Myitkyina Airport

Myitkyina Airport
ICAO: VYMK MYT Location of airport in Burma
Summary
Airport type	Public
Serves	Myitkyina
Location	Myitkyina, Burma
Elevation AMSL	145 m / 475 ft
Coordinates
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 1,859 6,100 Asphalt

Myitkyina Airport is an airport in ICAO: VYMK).

Airlines and destinations

History

Built before World War II as Myitkyina Airfield, the airfield was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army on 8 May 1942 during the Japanese conquest of Burma. During the occupation, it was used by the Japanese Air Force as a fighter base, attacking Allied aircraft flying "the Hump" transport supply missions between India and China.

The airfield was attacked on numerous missions by Tenth Air Force and Royal Air Force fighter and bombers until it was captured by Merrill's Marauders (officially named the 6th Ranger Battalion-5307th Composite Unit (provisional)) on 17 May 1944, but fighting continued in Myitkyina town until August 1944.

Once in Allied hands, the 3d Combat Cargo Group moved in with C-47 Skytrains and used Myitkyina as a combat resupply airfield, air-dropping pallets of supplies and ammunition to the advancing Allied forces on the ground. In January 1945, the 80th Fighter Group flew P-47 Thunderbolts from the field until 24 May 1945. The 1st Combat Cargo Group then moved in with C-47s and remained until August when elements of the 4th Combat Cargo Group replaced them. The 4th CCG operated supply and passenger flights between the airfield and China until December 1945 when American forces pulled out of the area at the end of the war.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
• www.pacificwrecks.com - Myitkyina keyword search
• USAFHRA document search Myitkyina

External links

USAAF Tenth Air Force in World War II Airfields Burma Bhamo Myitkyina Namponmao Sahmaw Tingkawk Sakan India Agartala Asansol Barrackpore Chakulia Chittagong Dinjan Dohazari Dudhkundi Dum Dum Fenny Guskhara Hailakandi Hathazari Kalaikunda Karachi Ledo Nagaghuli Nawadih Pandaveswar Panagarh Piardoba Sookerating Sylhet Tezgaon Tezpur Tulihal Units Groups Air Commando 1st Air Commando 2d Air Commando Bombardment 7th Bombardment 12th Bombardment 341st Bombardment Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 3d Combat Cargo 4th Combat Cargo Fighter 23d Fighter 33d Fighter 51st Fighter 80th Fighter 81st Fighter 311th Fighter Reconnaissance 8th Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 443d Troop Carrier Squadrons 24th Combat Mapping 426th Night Fighter Squadron 427th Night Fighter Squadron United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth