Kipapa Army Airfield,
Kipapa, HI AKA Ewa Airfield USMC.
21.44 North / 158.02 West (Northwest of Honolulu, HI)
In 1940, the entire Island of Oahu was carefully surveyed 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. Kipapa Gulch, the only site where an airfield could be constructed, was selected because it could accommodate two 5,000 foot runways free from obstructions. Initially two reasons precluded use of the area. First, it was located about 2/3 of the distance between Pearl Harbor & Wheeler Field which would further increase air congestion over that part of the island. Secondly, it would remove from cultivation a highly productive tract of land.
The principal objection to use of this site - congestion of the air over the Pearl Harbor area - was much less of a handicap because the site was proposed for use by the Navy for training carrier groups rather than as a station for Army pursuit aviation. Navy use 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 training from these stations would be entirely under Naval control it lent itself to aerial traffic regulations which would be difficult to attain if large numbers of airplanes of the two services were intermingled. Kipapa Gulch area was advantageously located for occupancy of carrier-group aviation as the site was readily accessible to parent vessels of carrier groups. It also facilitated 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. Some time after the United States entered World War II, Kipapa Airfield was developed though its construction date has not been determined. The earliest depiction located of Kipapa Field was on a 1943 Army Airfield map misspelled the field as "Kapapa", meaning "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.
During the war Kipapa saw little Navy use as carrier aircraft constantly deployed during the war. The Army Air Corps 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-17s & B-18s on May 23, 1942 until September 9, 1942 when they moved to Kualoa Airfield. The HQ 90th Bombardment Group, 321st Bombardment Squadron arrived at Kipapa Airfield on September 12, 1942 from the mainland United States with B-24s and began flying their first missions by November 1942.
The 13th Air Force, 307th Bombardment Group, 370th Bombardment Squadron arrived at Kipapa Field on November 2, 1942 from the mainland United States with B-24s & 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 November 17, 1942.
The 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Air Force (attached to VII Fighter Command), flying F-5s was based at Kipapa Airfield in July 1944. The 38th Bomb Group, 70th Bombardment Squadron, equipped with Martin B-26 Marauders was kept on alert with 500-pound bombs at Kipapa Field during the time that the Battle of Midway was in progress.
Other units that spent time at Kipapa Airfield included: The 302nd Fighter Control Squadron October 1944; the 318th Fighter Group, 19th Fighter Squadron May 30, 1943, flying P-40s;
the 92nd Air Refueling Squadron Mar 18, 1945, flying B-24 Liberators; the 45th Airlift Squadron September 9, 1945; the 4th Emergency Rescue Squadron June 1944; and the 7th Air Force, 549th Combat Training Squadron October 20, 1944 to February 19, 1945, flying P-61 Black Widow night fighters performing training & 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, because all were involved in accidents in the area.
An August 1944 Army Air Forces map depicted Kipapa Field as having three paved runways, with numerous aircraft dispersal pads surrounding the runways. No buildings were depicted on the field. Note also the proximity of Wheeler Field at Waieli Strip to the north. A 1945 photo showed numerous Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighters at Kipapa Field. A 1945 photo of a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt undergoing maintenance at Kipapa Field, with a row of Northrop P-61 Black Widows in the background. The A 1947 CAA plan of a "Proposed adaption of Kipapa Field to private flying requirements". It depicted a 6,000 foot asphalt northeast/southwest runway & a 5,400' east/west runway, as well as a apron, administration building, and T-hangars. The third runway would have been partially reused as a taxiway. A 1948 aerial view looking east at Kipapa Field, showing 2 civilian single-engine general aviation aircraft on a portion of the east/west runway, while numerous objects (military?) were stored on the northeast/southwest runway.
Kipapa Field was still depicted on the 1951 USGS topographic map. A January 19, 1959 aerial view looking northwest at Kipapa Field (from the University of HI) showed several light aircraft & small hangars along a short portion of the east/west runway. It appears as if the former northeast/southwest runway pavement had been removed. Kipapa Field was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1959-61, as it was no longer depicted on the 1961 Honolulu Sectional Chart. A 1961 Oahu Urban Usage Map still depicted the intersecting runways & identified it as Kipapa Airfield, but that doesn't indicate the field was still open at that point. A December 1962 aerial photo showed only a small portion of Kipapa's east/west runway pavement remained intact, but there was no sign of any recent aviation use. A 1967 water supply geological survey map listed Kipapa Airfield but had no other information. The 1968 USGS topo map no longer depicted any trace of the Kipapa runways.
Unfortunately Kipapa Field's central location and level area made it ideal for redevelopment, and the property became a Mililani Town housing development. The airfield site is located south the Mililani Golf Course between Meheula Parkway & Hokuala Streets. Mililani District Park is located near the intersection of the 2 main runways; unfortunately, there are no indications of the 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.
