Henderson Field (Midway)

Henderson Field on East Midway Island is a former World War II airfield in the Central Pacific. The airfield was abandoned after the war.HistorySee Also: Battle of Midway, Henderson Field (Midway Atoll), Lofton R. HendersonThe Midway Islands are best known as the location of the pivotal battle of the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Henderson Field was built in 1941. It consisted of a seaplane facility on Sand Island and a landplane airfield on Eastern Island. The Eastern Island airfield initially comprised three runways, 2 hangars & a barracks.Midway was shelled by a Japanese destroyer on the same day as the Pearl Harbor attack, and was shelled by a submarine several months later.During the climactic Battle of Midway in 1942, the Japanese were so sure of their victory that they deliberately spared the runways of Eastern Island for their use after the capture of the island. That didn't happen, due to their overwhelming defeat in the waters surrounding Midway.Aircraft of the Navy, Marine Corps & Army operated from Eastern Island, and helped to turn back the Japanese Fleet. The Marine Corps had nineteen SBD-2 Dauntless dive-bombers, seven F4F-3 Wildcat, seventeen SB2U-3 Vindicators, twenty-one F2A-3 Brewster Buffalos and six TBF-1 Avenger torpedo-bombers.