Matua Island, named Matsuwa by the Japanese who garrisoned an airfield there in WW2 with 8000 soldiers 60 tanks and a squadron of Ki-44 fighter planes, had two exceptionally long runways. One was 1500m long and the other 2000 metres, either of which was far longer than that required by almost any aircraft of the era.



The Island also has a series of tunnels through the island from one side to the other traversed by an underground railway. Apart from the primary entrance portal there are three other entrances down vertical shafts, one 258 metres deep, the next 446m deep and the last 829m deep into the heart of a volcano on the island. Amongst the Soviets who took over the airfield during the Cold War, there were persistent rumours of a sealed underground laboratory.



Most astonishing however is on the surface where geothermal steam was piped under the airfield by the Japanese to keep it snow free, there can still be found today many 200 Litre (44 Gallon) drums declaring manufacture in wartime Nazi Germany; 1943...

How did they get there?
Why did they get there?
Was this airfield part of a regular wartime air link from German held Petsamo in northern Finland to Japan which a captured German airman revealed under interrogation tio the British in April 1944?


:?)

Germany had plenty of problems of it's own with fuel supplies. It was blockaded in the Atlantic ocean. Japan had it's own sources for oil from Sumatra and Brunei and supply ships of it's own supplying the Kuril islands.



If you read anything in depth about the relationship between Germany and Japan, each country paid the other for exchanges of good and these exchanges were recorded and were the subject of diplomatic signals which were read by the Allies. A German fuel dump would not be established on a Pacific Island without good reason. Indeed it would logically only be established there for German aircraft.

For years critics have denied a German air link to Japan and have said show us the proof. Now I provide some proof and the critics say ... Oh there must be some other reason.



Matua (Matsuwa) island had a rocky coast with an elevated terrace. These German drums did not just end up there by chance.



That might be a valid explanation for a German fuel drum in Yokohama where the odd German Merchant raider sheltered earlier in the war, but this was 1943 when most German Merchant Raiders had already departed the Pacific. Remember these drums were manufactured 1943.



In addition, a captured German POW revealed under British interrogation in April 1944 that during 1943 the ultra long range Messerschmitt Me-264 flew special communications flights to Japan from Petsamo in Northern Finland. Well here is a logical destination for such flights. It's runway was intentionally plumbed with geothermal steam to keep the runway snow free year round. Russian sources mention two runways one 1570m x 35m and the other 2000 metres. The Me-264 was known to require a very long runway and these runways were well beyond the needs of Japanese aircraft using the airfield.

From late 1943 onwards Matua was bombed incessantly by the American 11th Air force in Alaska using B-25 Mitchells, B-24 Liberators and even on occasion B-17 bombers. By mid 1944 it was the subject of very intensive daily armed photo reconnaissance by flights of three B-24s escorted by P-38 lightnings. Why daily reconnaissance?
What was so important there?



When the Soviets took it over they discovered a labyrinth of deep tunnels and cavities all across this 11 kilometre long island.

This is extremely interesting. Has anybody else heard more?