Yontan Airfield - History

History

Yontan (Yomitan) Airfield was originally established by Imperial Japanese Army in 1944 as Kita Airfield (北飛行場, Kita Hikōjō?). During the Battle of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, United States Marine Corps and United States Army forces seized the airfield on the first day of the landing. It was quickly repaired and became the first airfield on Okinawa to be used by the American forces. Later, it was developed into a major American base for Army, Marine and Navy aircraft.

It was at Yontan that the American forces first found copies of the Yokosuka MXY-7 "Ohka" rocket-propelled kamikaze aircraft. It was a manned flying bomb that was usually carried underneath a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty", Yokosuka P1Y Ginga "Frances" (guided Type 22) or planned Heavy Nakajima G8N Renzan "Rita" (transport type 43A/B) bomber to within range of its target; on release, the pilot would first glide toward the target and when close enough he would fire the Ohka's rocket engine and guide the missile towards the ship that he intended to destroy. The final approach was almost unstoppable (especially for Type 11) because the aircraft gained tremendous speed. Seven US ships were damaged or sunk by Ohkas throughout the war.