Hokuto Airfield file photo [26879]

Hokuto Airfield

Type   140 Air Base
Historical Name of Location   Hokuto, Taichu, Taiwan
Coordinates   23.865039000, 120.441570000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseHokuto Airfield was located in central Taiwan. Hokuto was the Japanese pronunciation for the Chinese characters for the town of Beidou in Taichu Prefecture (now Taichung), but the airfield was actually closer to present day towns of Zhutang and Pitou in Changhua County. Some Japanese records used the name Bakutau Airfield rather than Hokuto Airfield, with Bakutau being a phonetic translation of the Taiwanese pronunciation of Beidou. Finally, the Americans, having little intelligence on this small airfield, mislabeled it as "Keishu Airfield", thus further confusing the airfield's history. Hokuto Airfield was consisted of two runways roughly one mile apart. The airfield was struck by US Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bombers (from USS Langley and USS Essex) in Jan 1945. The runways were demolished some time after the war, with the land returning to agricultural use.

ww2dbaseSource: taiwanairpower.org

Last Major Update: May 2017



Hokuto Airfield Interactive Map

Photographs

Hokuto Airfield under USS Langley carrier aircraft attack, Taiwan, 3 Jan 1945, photo 1 of 6Hokuto Airfield under USS Langley carrier aircraft attack, Taiwan, 3 Jan 1945, photo 2 of 6Hokuto Airfield under USS Langley carrier aircraft attack, Taiwan, 3 Jan 1945, photo 3 of 6Hokuto Airfield under USS Langley carrier aircraft attack, Taiwan, 3 Jan 1945, photo 4 of 6
See all 6 photographs of Hokuto Airfield

Hokuto Airfield Timeline

3 Jan 1945 6 TBM-1C aircraft and 12 F6F-5 fighters, both of Air Group 44 from USS Langley, attacked Hokuto Airfield (referred by the Americans as "Keishu Airfield") in Hokuto (now Beidou) in central Taiwan with 60 100-pound bombs, rockets, and strafing. No Japanese aircraft rose to defend.
4 Jan 1945 TBM-5C torpedo bombers of VT-4 squadron, escorted by F6F-5 fighters of VF-4 squadron, both from USS Essex, attacked a number of Japanese airfields in Taiwan. Rojoseki Airfield in Rojoseki District of Shoka (now Erlin District of Changhua), Hokuto (misnamed "Keishu" in US records) Airfield in Shoka, and Mato Airfield in Tainan (now Madou District of Tainan) sustained damage.




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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Hokuto, Taichu, Taiwan
Lat/Long 23.8650, 120.4416
Hokuto Airfield Photo Gallery
Hokuto Airfield under USS Langley carrier aircraft attack, Taiwan, 3 Jan 1945, photo 1 of 6
See all 6 photographs of Hokuto Airfield


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