Warbird Information Exchange

I'm wanting in the near future to go to Saipan to see where (Isley Field)the B-29s of the 73rd Bomb Wing operated out of. I have heard that they turned Isley into Saipan Int'l Airport. Was wondering if there is any trace of the WW2 days that I could see and experience? I will also go and see the A-Bomb loading pits on Tinian while I'm in the neighborhood.

I went to see the loading pits that are still in Wendover, Utah. Very cool.

_________________
Fly low. Fly slow, Fly safe.

I might suggest that you pull up these islands on google.earth so you can get a good overview of what remains. Isley field on Saipan is indeed the Intl airport but if you look to the NE end of the runway you can still see some of the hardstands. Former Kobler Field, Kagman Point and Marpi Point airfields are gone. Tinian is your best bet as the fields are still there with easy access. You will note that the north west corner of Guam still has NW Field still quite evident but I beleive that it falls under the jurisdiction of Anderson AFB and you may not be able to get in to see it. Harmon AFB on Guam is gone and former Agana NAS is now the Intl airport.

This link was here on the WIX recently. I found it very interesting. www.airdaleamericanhistory.com/ProjectMarianasHome.html

_________________
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Great link!

_________________
"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I have a book that was published by the Micronesian Archaeological Survey that researched the remains of Isely Field in the early 1980s. I'll have to get the book out and read through it to refresh my memory, but it seems there isn't a lot left of the B-29 facilities but some hardstands and a few foundations. The book also studied the Japanese buildings and facilities that still existed there at the time. I'll post what I can find later, maybe tonight.

Scott

I looked at it on Google Earth a few months ago, and you can still see the remnants of the old WWII airfield about the place. If you know what they looked like, you can spot the taxiways and hardstands. Not real prevelent, but still somewhat visible. The other field is pretty well non-existant as I recall...

Coords- 15d07'12.37"N 145d43'40.37"E (d=degrees)
North field- 15d16'51.31"N 145d48'52.17"E

Robbie

I re-read the Archaeological Survey. The research (done in 1980) was primarily interested in the permanent structures the Japanese military had built when they initially constructed Aslito Field beginning in the '30s. The survey was of the airfield north of the runways, and did mention sixty-five b-29 parking spots, taxiways, the North Service Apron, and various Quonset hut foundations. Not a lot of info, but interesting just the same. The northern parking and servicing area was the home of the 497th and 498th, while the south area served the 499th and 500th Groups. I pulled up the Google photo, and it appears that your uncle's hardstand is still intact. The 497th occupied the northeast parking area.

If you'd like I can post a map of the entire Iseley Field/73rd Bomb Wing complex.
Scott

I'd like to see the map. Had a cartoonish one once, but lost it.

I copied this map from an original that a 94th Air Service Group electrician let me scan. We had to add the roughly drawn upper perimeter road and west runup areas by hand from his memory, so they may not be exactly as built. His ASG primarily worked on 498th Group aircraft either on the North Service Apron or the individual hardstands.


Scott

Can you overlay that onto the google world picture of the airfield, so we can compare what is/isn't there?

Robbie

Gee, Robbie, I was pretty elated that I could scan and get the drawing to my Photobucket account without locking up my computer!

I'm sure someone could do it, but I can give you some idea of the remains by description:
The North Service Apron is mostly complete. The 498th B.G. parking area is still there, but it appears that a good number of the hardstands have had other structures built over them, and the far north hardstands (I think the 498th and 497th shared this area) were obliterated by what appears to be landscaping for the airport entry road. Most of the 497th hardstands and taxiways appear to be intact on the east side of the north area, though vegetation has overrun most of the asphalt.

The 499th and 500th Group areas are harder to figure out since there was cloud cover when the photo was taken, but it looks like at least most of the taxiway and hardstand complex is intact, again overgrown with greenery. The South Service Apron and some building foundations appear also, and the road pattern of the south housing area is visible. If I were to guess, I'd say the south area would be the most intact part of Isely, followed by the east 497th area, and the North Service Apron. The modern runway is laid on Runway Baker and the parallel taxiway used to be Runway Able.

Scott

Great information, as i appreciate it! Wanted to know if it was known how the hardstands were assigned to the different B-29s, or did they park after a mission in whatever hardstand was available?
-Jonas

Jonas,

I'm not certain how the 497th Group assigned parking hardstands, but it was most likely by Squadron. The photos I've seen of the parking areas show all the like-numbered airplanes parked on hardstands near one another, 1-20, 21-40, 41-60. The aircraft were assigned to a permanent hardstand, and the ground crew often set up a tent or other shack right at the pad for convenience. So, to answer your question, 42-63423 should have always parked at the same hardstand in the 870th Squadron area.

Scott

Something like this for an overlay?