This is the former Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile base located in Dalin Township, Chiayi County (嘉義縣大林鎮). It was constructed on an abandoned airfield built by the Japanese during the colonial period. In the following 1966 CORONA image, the general shape of the airfield is clearly visible, although the airfield must have been deserted by the time the image was taken. The missile site uses only about three quarters of the runway length.
18 thoughts on “Satellite Imagery of Former Dalin Missile Base/Airfield (大林飛彈基地衛星照片)”
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Thanks for sharing the information. I have a book written in Chinese about the Japanese Airbases/Fields. The coordinates were listed as Lat 23 37, Lon 120 32 which is pretty general. It was off by 3.8 kilometers.
Gene, when you are back, I’d like to see which book you are referring to and get a copy for myself.
Hi, I cruise through here from time to time and am always fascinated by the articles and photos.
I, too, would be grateful for the title of the IJ airfield book.
Thanks
Mark
Tainan
Mark: Thank you very much for your kind words. Gene is in the States now. I will inform you of the book title after he gets back.
Thanks,
BTW keep the old airfield shots coming, especially from Japanese era. I do flight sims and am currently researching IJ fields to make a terrain for wartime Formosa.
Fascinating stuff
Mark
Hi
I am French and lived some time in Tainan. I am very interested by everything related to Taiwan military stuff, but unfortunately do not read chinese.
I heard somewhere that the Army field at Kueijen is also a former japanese airfield ?
What about those strange conic blockhouses around the airbases (ie Tainan or Guangshan) : japanese ?
Cheers
Michel
Hey Michel,
Are you referring to the field that is now a helicopter training school?
BTW I think the blockhouse date from post-war. They were probably built in case of CCP invasion during the Martial Law era. There are still some around at bridge crossings, key intersections, etc.
Mark
Michel and Mark,
Thank you very much for your comments. Actually I know no more than you do about the subject. I just happened to be interested in reading satellite images. But I’d be more than happy to share what I have learned.
BTW, if you were referring to those bell-shaped blockhouses, they are mostly dated back to the Japanese colonial period.
Hi Admin,
I am also very eager to find out the title of the book. Do you have an idea when Gene will be back in Taiwan? Keep up the great postings!
Gene will be back in September.
Hi Admin,
Do you know if Gene is back in Taiwan, very eager to find out the title of the book he was referring to and get a copy. Thanks.
Frank,
Yes, Gene is back in Taiwan. I’ve sent an email to him asking about the book.
Any word from Gene is regards to the book?
Frank, the book is 台灣航空決戰 by 鍾堅 (ISBN 957-708-368-4).
Thanks Gene and Admin for book info
I’m off to Eslite 🙂
Mark
Admin or Mark were you able to pick up a copy? Eslite and books.com.tw were both out. Any ideas where to pick up a copy? Thanks.
This book is out of print. So I think it would be very difficult to get one.
Gene is kind enough to loan me his copy. There is a list of Japanese airfields in Taiwan. I will incorporate the information in my research and share with everybody here in the (hopefully) near future.