Fort Hertz

  Unknown date to present

  Burma

CITY: Putao, Burma

IATA/ICAO CODES: PBU / VYPT

COORDINATES: 27°20'N / 97°26'E

OTHER NAMES: Fort Hertz, Putao

Fort Hertz was a remote British Military outpost in northeastern Burma. During the 1942 Japanese invasion of Burma, various retreating soldiers of the British/Indian Burma Garrison remained in the Fort Hertz area.

The military authorities in India had no direct contact with Fort Hertz during most of the summer of 1942. Only on 12 August 1942, the fort was unexpectedly discovered to be in British hands by an overflying aircraft. The landing strip at the fort was however unusable. The next day, a British party parachute-dropped into Fort Hertz with engineering supplies. By 20 August, the airfield had been repaired enough that aircraft could land.

In 1943 and 1944 the primary purpose of Fort Hertz was to cover the airstrip, which served as an emergency landing ground for ATC India-China Wing planes flying the "Hump" from India to China over the eastern end of the Himalayas. This same airstrip was the only supply line for Fort Hertz. There was also eventually a radio beacon navigation check point at the site.

Fort Hertz was abandonned in August 1945 as Allied forces advanced to Myitkyina, Burma.

Air Transport Command, India-China Wing Station 26 (August 1942 to August 1944)