Dinjan

  March 1942 to September 1945

  India

CITY: Dinjan, Assam

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

COORDINATES: 27°32'N / 95°16'E

OTHER NAMES: Dinjan

Dinjan airfield was built by the RAF on a tea plantation in March 1942, approximately 10km northeast of Chabua, Assam, India. It was mainly a fighter base designed to counter the Japanese advance in Burma and to protect cargo aircraft flying over "The Hump" from nearby airfields to China. From October 1942, the USAAF started basing several combat squadrons in Dinjan. Air Transport Command also used it as an auxiliary airfield to Chabua, however only a few transport units were based there.

On 13 December 1943, 20 Japanese bombers escorted by 25 fighters hit Dinjan before US interceptors could make contact. However, little damage was done and the US fighters caught the attackers shortly afterward. 12 of the 20 Japanese bombers and five fighters were shot down.

In the summer of 1944, with the lessening of the Japanese air threat, the base became a combat cargo airfield, supporting Allied ground forces fighting in Burma, but mainly using C-47s.

With the end of combat in September 1945, Dinjan Airfield was abandoned. Today, the runways of the former airfield are overrun with vegetation and the land has returned to its natural state.

1362^nd AAF Base Unit (Dinjan)