Huaihua Zhijiang Airport is an airport serving the city of Huaihua in

Hunan Province Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi t ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. It is located in Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, 31 kilometers from the city center. The airport was built in 1942 and was the second largest military airfield in the Far East for the Allies during World War II.Hunan Zhijiang Airport to officially open
/ref> On 21 August 1945 Japan officially surrendered to China near the airfield. Construction to convert the airport for civilian use was started in December 2002 and the airport was reopened in September 2004.

Airlines and destinations

World War II

During World War II, the airport was known as Chihkiang (Chih Kiang) Airfield (which is the Wade-Giles transcription of the same name) and was used by the United States Army Air Forces

Fourteenth Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...

as part of the China Defensive Campaign (1942–1945). Its primary use by the Americans was as an airborne photo-reconnaissance and as a transport airfield. Chihkiang Air Base was also the headquarters of the

Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional) (CACW), whose squadrons flew P-40 Warhawk aircraft. The operational units of the CACW were jointly commanded by both American and Chinese air force officers, and the unit's aircraft were jointly manned by American and Chinese pilots and air crewmen. On 10 April 1945, the Japanese started an offensive for Chihkiang, however, by 10 May the CACW had attacked and mauled the Japanese forces so severely, the Japanese had to retreat to Paoching.USAFHRA document 00056109
/ref> The Americans closed their facilities at the airport in early October 1945.

References

{{authority control Airports in Hunan Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in China Airports established in 1942 1942 establishments in China Transport in Huaihua

Airlines and destinations

World War II

See also

References