Motoyama Airfield No. 3

Motoyama Airfield No. 3
Name	Motoyama Airfield No. 3
Location	Motoyama, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Type	Airfield
Used	1945
Controlledby	Imperial Japanese Army, United States Army Air Forces
Battles	Battle of Okinawa

Motoyama Airfield No. 3

Motoyama Airfield No. 3 was a World War II airstrip on Okinawa involved in the Battle of Okinawa, used by Imperial Japanese Army forces and later by elements of the United States Army Air Forces. Situated near Motoyama ridge and adjacent to other Okinawan airstrips, the site featured runways, revetments, and support facilities that became contested during the Spring 1945 campaign involving United States Tenth Army, XXIV Corps, Tenth Army artillery, and elements of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. The airfield's capture influenced operations conducted by units from United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, and Royal Navy aviation elements during the final stages of the Pacific War.

Overview

Motoyama Airfield No. 3 lay in central Okinawa near the Motoyama district, one of several airfields that included Yontan Airfield, Kadena Air Base, and Heshikiya. The airstrip's proximity to features such as Shuri Castle, Oroku Peninsula, and the Nakagusuku Bay corridor made it strategically significant during the Battle of Okinawa, which formed part of Operation Iceberg and the wider Pacific War. Control of Motoyama Airfield No. 3 affected air operations supporting amphibious landings by United States Fifth Fleet carriers and land-based fighters flown by squadrons attached to Thirteenth Air Force and Twentieth Air Force bomber escort missions.

History

Originally established by elements of the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service as part of Okinawa's defensive network, Motoyama Airfield No. 3 was one of a series of prewar and wartime strips upgraded during 1944–1945. During the Battle of Okinawa, forces of the United States Tenth Army and ground formations including 1st Marine Division, 6th Marine Division, 7th Infantry Division (United States), and units from the XXIV Corps assaulted positions around Motoyama during coordinated operations alongside naval gunfire support from United States Navy battleships and cruisers such as USS Missouri (BB-63), USS New Mexico (BB-40), and USS San Francisco (CA-38). After capture, American engineers from United States Army Corps of Engineers and Naval Construction Battalions (Seabees) repaired and expanded the strip to support aircraft flown by units under Far East Air Forces command.

Facilities and Layout

Motoyama Airfield No. 3 featured a compact runway complex, hardened revetments, fuel storage, and small maintenance areas similar to other Okinawan strips such as Yontan Airfield and Kadena. The layout included dispersal areas and camouflaged bunkers influenced by defensive doctrines practiced by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and construction techniques used by Japanese engineers in the Ryukyu Islands. After capture, American engineers installed temporary tarpaper hangars, aviation gasoline tanks used by Army Air Forces Service Command, and communications gear compatible with United States Army Air Forces standards to support operations by groups transitioning from bases on Ie Shima, Ie Island, and Amami Oshima.

Operational Use and Units

Following its capture, Motoyama Airfield No. 3 supported transient fighter and reconnaissance units drawn from organizations such as the 8th Fighter Group (United States), 318th Fighter Group, elements of the 18th Fighter Group, and Marine Corps squadrons like VMF-214 and VMF-223. Bomber and medium bomber operations from Twentieth Air Force and Seventh Air Force occasionally staged through Okinawan fields for escort, reconnaissance, and close air support, coordinating with naval aviation units from Carrier Air Group detachments aboard carriers such as USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Lexington (CV-16), and USS Essex (CV-9). Airfield logistics involved units of the Tenth Air Force Service Command and Army engineering battalions responsible for runway repair under combat conditions similar to those encountered by the IX Engineer Command in the European Theater.

Battles and Incidents

The approach to and occupation of Motoyama Airfield No. 3 figured in localized engagements during the Battle of Okinawa, including assaults associated with the Shuri Line and actions near Hill 170. Close air support missions flown from nearby captured strips supported infantry operations during clashes involving 32nd Infantry Division (United States), 77th Infantry Division (United States), and Japanese formations such as the 32nd Army (Japan). The airfield area experienced artillery bombardment from ships including USS Indiana (BB-58) and USS Tennessee (BB-43), kamikaze threats tied to Special Attack Units (Japan), and counterattacks by Imperial Japanese Army forces using prepared defensive positions around Motoyama ridges. Incidents included aircraft losses during operational turnover, strafing attacks by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service fighters, and engineering accidents during rapid reconstruction by Naval Construction Battalions.

Postwar Status and Legacy

After World War II, Motoyama Airfield No. 3 was decommissioned as aviation operations consolidated at larger bases such as Kadena Air Base and facilities on Ie Shima. The site returned to civilian use and agricultural reclamation influenced by postwar policies of the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands and later reversion to Okinawa Prefecture under the Okinawa Reversion Agreement (1971). The legacy of the airfield is reflected in Okinawan memorialization efforts alongside sites like Himeyuri Monument, Peace Memorial Park (Okinawa) and in historical studies by institutions such as the National Museum of the Pacific War and academic work at University of the Ryukyus. Remnants of revetments and wartime earthworks occasionally attract researchers from organizations including the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and international archaeologists studying the Pacific theater of World War II.

Category:Airfields of the Battle of Okinawa Category:World War II airfields in Japan