Pyongyang Air Base
| Pyongyang Air Base | |
|---|---|
평양 공항 P'yŏngyang Gonggun Kige | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Controlled by | Imperial Japanese Army Air Service Korean People's Air Force United States Air Force |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 39°02′00″N 125°47′00″E / 39.03333°N 125.78333°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940s |
| Built by | Imperial Japanese Army Air Service |
| In use | 1940s-1950 |
Pyongyang Air Base also known as Heijo Airfield or Pyongyang (K-23) Air Base was a former Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, Korean People's Air Force (KPAF) and United States Air Force (USAF) air base adjacent to the Taedong River in Pyongyang, North Korea. It was redeveloped after the Korean War as a Government and residential area.
History
The air base was originally developed during the Japanese Imperial period. The base was home to a Showa aircraft plant and the 6th Air Regiment
Korean War
Following the capture of Pyongyang on 19 October 1950 the air base was put into service by the UN forces. The USAF designated the base K-23.[1]
USAF units stationed at the base included:
- 8th Operations Wing from 25 November-3 December 1950
- 8th Fighter Wing operating F-51s from 1-9 December 1950[2]
- 6131st Tactical Support Wing[3]
The US Army's D Battery 865th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion provided anti-aircraft defense for the base.[4]
UN forces abandoned the base on 5 December 1950 as part of the evacuation of Pyongyang in the face of the Chinese intervention.[4]On 10 December 1950 B-29s bombed the airfield with high-explosive bombs.[5]
Postwar
The area was redeveloped in the late 1950s as a Government and residential area.
See also
References
- ^ Appleman, Roy (2009). Disaster in Korea: The Chinese Confront MacArthur. Texas A&M University Press. p. 316. ISBN 9781603441285.
- ^ Y'Blood, William (2002). Down in the weeds: Close air support in Korea. Air Force Historical Studies Office. p. 21. ISBN 9781428990173.
- ^ Y'Blood, p.21
- ^ a b Appleman, p.316
- ^ Futrell, Frank (1983). The United States Air Force in Korea, 1950-1953. Air Force History & Museums Program. p. 263. ISBN 9780912799711.