21.44 North / 158.02 West (Northwest of Honolulu, HI)
In 1940, the entire Island of Oahu was carefully surveyed 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. Kipapa Gulch, the only site where an airfield could be constructed, was selected because it could accommodate two 5,000 foot runways free from obstructions. Initially two reasons precluded use of the area. First, it was located about 2/3 of the distance between Pearl Harbor & Wheeler Field which would further increase air congestion over that part of the island. Secondly, it would remove from cultivation a highly productive tract of land.
The principal objection to use of this site - congestion of the air over the Pearl Harbor area - was much less of a handicap because the site was proposed for use by the Navy for training carrier groups rather than as a station for Army pursuit aviation. Navy use 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 training from these stations would be entirely under Naval control it lent itself to aerial traffic regulations which would be difficult to attain if large numbers of airplanes of the two services were intermingled. Kipapa Gulch area was advantageously located for occupancy of carrier-group aviation as the site was readily accessible to parent vessels of carrier groups. It also facilitated 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. Some time after the United States entered World War II, Kipapa Airfield was developed though its construction date has not been determined. The earliest depiction located of Kipapa Field was on a 1943 Army Airfield map misspelled the field as "Kapapa", meaning "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.
During the war Kipapa saw little Navy use as carrier aircraft constantly deployed during the war. The Army Air Corps 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-17s & B-18s on May 23, 1942 until September 9, 1942 when they moved to Kualoa Airfield. The HQ 90th Bombardment Group, 321st Bombardment Squadron arrived at Kipapa Airfield on September 12, 1942 from the mainland United States with B-24s and began flying their first missions by November 1942.
The 13th Air Force, 307th Bombardment Group, 370th Bombardment Squadron arrived at Kipapa Field on November 2, 1942 from the mainland United States with B-24s & 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 November 17, 1942.
The 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Air Force (attached to VII Fighter Command), flying F-5s was based at Kipapa Airfield in July 1944. The 38th Bomb Group, 70th Bombardment Squadron, equipped with Martin B-26 Marauders was kept on alert with 500-pound bombs at Kipapa Field during the time that the Battle of Midway was in progress.
Other units that spent time at Kipapa Airfield included: The 302nd Fighter Control Squadron October 1944; the 318th Fighter Group, 19th Fighter Squadron May 30, 1943, flying P-40s;
the 92nd Air Refueling Squadron Mar 18, 1945, flying B-24 Liberators; the 45th Airlift Squadron September 9, 1945; the 4th Emergency Rescue Squadron June 1944; and the 7th Air Force, 549th Combat Training Squadron October 20, 1944 to February 19, 1945, flying P-61 Black Widow night fighters performing training & 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, because all were involved in accidents in the area.
An August 1944 Army Air Forces map depicted Kipapa Field as having three paved runways, with numerous aircraft dispersal pads surrounding the runways. No buildings were depicted on the field. Note also the proximity of Wheeler Field at Waieli Strip to the north. A 1945 photo showed numerous Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighters at Kipapa Field. A 1945 photo of a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt undergoing maintenance at Kipapa Field, with a row of Northrop P-61 Black Widows in the background. The A 1947 CAA plan of a "Proposed adaption of Kipapa Field to private flying requirements". It depicted a 6,000 foot asphalt northeast/southwest runway & a 5,400' east/west runway, as well as a apron, administration building, and T-hangars. The third runway would have been partially reused as a taxiway. A 1948 aerial view looking east at Kipapa Field, showing 2 civilian single-engine general aviation aircraft on a portion of the east/west runway, while numerous objects (military?) were stored on the northeast/southwest runway.
Kipapa Field was still depicted on the 1951 USGS topographic map. A January 19, 1959 aerial view looking northwest at Kipapa Field (from the University of HI) showed several light aircraft & small hangars along a short portion of the east/west runway. It appears as if the former northeast/southwest runway pavement had been removed. Kipapa Field was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1959-61, as it was no longer depicted on the 1961 Honolulu Sectional Chart. A 1961 Oahu Urban Usage Map still depicted the intersecting runways & identified it as Kipapa Airfield, but that doesn't indicate the field was still open at that point. A December 1962 aerial photo showed only a small portion of Kipapa's east/west runway pavement remained intact, but there was no sign of any recent aviation use. A 1967 water supply geological survey map listed Kipapa Airfield but had no other information. The 1968 USGS topo map no longer depicted any trace of the Kipapa runways.
Unfortunately Kipapa Field's central location and level area made it ideal for redevelopment, and the property became a Mililani Town housing development. The airfield site is located south the Mililani Golf Course between Meheula Parkway & Hokuala Streets. Mililani District Park is located near the intersection of the 2 main runways; unfortunately, there are no indications of the 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.
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