Yandina Airport

{{Infobox airport | name = Yandina Airport | nativename = | image = | IATA = XYA | ICAO = AGGY | type = | owner = | operator = | city-served = | location = Mbanika, Solomon Islands | elevation-f = | elevation-m = | coordinates = {{coord|09|05|34|S|159|13|08|E|region:FR|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = Solomon Islands | pushpin_map_caption = Airport in Solomon Islands | pushpin_label = '''XYA''' | pushpin_label_position = top | website = | metric-rwy = | r1-number = | r1-length-m = | r1-length-f = | r1-surface = | footnotes = ASN<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/airport/airport.php?id=XYA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103010947/http://aviation-safety.net/database/airport/airport.php?id=XYA |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 3, 2012 |title=Accident history for Yandina Airport (IATA: XYA, ICAO: AGGY) |work=Aviation Safety Network }}</ref> }}

'''Yandina Airport''' {{airport codes|XYA|AGGY}} is an airport on Mbanika in the Solomon Islands.

==History== The 33rd Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Banika Island in late February 1943 and commenced construction of a fighter airfield. By 13 April a basic airfield known as '''Airfield 1''', '''Renard Airfield''' or '''South Field''' was usable. The 35th Battalion took over construction and by mid-May had completed a coral {{convert|3100|ft}} by {{convert|150|ft}} runway. By the end of June a taxiway, two warm-up areas, {{convert|60|ft}} by {{convert|450|ft}}, and 25 revetments had been completed and work had commenced on lengthening the runway to {{convert|6000|ft}} to make it usable by medium bombers. The 33rd Battalion had also erected an aviation-gasoline tank farm of eight 1,000-barrel tanks, together with piping and fittings.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946| publisher=US Government Printing Office|year=1947|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/building-the-navys-bases.html|pages=257–8}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> Enemy bombing on June 25, 1943, caused considerable damage to the Tank Farm. One tank was set on fire and was completely destroyed; three others were punctured by shrapnel. The piping was also damaged. Repairs were completed in five days. Gasoline service to the airfield was maintained without interruption.<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/airfields/solomons/renard/index.html Renard Field, South Field] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920163653/https://pacificwrecks.com/airfields/solomons/renard/index.html |date=2022-09-20 }}''pacificwrecks.com''</ref>

USAAF units operating from the base included: *67th Fighter Squadron operating P-39s from 23 January-15 August 1944 US Navy operating from the base included: *VB-140 (PV-1) (Lockheed Ventura Bombing Squadron) *VB-148 (PV-1) (Lockheed Ventura Bombing Squadron)

==See also== *Naval Base Banika Island

==References== * {{Air Force Historical Research Agency}} <references />

Category:Airports in the Solomon Islands Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II Category:Military airbases established in 1943