USS Tulsa (PG-22) with PT boat at Milen Bay 1943

Naval Base Milne Bay, also called Naval Advance Base Milne Bay, was new major

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

sea and airbase base built on

Milne Bay Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, south-eastern Papua New Guinea. More than long and over wide, Milne Bay is a sheltered deep-water harbor accessible via Ward Hunt Strait. It is surrounded by the heavily wooded Stirling Range to t ...

Milne Bay Province Milne Bay is a province of Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Alotau. The province covers 14,345 km² of land and 252,990 km² of sea, within the province there are more than 600 islands, about 160 of which are inhabited. The province has a ...

in south-eastern

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. By spring 1943, the build up of the US Navy to support the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

had caused overcrowding at the ports on the east coast of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. To help the

Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...

departed

Naval Base Brisbane Naval Base Brisbane was a major United States Navy base built in the early part of World War II at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At first, operated as a base for patrol aircraft and convoy escort aircraft to protect the last leg of the Pacific ...

on June 19, 1943 to set up a new base in Milne Bay. Naval Base Milne Bay headquarters was at Ladava Navy Base. The

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

already had a small base in Milne Bay: HMAS Ladava. Australians were able to defend and keep Milne Bay in the

Battle of Milne Bay The Battle of Milne Bay (25 August – 7 September 1942), also known as Operation RE or the Battle of Rabi (ラビの戦い) by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines, known as ''Kaigun Tokubet ...

in 1942. Naval Base Milne Bay was built during

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 opposin ...

to support the many

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

s and

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

fighting and patrolling in the South West Pacific theatre of war. Ladava Navy Base provided a large protective US Navy fleet anchorage at Gahora Bay next to Ladava. At Naval Base Milne Bay Seabee built large Naval facility.

History

Naval Base Milne Bay started as a small Royal Australian Navy in 1942 as part of the

New Guinea campaign The New Guinea campaign of the Pacific War lasted from January 1942 until the end of the war in August 1945. During the initial phase in early 1942, the Empire of Japan invaded the Australian-administered Mandated Territory of New Guinea (23 Jan ...

. On May 23, 1943 Seabees of 55th Battalion started construction of a

PT boat A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the wa ...

Advance Base Six on the south side of Milne bay at Kana Kopa, including an engine-overhaul shop. On June 29 and 30, 1943 Naval Base Milne Bay PT boats took part in the attacks on Salamaua Bay and

Nassau Bay Nassau Bay is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, bordering the southeastern edge of the city of Houston. It is located in the Clear Lake Area near Galveston Bay, directly adjacent to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The population w ...

. The Seabee of the 84th Battalion built Naval Base Milne Bay into a major installation. Seabee built depots for transshipment and staging. Seabee built an overhaul facility for PT boats. Naval Base Milne Bay became a major

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

base. Milne Bay is 20 miles long, providing a large protected harbor. For land operations, Seabee had to cut into the wet tropical jungle that is the shore of the bay. Seabees built the supply depots near the village of Gamadodo.

Malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

was major problem at Naval Base Milne Bay installations, also

tropical skin disease Many skin conditions affect the human integumentary system—the organ system covering the entire surface of the body and composed of skin, hair, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this system is as a barrier against t ...

s. On July 31, 1943 Seabees started construction on a US Navy

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...

base, 10 miles south of the entrance to Milne Bay at Jenkins Bay. On October 21, 1943 Seabees 91st Battalion arrived at Ladava a replaced 84th Battalion. Seabees 91st Battalion began construction on a destroyer repair base at Gohora Bay, Ladava. An amphibious training center at and large depot was built at

Swinger Bay Swinger Bay, is a bay on the north west shore of Milne Bay, in Milne Bay Province,Papua New Guinea. Named by John Moresby after HMS ''Swinger''. It is also known as ''Stringer Bay''."Stringer" is the "approved" U.S. name with "Swinger" the "v ...

Alotau Alotau is the capital of Milne Bay Province, in the south-east of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern shore of Milne Bay. The town is located within Alotau Urban LLG. Alotau is also the annual forum for Australian and Papua New Guinea ...

. Base Milne Bay was one of a number of staging places for the

Battle of Arawe The Battle of Arawe (also known as Operation Director) was fought between Allied and Japanese forces during the New Britain campaign of World War II. The battle formed part of the Allied Operation Cartwheel, and had the objective of serving as a ...

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...

. By July 1945 the bases at Naval Base Milne Bay were too far away from the action, and most of the base was packed up by the Seabee and moved to more forward bases in the Philippines and Okinawa.

