Banika
Mbanika or Banika is an island in Solomon Islands; it is located in the Central Province and is the second largest of the Russell Islands Group. The principal settlement is Yandina. As portrayed in the HBO miniseries, '' The Pacific'', episode 4 (Gloucester/Pavuvu/Banika), the American forces used the island—referred to in the show as "Banika"—as a hospital and R&R site, during World War II. During World War II the US built three bases on the island: * Banika Field *Renard Field Yandina Airport is an airport on Mbanika in the Solomon Islands. History The 33rd Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Banika Island in late February 1943 and commenced construction of a fighter airfield. By 13 April a basic airfield known a ... * Renard Sound Seaplane Base References Islands of the Solomon Islands {{SolomonIslands-geo-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Renard Sound Seaplane Base
Naval Base Banika Island was a United States Navy base built during World War II on Mbanika Island in the Russell Islands, part of the Solomon Islands. A larger supply depot was built to support the ships fighting in the Pacific War. Also built were a repair base for landing craft, PT boats, and other boats. Banika Island offered excellent fleet anchorage. Banika Island was taken during the Solomon Islands campaign. Also at the base was built the Renard Sound Seaplane Base. History US Navy Seabee Construction Battalions built the base starting in February 1943. Seabee 33rd Battalion, 35th Battalion and other Construction Battalions built the Naval Base and much of the airfields on Banika Island. Enemy planes bombed one of the Naval Base Banika Island's tank farms on June 25, 1943. One 1,000-barrel tank was destroyed by fire. Three had shrapnel damage. The pipelines to the port and airfields were damaged. It took the Seabees five days to repair the damages. The airfields rema ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Banika Field
Banika Field was a World War II airfield on Mbanika in the Russell Islands in the Solomon Islands. Banika Field was built and supported by Naval Base Banika Island. History A US Navy Seebee Naval Construction Battalion began construction for two airfields on Banika Island in February 1943. Renard Field, also called South Field, Yandina, was built is still in use as Yandina Airport. Nearby Banika Field, also called North Field and Sunlight Field was built. Banika Field was had a single coral 4,700-foot by 150-foot runway built for light bombers and fighter planes. Banika Field was completed in June 1943. After the war, Banika Field was abandoned. United States Army Air Forces units operating from the base included: *Flying North American B-25 Mitchells *2nd BG, HQ (B-25]) October 22, 1943–Aug 7, 44 Hollandia *42nd BG, 390th BS (B-25C) October 21-43–August 22, 1944 *42nd BG, 75th BS (B-25) October 21, 1943–Jan 20, 1944 *42nd BG, 390th BS (B-25) October 22, 1943–Aug ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Renard Field
Yandina Airport is an airport on Mbanika in the Solomon Islands. History The 33rd Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Banika Island in late February 1943 and commenced construction of a fighter airfield. By 13 April a basic airfield known as Airfield 1, Renard Airfield or South Field was usable. The 35th Battalion took over construction and by mid-May had completed a coral by runway. By the end of June a taxiway, two warm-up areas, by , and 25 revetments had been completed and work had commenced on lengthening the runway to to make it usable by medium bombers. The 33rd Battalion had also erected an aviation-gasoline tank farm of eight 1,000-barrel tanks, together with piping and fittings. Enemy bombing on June 25, 1943, caused considerable damage to the Tank Farm. One tank was set on fire and was completely destroyed; three others were punctured by shrapnel. The piping was also damaged. Repairs were completed in five days. Gasoline service to the airfield was maintained w ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Central Province (Solomon Islands)
The Central Province is one of the provinces of Solomon Islands, covering the Russell Islands, Nggela Islands (Florida Islands) and Savo Island. Its area comprises and had a population of 26,051 , rising to 30,326 . The provincial capital is Tulagi. Administrative divisions Central Province is sub-divided into the following wards (with populations at the 2009 Census): * Central Province (26,051) **Sandfly/Buenavista (3,226) **West Gela (2,220) **East Gela (2,026) **Tulagi (1,251) **South West Gela (2,586) **South East Gela (1,662) **North East Gela (2,118) **North West Gela (1,722) **Banika (2,019) **Pavuvu (1,956) **Lovukol (2,128) **North Savo (1,520) **South Savo (1,617) Islands and settlements *Aeaun *Mbanika - Yandina, Solomon Islands, Yandina *Nggela, Nggela Islands *Russell Islands *Savo Island, Savo - Kusini, Reko *Tulagi - Tulagi References Provinces of the Solomon Islands People from the Central Province (Solomon Islands), States and territories estab ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Russell Islands
:''See also Russell Island (other).'' The Russell Islands are two small islands (Pavuvu and Mbanika), as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of Solomon Islands. They are located approximately northwest of Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at Yandina (on Mbanika). Yandina also has basic services, including a store, post office, and airport. People The Lavukal people live on these islands. Their language is Lavukaleve. There is also a settlement of Polynesians, resettled from Tikopia, that lives in Nukufero on the west side of the larger island, Pavuvu. In 1956 the Levers Pacific Plantations company donated 80 acres for use for this resettlement, and later added another 125 acres in the 1960s. This land was subdivided into 4 acre lots for each family. Five hundred people from Tikopia had migrated there by 1965. Te Ariki Taumako who was the third Chief of Tikopia, made a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Russell Islands
