Source: NARA via Academia Sinica 中央研究院臺灣文史資源海外徵集與國際合作計畫「美國國家檔案館典藏臺灣舊航空照片」
上面這張空照圖攝於1944年3月1日,照片左下角的機場是位於高雄的小港飛行場(現在高雄國際機場的前身)。如果你在照片中央箭頭所指處看不到任何特別的地貌,這表示你該考慮檢查一下視力你的視力很正常,因為名為大寮(台灣堡圖在「寮」字上面加了草字頭,但電腦打不出來)的此地在這個時間點上仍是一片農地。
The airfield located on the lower left corner of the March 1, 1944, reconnaissance photo above is Shoko (Xiaogang) Airdrome, the predecessor of current Kaohsiung International Airport. Note the location pointed at by the arrow. If you cannot see anything special at this place, Tairyo (currently Daliao, Kaohsiung), you may want to consider getting a new pair of glasses that’s because there was indeed nothing special at the time when the photo was taken.
在以下的1945年1月31日空照圖上,箭頭所指的相同位置很明顯的被開墾出一片長條形的區域,這是日軍捷一號作戰計畫下令興建的十餘座「秘密飛行場」中的小港(東)飛行場(參見「卓蘭飛行場」一文)。除此之外,照片也顯示日軍擴建了左下角小港飛行場,並且增建了好幾條通到山腳下的飛機疏散道。
When American reconnaissance aircraft photoed the same area again on January 31, 1945, an airstrip had taken shape (see the photo below). This airstrip, called Shoko East Airdrome because it was to the east of Shoko, was one of the “secret airfields” constructed in November 1944, as called for by the war plan “Operation Victory One” (see the post “Takuran Airdrome”). Also note that Shoko Airdrome on the lower left corner had been expanded. In particular, several dispersal taxiways leading to the foot of a hill had been built.
Source: NARA via Academia Sinica 中央研究院臺灣文史資源海外徵集與國際合作計畫「美國國家檔案館典藏臺灣舊航空照片」
為了便於比較,我把大寮在這兩個時間點的放大照片並列如下。右邊的照片似乎顯示飛行場尚未完工或只是草草完工。
For the ease of comparison, the “before” and “after” photos of Shoko East Airdrome are shown side by side below. Its construction looks very crude, suggesting it might not have been completed.
Source: NARA via Academia Sinica 中央研究院臺灣文史資源海外徵集與國際合作計畫「美國國家檔案館典藏臺灣舊航空照片」
當年日軍趕工興建的秘密飛行場在戰後幾乎都漸漸消失在地表之上,小港(東)飛行場也不例外,當地已經完全看不到遺跡了:
Most of the secret airfields built during the war left no traces at all. Had the perimeter of Shoko East Airdrome not been plotted in the Google Maps below, you probably would not believe there used to an airfield at this place:
在較大的地圖上查看小港東飛行場 Shoko East Airdrome