History

A careful survey was made of the entire Island of Oahu in 1940 for sites on which landing fields could be constructed. With the exception of the Kipapa Gulch area, all level ground that might be available for airfields was either so occupied, projects were underway for preparation of airfields, or the turbulence in the air created by the close proximity of mountain ranges precluded such development. The Kipapa Gulch area was the only site remaining where an airfield could be constructed.

The date of construction of the Kipapa airfield has not been determined. Kipapa means 'Paving the Way' in Hawaiian. This airfield served to pave the way for many military units going overseas. A World War II veteran said the place was just cut out of the sugarcane patch. It was not until the discovery of a 1943 Territory of Hawaii

Territory of Hawaii

The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...

, Kaukonahua Quadrangle Terrain Map that the location was confirmed.

The site commonly referred to as the Kipapa Gulch area was selected because it could accommodate two 5,000-foot runways free from obstructions. Two reasons precluded the use of the area initially. First was that it was located about two-thirds of the distance between Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 and Wheeler Field which would further increase the congestion of the air over that part of the island. Secondly, it would remove from cultivation a highly productive tract of land.

The principal objection to the use of this site, which was congestion of the air over the Pearl Harbor area, was much less of a handicap because the site was proposed for use by the U.S. Navy for the training of carrier groups rather than as a station for U.S. Army pursuit aviation. The use of this site by the Navy would permit the concentration of carrier-group training for Naval aviation on the south side of the island of Oahu including Barber's Point, Kipapa Gulch, and Ford Island. As the training from these stations would be entirely under Naval control it lends itself to aerial traffic regulations which would be difficult to attain if large numbers of airplanes of the two services were intermingled. The Kipapa Gulch area was advantageously located for occupancy of carrier-group aviation in that the site was readily accessible to the parent vessels of the carrier groups. It facilitated in the transfer of personnel and supplies to and from the parent vessels in Pearl Harbor. Lastly, It was advantageous in making for ease of supervision of the training of all carrier-based Naval aviation. World War II started before the airfield was constructed. During the war it apparently saw little use by the Navy due to the fact that carrier aircraft were constantly deployed during the war. The United States Army Air Corps

United States Army Air Corps

The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...

 became the principal user of the airfield by default.

Kipapa Field was a major transiting point for units going overseas. Aircraft from this airfield searched and patrolled over the surrounding Pacific area, maintaining a 24-hour vigil to avert any attack. A large number and variety of squadrons are documented to have been stationed at Kipapa Airfield during World War II.

• The 5th Bombardment Group, 31st Bombardment Squadron, transferred from Hickam Field to Kipapa Field with B-17's and B-18
  B-18 Bolo
  The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
  
  's on 23 May 1942 until 9 September 1942 when they moved to Kualoa Airfield
  Kualoa Airfield
  Kualoa Airfield is a former wartime airfield on Oahu, Hawaii. Part of it is now the Kualoa Regional Park.-History:Kualoa Airfield was constructed in 1942 and used during World War II on land the military did not own...
  
  .

• The HQ 90th Bombardment Group, 321st Bombardment Squadron arrived at Kipapa Airfield 12 September 1942 from the mainland United States with B-24
  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...
  
  s and began flying their first missions by November 1942.

• The Thirteenth Air Force
  Thirteenth Air Force
  The Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
  
  , 307th Bombardment Group
  307th Bombardment Group
  The 307th Air Refueling Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 47th Air Division, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California...
  
  , 370th Bombardment Squadron arrived at Kipapa Field 2 November 1942 from the mainland United States with B-24s and flew sea-search missions between November-December 1942.

• The 18th Fighter Group, 6th Fighter Squadron, moved from Kahuku Airfield to Kipapa Airfield with P-70s on 17 November 1942.

• The 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
  28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
  The 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 316th Bombardment Wing, being stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa...
  
  , Seventh Air Force
  Seventh Air Force
  The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
  
   (attached to VII Fighter Command), flying F-5s was based at Kipapa Airfield in July 1944.

• The 38th Bombardment Group
  38th Bombardment Group
  The 38th Bombardment Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was most recently assigned as the operational component of the 38th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, where it was inactivated on 8 December 1957.During World War II the 38th Bomb Group...
  
  , 70th Bombardment Squadron, equipped with Martin B-26 Marauder
  B-26 Marauder
  The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
  
  s was kept on alert with 500-pound bombs at Kipapa Field during the time that the Battle of Midway
  Battle of Midway
  The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
  
   was in progress.

Other units that spent time at Kipapa Airfield included: The 302nd Fighter Control Squadron October 1944; The 318th Fighter Group

318th Fighter Group

The 318th Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II.-History:...

, 19th Fighter Squadron

19th Fighter Squadron

The 19th Fighter Squadron is part of the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.-Mission:The 19th FS operates the F-22 Raptor aircraft conducting strategic attack, interdiction, offensive counterair , suppression of enemy air defenses, as well as offensive and defensive counterair ...

 30 May 1943, flying 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...

's; The 92nd Air Refueling Squadron 18 March 1945, flying B-24’s Liberators; The 45th Airlift Squadron

45th Airlift Squadron

The 45th Airlift Squadron is part of the 314th Airlift Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates C-21 aircraft training pilots for executive airlift.-History:...

 9 September 1945; the 4th Emergency Rescue Squadron June 1944; and the Seventh Air Force, 549th Combat Training Squadron 20 October 1944 to 19 February 1945, flying P-61 Black Widow

P-61 Black Widow

The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...

 night fighters performing training and defense duties.

Many other different types of aircraft used Kipapa Field during World War II including: P-40B, P-40F, P-70, P-61A, P-61B, and C-46D

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...

, because all were involved in accidents in the area.

The airfield was closed shortly after the end of World War II. Nothing remains today of the former Kipapa Airfield. Its central location and level area made it ideal for development. The property has become a Mililani Town housing development. The entire airfield area is located south the Mililani Golf Course between Meheula Parkway and Hokuala Streets. Mililani District Park is located near the intersection of the two main runways; unfortunately, there are no indications of this site's military history.

The residents in the area would be surprised to learn that they now live on the site of an historic World War II airfield.

See also

• Hawaii World War II Army Airfields