Shuishang Airfield (Kagi South Airfield)

Shuishang Airfield (水上飛行場), also referred to historically as Kagi Airfield (嘉義飛行場), was a Japanese Imperial Army airfield located in Shuishang Township (水上庄, now 水上鄉), Kagi District (嘉義郡), Tainan Prefecture (臺南州), southern Taiwan (Formosa). It was one of the most important military airfields in colonial Taiwan.

Establishment and Early Operations (1936-1941)

The airfield was established in December 1936 when the Imperial Japanese Army formed the 14th Flying Regiment (飛行第十四聯隊) at Shuishang. Together with the 8th Flying Regiment (飛行第八聯隊) at Pingtung Airfield, the 14th Regiment was placed under the 3rd Air Group Command (第三飛行團司令部). The regiment's formal opening ceremony was held on February 5, 1937.

When the Second Sino-Japanese War erupted in July 1937, the airfield units were reorganized into the Taiwan Army Temporary Air Group (臺灣軍臨時飛行團). The 14th Flying Regiment operated from Shuishang as a key base for air operations over central and southern China, supporting offensive campaigns with fighter and heavy bomber sorties — the regiment was known to operate Type 93 Heavy Bombers (九三式重爆撃機).

Wartime Expansion (1942-1943)

As the Pacific War progressed, the airfield's role expanded. In 1944, the 3rd Air Training Unit (第三航空教育隊) was transferred from Taipei Airfield (臺北飛行場) to Shuishang, where it conducted training exercises and logistical missions to outlying areas. The airfield served as both an operational base and a training center for Army aviation units in the southern Taiwan region.

Allied Air Attacks (1944-1945)

The airfield became a prime target for Allied air attacks as U.S. forces advanced across the Pacific:

• March 6, 1944: U.S. Army Air Force reconnaissance aircraft photographed the airfield, initiating systematic intelligence collection.
• October 12-14, 1944: During the Formosa Air Battle (臺灣沖航空戰), TBM Avengers of VT-44 from USS Langley (CVL-27) of Task Force 38 struck the airfield, targeting hangars, barracks, and administrative buildings in the southeast corner.
• January 14, 1945: 82 B-29 Superfortress bombers of the U.S. 20th Air Force were dispatched from forward bases in Chengdu, China, to bomb air installations at Kagi.
• February 13, 1945: B-25 Mitchell medium bombers with fighter escort attacked in multiple waves.
• March 2, 1945: A combined force of B-24 Liberators, B-25 Mitchells, A-20 Havocs, and fighter-bombers struck the facility.
• April 3, 1945: Far East Air Forces B-24 and B-25 bombers hit the airfield, the butanol plant, and the railroad yards at Kagi.
• April 1945: The butanol plant struck in these raids was that of the Taiwan Development Chemical Industry Company (臺灣拓殖化學工業株式會社丁醇工場) in Kagi.
• August 12, 1945: In one of the final air raids of the war, B-24 Liberator bombers from the Philippine Islands attacked the airfield just three days before Japan's surrender.

Post-War Transition

After Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, the Republic of China took control of the airfield. During the February 28 Incident (二二八事件) of 1947, the airfield and surrounding Shuishang area were affected by the island-wide unrest.

During the Cold War, the U.S. 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron was stationed at the site from January 1955 under the U.S.-ROC Mutual Defense Treaty.

Civil flights began in May 1976 and the passenger terminal opened on January 1, 1978, transforming the facility into a joint military-civilian airport. Today, the site operates as Chiayi Airport (嘉義機場, IATA: CYI, ICAO: RCKU) in Shuishang Township, with a single asphalt runway (18/36) measuring 3,050 meters. The adjacent Chiayi Air Base (空軍嘉義基地) houses the ROCAF 4th Tactical Fighter Wing with F-16V fighters.