Ladava Navy Base

Naval Base Milne Bay headquarters was built at Ladava at the west end of Milne Bay, called Ladava Navy Base. A Ladava headquarters Seabee built: piers, jetties, roads, electric power station, a communication center, supply depot, hospital unit, and barracks for 1,000 troops at . Next to Ladava in Gohora Bay was the Fleet

anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

and the

repair depot at . Some of the destroyers serviced at the base were: USS Hogan,

USS Flusser (DD-368) The fourth USS ''Flusser'' (DD-368) was a ''Mahan''-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was named for Charles W. Flusser. History ''Flusser'' was launched 28 September 1935 by Federal Shipbuilding and ...

USS Shaw (DD-373) USS ''Shaw'' (DD-373) was a ''Mahan''-class destroyer and the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain John Shaw, a naval officer. Commissioned in 1936, ''Shaw'' was plagued by construction deficiencies and was not fully o ...

USS Drayton (DD-366) USS ''Drayton'' (DD-366) was a ''Mahan''-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was the second ship named for Captain Percival Drayton, a career naval officer who served during the American Civil War. ...

USS Smith (DD-378) USS ''Smith'' (DD-378) was a in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith, USN. Smith was a senior officer aboard and killed when sank her. Early service ''Smith''s keel was laid ...

USS Helm (DD-388) USS ''Helm'' (DD-388) was a ''Bagley''-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral James Meredith Helm. ''Helm'' received 11 battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific. Pre-war ...

USS Mugford (DD-389) USS ''Mugford'' (DD-389), a ''Bagley''-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for James Mugford, who commanded the schooner ''Franklin'' in the Continental Navy, serving through 1775. Construction The second ...

USS Warrington (DD-383) USS ''Warrington'' (DD-383) was a , laid down on 10 October 1935 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company; launched on 15 May 1937; sponsored by Miss Katherine Taft Chubb; and commissioned at the New York Navy Yar ...

USS Taylor (DD-468) USS ''Taylor'' (DD/DDE-468) was a of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral William Rogers Taylor (1811–1889). She was laid down on 28 August 1941 at Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works Corp.; launched on 7 June 1942, sponsored ...

USS Daly USS ''Daly'' (DD-519), a ''Fletcher''-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Marine Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, (1873–1937), one of the very few people to be twice awarded the Medal of Honor. Construction and co ...

, and the

USS Perkins (DD-377) The second USS ''Perkins'' (DD–377) was a ''Mahan''-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II and named in honour of Commodore George Hamilton Perkins an officer in the United States Navy during the American Ci ...

USS ARD-9 USS ARD-9 was an auxiliary repair dock serving with the United States Navy during World War II as Auxiliary floating drydock. Built by the Pacific Bridge Company. ''ARD-9'' was commissioned at Alameda, California on 25 September 1943, towed to Sa ...

Auxiliary floating drydock An auxiliary floating drydock is a type of US Navy floating dry dock. Floating dry docks are able to submerge underwater and to be placed under a ship in need of repair below the water line. Water is then pumped out of the floating dry dock, r ...

for ship repair arrived at Milne Bay on February 6, 1944. A major PT Boat repair base was built at Ladava. Seabee built a 5-mile road from Ladava Navy Base along the north shore of Milne Bay, linking the north shore bases and ship ports.

United States Seventh Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of th ...

used the anchorage at and used the bases for staging upcoming sland-hopping campaigns.

Submarine chaser A submarine chaser or subchaser is a small naval vessel that is specifically intended for anti-submarine warfare. Many of the American submarine chasers used in World War I found their way to Allied nations by way of Lend-Lease in World War II. ...

s, like SC-731 and SC-703, operated out of Naval Base Milne Bay.

USS Trinity (AO-13) USS ''Trinity'' (AO-13) was a -class replenishment oiler of the United States Navy. Construction and commissioning ''Trinity'' was laid down on 10 November 1919 at Newport News, Virginia by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company; l ...

fleet oiler A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. The ...

was one of the ships that helped the ships at Milne Bay stay on the move. The USS Achilles (ARL-41), a Landing Craft Repair Ship, was at the bay from June 1943 to September 1943. At its peak over 20,000 troops were stationed at Naval Base Milne Bay.

Kana Kopa PT Boat Base

The first Seabee installation built was the PT boat base built at Kana Kopa (Kana Kope) on the south side and near the entrance of Milne Bay at . Kana Kopa had been used as anchorage for the Royal Australian Navy in 1942 and supported the August 1942 Battle of Milne Bay. The US Navy PT Boat Advance Base Six opened on December 11, 1942. The 55th Seabees enlarged the PT Boat base on May 23, 1943. Added to the base was: camp for 800 troops, large supply depot, water storage tanks, wharf, pontoon dry docks for repair work, and an engine overhaul depot.

