Tateyama Air Field
Encyclopedia
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
. It is located outside of the city of Tateyama
in Chiba Prefecture
, Japan
, at the southern tip of the Bōsō Peninsula
, and one flight of three Mitsubishi UH-60J helicopters which provide air ambulance
services to the Izu Islands
.
. It was part of the Yokosuka Naval District
, and home to the Tateyama Naval Air Group, equipped with Mitsubishi G3M
bombers, Mitsubishi A5M
fighters, Nakajima B5N
torpedo bomber
s and the Kyūshū Q1W
anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The artillery school for the Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces
was at Tateyama. Due to its location, it was regarded as a strategic site for the defense of the entrance to Tokyo Bay
, and was a base for kamikaze
attack aircraft towards the end of the Pacific War
.
After the surrender of Japan
at the end of World War II
, the air field was occupied by the United States Army
First Cavalry Division. It was returned to the Japanese government in 1953, and assigned to the Japanese National Police Reserve, the immediate predecessor to the Japan Defense Agency. Tateyama was rebuilt into the largest heliport
in Japan under the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
(JMSDF), supporting rotary wing operations in other locations around Japan, including Haneda airport, JMSDF Ōminato Air Base, JMSDF Maizuru Naval Air Base and Iwo Jima
. The JMSDF Fleet Air Wing 21 has been headquartered at Tateyama since 1961.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
. It is located outside of the city of Tateyama
Tateyama, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2010, the city had an estimated population of 49,315 and the population density of 447 persons per km². The total area was 110.21 km²...
in Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, at the southern tip of the Bōsō Peninsula
Boso Peninsula
thumb|Locationthumb|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle is a peninsula in Chiba prefecture on Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean....
Operations
JMSDF Tateyama Air Base is currently the headquarters of the JMSDF Fleet Air Wing 21, with two squadrons equipped with Mitsubishi SH-60J/K helicopters optimized for Anti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
, and one flight of three Mitsubishi UH-60J helicopters which provide air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
services to the Izu Islands
Izu Islands
The are a group of volcanic islands stretching south and east from the Izu Peninsula of Honshū, Japan. Administratively, they form two towns and six villages; all part of Tokyo. The largest is Izu Ōshima, usually called simply Ōshima....
.
History
JMSDF Tateyama Air Base was initially founded in 1930 for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air ServiceImperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, the organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.It was controlled by the Navy Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy and...
. It was part of the Yokosuka Naval District
Yokosuka Naval District
was the first of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included Tokyo Bay and the Pacific coasts of central and northern Honshū from the Kii Peninsula to Shimokita Peninsula.-History:...
, and home to the Tateyama Naval Air Group, equipped with Mitsubishi G3M
Mitsubishi G3M
The Mitsubishi G3M was a Japanese bomber used during World War II.-Design and development:...
bombers, Mitsubishi A5M
Mitsubishi A5M
The Mitsubishi A5M, Japanese Navy designation was "Type 96 carrier-based fighter" was a Japanese carrier-based fighter aircraft. It was the world's first monoplane shipboard fighter and the direct ancestor of the famous Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero'...
fighters, Nakajima B5N
Nakajima B5N
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....
torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s and the Kyūshū Q1W
Kyushu Q1W
-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6.-External links:*...
anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The artillery school for the Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces
Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces
Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces of World War II originated with the Special Naval Landing Forces, and eventually consisted of the following:...
was at Tateyama. Due to its location, it was regarded as a strategic site for the defense of the entrance to Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
, and was a base for kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attack aircraft towards the end of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
.
After the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
at the end of 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...
, the air field was occupied by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
First Cavalry Division. It was returned to the Japanese government in 1953, and assigned to the Japanese National Police Reserve, the immediate predecessor to the Japan Defense Agency. Tateyama was rebuilt into the largest heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
in Japan under the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
(JMSDF), supporting rotary wing operations in other locations around Japan, including Haneda airport, JMSDF Ōminato Air Base, JMSDF Maizuru Naval Air Base and Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. The JMSDF Fleet Air Wing 21 has been headquartered at Tateyama since 1961.