03.01.2010, 09:51
A few further comments regarding P2 in 1942. Terence Kelly, in his book "Battle for Palembang", describes P2 as follows on page 42:
"Admittedly being devoid of the usual buildings the Japanese had come to expect to find on captured Allied airfields, it did appear from the air to be no more than a vast jungle clearing; admittedly it was possible largely to conceal aircraft not actually not taking off or landing under the shield of trees on the perimiter."
So the hangar and concrete strip, although clearly visible in a 1948 aerial photo, were later Japanese additions and not present in 1942. A drawing (source: Aviation Atlas of the Netherlands East Indies (1942) confirms that they are later additions as they are not shown in the drawing, though they most probably are correct for 1945.
"Admittedly being devoid of the usual buildings the Japanese had come to expect to find on captured Allied airfields, it did appear from the air to be no more than a vast jungle clearing; admittedly it was possible largely to conceal aircraft not actually not taking off or landing under the shield of trees on the perimiter."
So the hangar and concrete strip, although clearly visible in a 1948 aerial photo, were later Japanese additions and not present in 1942. A drawing (source: Aviation Atlas of the Netherlands East Indies (1942) confirms that they are later additions as they are not shown in the drawing, though they most probably are correct for 1945.