, called Puaena Point, remains undeveloped and is owned by Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools , formerly called Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate , is a private co-educational college-preparatory institution that specializes in Native Hawaiian language and cultural education. It is located in Hawaii and operates three campuses: Kapālama , Pukalani , and Keaau...
. Sometimes called "Police Beach", there was a proposal for development in 2000.
It is marked on maps as Puaena Beach Park, but not easily accessible. An ancient surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
area around the point for experts, is accessed from Haleiwa Beach Park off of Kamehameha Highway, Hawaii Route 83.
See also
- Hawaii World War II Army Airfields