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Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield is a former World War II airfield on New Caledonia in the South Pacific. It is located at Plaine Des Gaiacs near the village of Pouembout. The airfield was also known as De Gaiacs and was named for the Gaiac tree that grow in the area.

After being used as a wartime airfield, it was abandoned and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.

History

Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield was built in the 1930s by the French colonists. After the fall of France in 1940, the Free French took control of the field. The airfield was expanded into two massive sealed runways by the US Army. It was initially used as a command and control base, then later becoming a staging and training base for aircraft bound for Australia or north to the New Hebrides combat zones.

USAAF units assigned were:

• 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, 9 October 1942 - 17 December 1942
• Headquarters, Thirteenth Air Force, 13–21 January 1943
• Headquarters, XIII Fighter Command, 13–22 January 1943
• 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 22 July 1942 – 23 November 1942
• 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), 20 October 1943 – 20 January 1944
• 347th Fighter Group, 3 October 1943 – 29 December 1943
• 4th Reconnaissance Group, 22 November 1942 – 23 January 1943

The Royal New Zealand Air Force No. 9 Squadron operating Lockheed Hudson was based at Plaine Des Gaiacs from July 1942 until March 1943.

Postwar

The airfield was closed after the war and fell into disuse. Today it is overgrown with vegetation; the runways are still visible from the air and many small traces of the American occupation remain, such as fuel drums, metal, etc.

See also

• USAAF in the South Pacific
• Naval Base Nepoui

References

1. Washburne, Seth (2011). The Thirsty 13th. Thirsty 13th LLC. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-615-39675-0.
2. Ross, John (1955). Royal New Zealand Air Force. Historical Publications Branch. p. 130. ISBN 0898391873.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• www.pacificwrecks.com

External links

• Website for the airfield

v t e USAAF Thirteenth Air Force in World War II
Airfields	Pacific USAAF in the South Pacific USAAF in the Southwest Pacific
Units	Commands XIII Bomber XIII Fighter Groups Fighter 18th Fighter 347th Fighter 414th Fighter Bomber 5th Bombardment 11th Bombardment 42d Bombardment 307th Bombardment Reconnaissance 4th Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 403d Troop Carrier Squadrons Bombardment 100th Bombardment 868th Bombardment Night Fighter 418th Night Fighter 419th Night Fighter 550th Night Fighter Reconnaissance 4th Photographic Charting 17th Photographic Reconnaissance 36th Photographic Reconnaissance 38th Photographic Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 13th Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

• Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in the Pacific Ocean Theater
• Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II