:''See also Russell Island (other).'' The Russell Islands are two small islands (Pavuvu and Mbanika), as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of Solomon Islands. They are located approximately northwest of Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at Yandina (on Mbanika). Yandina also has basic services, including a store, post office, and airport. People The Lavukal people live on these islands. Their language is Lavukaleve. There is also a settlement of Polynesians, resettled from Tikopia, that lives in Nukufero on the west side of the larger island, Pavuvu. In 1956 the Levers Pacific Plantations company donated 80 acres for use for this resettlement, and later added another 125 acres in the 1960s. This land was subdivided into 4 acre lots for each family. Five hundred people from Tikopia had migrated there by 1965. Te Ariki Taumako who was the third Chief of Tikopia, made ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
The Pacific (TV Miniseries)
''The Pacific'' is a 2010 American war drama miniseries produced by HBO, Playtone, and DreamWorks that premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010. The series is a companion piece to the 2001 miniseries '' Band of Brothers'' and focuses on the United States Marine Corps's actions in the Pacific Theater of Operations within the wider Pacific War. Whereas ''Band of Brothers'' followed the men of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment through the European Theater, ''The Pacific'' centers on the experiences of three Marines ( Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone) who were in different regiments ( 1st, 5th, and 7th, respectively) of the 1st Marine Division (United States), 1st Marine Division. ''The Pacific'' was spearheaded by Bruce C. McKenna (executive producer, co-executive producer), one of the main writers on ''Band of Brothers.'' Hugh Ambrose, the son of ''Band of Brothers (book), Band of Brothers'' author Stephen Ambrose, served as a project ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capital, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the wider area of the Solomon Islands (archipelago), which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (currently a part of Papua New Guinea), but excludes the Santa Cruz Islands. The islands have been settled since at least some time between 30,000 and 28,800 BCE, with later waves of migrants, notably the Lapita people, mixing and producing the modern indigenous Solomon Islanders population. In 1568, the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña was the first European to visit them. Though not named by Mendaña, it is believed that the islands were called ''"the Solomons"'' by those who later receiv ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Provinces Of The Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is divided into nine provinces. The national capital, Honiara, on the island of Guadalcanal, is separately governed as the country's Capital Territory. History Under the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, there were initially 12 administrative districts: Choiseul, Eastern Solomons, Gizo, Guadalcanal, Lord Howe, Malaita, Nggela and Savo, Rennell and Bellona Islands, Santa Cruz, Shortlands, Sikaiana (Stewart), and Ysabel and Cape Marsh. The administrative centre was in Tulagi. After World War II, the protectorate was reorganised into four districts, namely Central, Western, Eastern, and Malaita, which were then further subdivided into councils. The administrative centre was moved from Tulagi to Honiara. At its independence in 1978, the protectorate became the sovereign state of Solomon Islands. Honiara continued to function as the capital of the sovereign nation, and the inherited districts and councils remained until 1981, when the nation was reorganised in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be called an eyot or ait, and a small island off the coast may be called a holm. Sedimentary islands in the Ganges delta are called chars. A grouping of geographically or geologically related islands, such as the Philippines, is referred to as an archipelago. There are two main types of islands in the sea: continental and oceanic. There are also artificial islands, which are man-made. Etymology The word ''island'' derives from Middle English ''iland'', from Old English ''igland'' (from ''ig'' or ''ieg'', similarly meaning 'island' when used independently, and -land carrying its contemporary meaning; cf. Dutch ''eiland'' ("island"), German ''Eiland'' ("small island")). However, the spelling of the word ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Yandina, Solomon Islands
Yandina is the principal town on Mbanika Island in the Russell Islands, located on the east coast of the island, in the Central Province (Solomon Islands), Central Province of Solomon Islands. It is a port, and an airport (ICAO code: AGGY, IATA code: XYA). Yandina is the site of a copra and cocoa plantation and has basic services such as a store, post office, and rest house. The Yandina police station was the scene of one of the opening events of the ethnic tensions, where a group of men raided the armoury and stole high powered weapons and ammunition. The group involved became known as the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army, and later as Isatabu Freedom Movement. Yandina is the site of one of the RAMSI posts. Yandina is also known as a diving destination. Climate References Populated places in Central Province (Solomon Islands) {{Solomons-geo-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, ma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |