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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Short description|Airfield on New Caledonia, South Pacific}}
{{Infobox military structure
|name=Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield
|partof = [[Thirteenth Air Force]]
|location=
|coordinates={{Coord|21|15|4.97|S|164|55|19.61|E}}
|image=
|caption=
|type=Military airfield
|code=
|built=1930s
|builder=
|materials=
|height=
|used= 1942-1944
|demolished=
|condition=
|ownership=
|controlledby=[[United States Army Air Forces]]
|garrison=
|commanders=
|occupants=
|battles=
|events=
}}

'''Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield''' is a former [[World War II]] airfield on [[New Caledonia]] in the [[Oceania|South Pacific]]. It is located at Plaine Des Gaiacs near the village of [[Pouembout]]. The airfield was also known as De Gaiacs and was named for the Gaiac tree that grow in the area.

After being used as a wartime airfield, it was abandoned and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.

==History==
Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield was built in the 1930s by the French colonists. After the fall of France in 1940, the [[Free French Forces|Free French]] took control of the field. The airfield was expanded into two massive sealed runways by the US Army. It was initially used as a command and control base, then later becoming a staging and training base for aircraft bound for Australia or north to the [[New Hebrides]] combat zones.{{fact|date=January 2024}}

USAAF units assigned were:
[[File:Typhoon McGoon II, New Caledonia, January 1943.jpg|thumb|right|B-17E #41-9211 of the 98th Bombardment Squadron at Plaine Des Gaiacs in January 1943]]

* 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, 9 October 1942 - 17 December 1942<ref>{{Cite book|last=Washburne|first=Seth |title=The Thirsty 13th| publisher=Thirsty 13th LLC| year=2011| isbn=978-0-615-39675-0|page=133}}</ref>
* Headquarters, Thirteenth Air Force, 13–21 January 1943
* Headquarters, XIII Fighter Command, 13–22 January 1943
* [[11th Wing|11th Bombardment Group (Heavy)]], 22 July 1942 – 23 November 1942
* [[42d Air Base Wing|42d Bombardment Group (Medium)]], 20 October 1943 – 20 January 1944
* [[347th Rescue Group|347th Fighter Group]], 3 October 1943 – 29 December 1943
* [[4th Reconnaissance Group]], 22 November 1942 – 23 January 1943

The [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]] [[No. 9 Squadron RNZAF|No. 9 Squadron]] operating [[Lockheed Hudson]] was based at Plaine Des Gaiacs from July 1942 until March 1943.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ross|first=John |title=Royal New Zealand Air Force| publisher=Historical Publications Branch| year=1955| isbn=0898391873|page=130}}</ref>

===Postwar===
The airfield was closed after the war and fell into disuse. Today it is overgrown with vegetation; the runways are still visible from the air and many small traces of the American occupation remain, such as fuel drums, metal, etc.{{fact|date=January 2024}}

==See also==

* [[United States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Area|USAAF in the South Pacific]]
*[[Naval Base Nepoui]]

==References==
<references />
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}.
* [https://pacificwrecks.com/airfields/new_caledonia/plaine_des_gaiacs/index.html www.pacificwrecks.com]

==External links==
* [http://www.aerosteles.net/fiche.php?code=pouembout-aerodrome Website for the airfield]
{{USAAF 13th Air Force World War II}}

[[Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in the Pacific Ocean Theater]]
[[Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II]]

Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield - Revision history

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