History Piardoba Airfield

emblem of 462d bombardment group

during world war ii, airfield hosted united states army air force 462d bombardment group prior deployment mariana islands.

piardoba designed consolidated b-24 liberator use. in 1943 designated boeing b-29 superfortress base planned deployment of united states army air forces xx bomber command india. advance army air forces echelons arrived in india in december 1943 organize upgrading of airfield , thousands of indians labored upgrade facility superfortress operations. 1 of 4 b-29 bases established americans in india.

piardoba designated home of 462d bombardment group, 4 b-29 squadrons 768th, 769th, 770th , 771st. support elements of group included 9th, 10th, 11th , 12th bomb maintenance squadrons; 13th photo lab, , 86th air service group.

the 462d arrived @ base on 7 april 1944 after completing b-29 transition training @ walker aaf, kansas. deployment india took 3 weeks, consisting of traveling morrison field, florida, south though caribbean natal, brazil. brazil south atlantic crossed arriving in west africa , re-assembling @ marrakesh, morocco. group flew north , west morocco through algeria , egypt, before arriving @ karachi. time group arrived @ piardoba, month-long trip had taken toll on aircraft , personnel.

the 462dth part of operation matterhorn project of xx bomber command, bombing of japanese home islands. in order reach japan, b-29s of group needed stage operations kuinglai (linqiong) airfield (a-4), forward base southwest of chendu in south-central china.

however, in order stage missions , operate kuinglai, group need transport supplies of fuel, bombs, , spares needed 1,200 miles airfield. 6 round trips necessary deliver enough fuel 1 airplane mount combat mission china - impractical logistics concept aerial campaign.

almost upon arrival in india, engine fires caused grounding of of groups b-29s. cause b-29 s r-3350 engine had not been designed operate @ ground temperatures higher 115 degrees f, typically exceeded in india. modifications had made aircraft , after these modifications, b-29 flights india resumed.

the first combat mission group took place on june 5, 1944 when squadrons of 462d took off india attack makasan railroad yards @ bangkok, thailand. involved 2261-mile round trip, longest bombing mission yet attempted during war.

on june 15 group participated in first american air force attack on japanese home islands since doolittle raid in 1942. operating bases in india, , @ times staging through fields in india , china, group struck transportation centers, naval installations, iron works, aircraft plants, , other targets in japan, thailand, burma, china, formosa, , indonesia. staging base in ceylon, 462d mined moesi river on sumatra in august 1944. received distinguished unit citation daylight attack on iron , steel works @ yawata, japan, in august 1944.

the 462d evacuated staging fields in china in january 1945 due japanese offensive in south china threatened forward staging bases, continued operations india, bombing targets in thailand , mining waters around singapore. however, late 1944 becoming apparent b-29 operations against japan staged out of bases in chengtu far expensive in men , materials , have stopped. in december 1944, joint chiefs of staff made decision operation matterhorn phased out, , b-29s moved newly captured bases in marianas in central pacific.

on 26 february 1945, 462d bombardment group flew south ceylon, southeast across indian ocean perth in western australia. flying north through new guinea, reached new home @ west field, tinian, in mariana islands on 4 april , parent 58th bombardment wing came under command of new xxi bomber command.

with departure of b-29s marianas, piardoba airfield turned on tenth air force. 33d fighter group moved airfield on 5 may 1945 after being withdrawn combat. group left p-38s , p-47s @ airfield disposal, personnel returning united states. unit inactivated in mid-november.

also, piardoba saw arrival of headquarters, tenth air force myitkyina, burma on 15 may. headquarters echelon remained @ base until moving wujiaba airport near kunming, china effective 1 august.

piardoba airfield officially closed on 26 september 1945, being turned on british colonial government. postwar history of airfield unclear, today large, sprawling wartime airfield abandoned , in disrepair, abandoned hardstands , taxiways visible on aerial images. little no wartime structures still exist, although appears small villages have taken on former billeting areas.