Tingkawk Sakan Airfield is a former wartime

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

airfield in

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

used during the

Burma Campaign 1944-1945 Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. It is now abandoned.

History

The airfield was a temporary field with a 4,000-foot runway consisting of gravel carved out of a 200-foot-high teak forest with temperatures running well above . The airfield was used by the 311th Fighter Group, beginning in late May 1944, flying

North American P-51C Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs NA- ...

s. In August 1944, the

8th Reconnaissance Group Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight. Eighth may refer to: * One eighth, , a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole * Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet) * Octave, an interval b ...

, based at Barrackpore, India, sent a detachment of the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron to fly reconnaissance missions from the field with F-5s (

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...

). The detachment moved out in November. The 311th was replaced in August by the

80th Fighter Group 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. Etymology English ''eight'', from Old English '', æhta'', Proto-Germanic ''*ahto'' is a direct continuation of Proto-Indo-European '' *oḱtṓ(w)-'', and as such cognate wi ...

, flying

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

s until January 1945 when the group moved to Myitkyina Airfield and the facility was closed. Today, the airfield is abandoned, and has been reclaimed by the forest from which it was carved out of. A disturbed vegetation region in satellite imagery shows its approximate location.

References

* Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983.
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Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Myanmar Airports established in 1944 {{Myanmar-geo-stub