The Snapshots in Time Collection

Aerial Strike Photo: Dagua Airstrip, Wewak Area, New Guinea, WWII

Aerial Strike Photo: Dagua Airstrip, Wewak Area, New Guinea, WWII

This aerial photograph from a 312th Bombardment Group veteran's album shows the Japanese airstrip at Dagua in the Wewak area of New Guinea, its runway heavily cratered by Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberator bombing raids. Wewak's cluster of Japanese airfields was a primary target for Allied air power during the New Guinea campaign of 1943-1944, and photographs like this one were used to assess bombing effectiveness and plan follow-up strikes. Project: 218559