Hathazari Airfield was a wartime United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) installation located near Hathazari, in present-day Chattogram (formerly Chittagong), Bangladesh. Established during the later stages of the Second World War, it played a supporting role in the Burma Campaign of 1944–45. The airfield has long since fallen out of use and no visible traces of its wartime operations remain today.
Hathazari Airfield
Geographical Location
The airfield was strategically positioned near the railhead on the main railway line to Chittagong, enabling efficient movement of military supplies and personnel. Its proximity to both land and sea routes made it an important logistical hub during the Allied campaign in Southeast Asia.
History and USAAF Operations
Hathazari Airfield came into active operational use in May 1945, primarily by the 1st Combat Cargo Group of the United States Army Air Forces. Its primary roles included:
- Serving as a supply point for the Allied advance into Burma.
- Acting as a staging airfield for airborne resupply missions, including air-drops of essential goods to forward units.
- Hosting Douglas C-47 Skytrain and Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft for both military and humanitarian operations.
- Functioning as a radio relay station, operated by the 128th Army Communications System Squadron, ensuring communication between bases in India, Burma, and beyond.
Operations from Hathazari were relatively short-lived; the airfield closed in September 1945, shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War in the Pacific.
Use by the Royal Air Force (RAF)
Before its intensive use by the USAAF, Hathazari Airfield was an operational base for the Royal Air Force during the Burma Campaign:
- 117 Squadron RAF – Stationed here from December 1944 to April 1945, operating transport aircraft for supply and troop movements.
- 62 Squadron RAF – Arrived in December 1944 and remained until March 1945, often working alongside No. 117 Squadron.
- 31 Squadron RAF – Based at Hathazari from February 1945 to May 1945, providing vital transport and supply support.
- 177 Squadron RAF – The last RAF unit assigned to the airfield before its closure.
These squadrons played a crucial role in maintaining the supply chain to Allied forces operating in difficult jungle terrain, where road access was limited.
Post-War Status
Following the Allied victory in 1945, Hathazari Airfield was decommissioned and returned to civilian control. Without a post-war role, the airfield quickly fell into disuse. Over the decades, its structures and runways were dismantled or reclaimed by nature, and the site gradually disappeared from public memory.
Legacy
Hathazari Airfield is now a little-known part of Bangladesh’s wartime history, reflecting the strategic importance of the region in the Allied campaign against Japanese forces in Burma. Its brief but significant operational period highlights Bangladesh’s geographical role in the Second World War’s Southeast Asian theatre.