USS Oyster Bay (AGP-6) USS ''Oyster Bay'' (AGP-6), originally and later AVP-28, was a United States Navy motor torpedo boat tender in commission from 1943 to 1946. She saw service in World War II. From 1957 to 1993, the former ''Oyster Bay'' served in the Italian Nav ...

USS Hilo (AGP-2) USS ''Hilo'' (AGP-2) was a converted yacht that saw service as a motor torpedo boat tender in the United States Navy during World War II. It was originally the yacht ''Caroline'' built for Eldridge R. Johnson and launched 18 July 1931. ''Caroli ...

, and USS Wachapreague (AGP-8), operated as PT boat tenders at Kana Kopa in 1944. Naval Base Milne Bay supported a second PT Boat Base on

Fergusson Island Fergusson Island is the largest island of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, in Papua New Guinea. It has an area of , and mostly consists of mountainous regions, covered by rain forests. There are three large volcanoes on the island. Fergusson Island ...

north of Milne Bay. In June 1944 Seabee moved the base to

Dreger Harbour Dreger Harbour is a harbour south of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea. During World War II, Dreger Harbour was used by Allied forces after the capture of Finschhafen in October 1943. The US Navy PT Boat Advance Base Six opened in June 1944. The Sea ...

, near

Finschafen Finschhafen is a town east of Lae on the Huon Peninsula in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. The town is commonly misspelt as Finschafen or Finschaven. During World War II, the town was also referred to as Fitch Haven in the logs of some U. ...

. Fleet Post Office FPO# 714 SF Kana Kopa, Milne Bay. Fegrusson Island Fleet Post Office FPO# was 523. PBY Catalina rescues 76 Sqn RAAF pilot from Solomon Sea 1944

PBY Catalina rescues 76 Sqn RAAF pilot from Solomon Sea 1944

Samarai Seaplane Base

Samarai Seaplane Base located on

Samarai Island Samarai is an island and former administrative capital in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. The island is historically significant as the site of a trading port and stop-over between Australia and East Asia. Samarai town was established on ...

used as a US Navy seaplane base at . The seaplane base shore facilities were on

Sariba Island Saliba Island is a large island in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. Administration The island has 2 Wards : Sidudu in the northern part (with adjoining islands), and Sauasauaga on the southern part (which also includes adjoining islands an ...

, just to the east of Samarai Island at . The USS Half Moon, a

Seaplane tender A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...

, was stationed at the base for support from October 1943 to December 1943.

VPB-52 VPB-52 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Torpedo Squadron 3D15 (VT-3D15) on 12 July 1928, redesignated Patrol Squadron 3-S (VP-3S) on 21 January 1931, redesignated Patrol Squadron 3 Base Force (VP-3F) ...

a US Navy Patrol Bombing Squadron stationed at the base. Seabee 84th Battalion built a plane ramp on Samarai Island. On Sariba Island they built a camp for 270 troops, a small boat pier, communication center, headquarters, mess hall, and aviation-gasoline tank farm, supply depot. A roll of the base was to patrol the shipping lanes to Australia and did reconnaissance work. The night-flying "Black Cat"

PBY The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served w ...

Squadron,

VPB-11 VPB-11 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Torpedo & Bombing Squadron 19-D14 (VT-19D14) on 7 February 1924, redesignated Torpedo & Bombing Squadron 6D14 (VT-6D14) on 1 July 1927, redesignated Patrol Squa ...

VP-33 VP-33 was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 12-F (VP-12F) on 1 November 1935, redesignated Patrol Squadron 12 (VP-12) on 1 October 1937, redesignated Patrol Squadron 51 (VP-51) on 1 July 1939, rede ...

VP-34 VP-34 was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 15-F (VP-15F) on 1 September 1936, redesignated Patrol Squadron 15 (VP-15) on 1 October 1937, redesignated Patrol Squadron 53 (VP-53) on 1 July 1939, re ...

, and cat VP-101 was stationed at the base. The base also operated a

crash boat Crash Rescue Boat is a name used in the United States to describe military high-speed offshore rescue boats, similar in size and performance to motor torpedo boats, used to rescue pilots and aircrews of crashed aircraft. During World War II th ...

base at the camp, with Rescue Boat C-9485. Fleet PO Box was 421.

Swinger Bay Alotau Base

Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO (abbreviated as ACB 2, or PHIBCB 2) is an amphibious construction battalion in the United States Navy based in Little Creek, Virginia. Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE is its sister unit based in Coronad ...

and 105th Battalion Seabees built a large amphibious training center at Swinger Bay at in the city of

. Troops trained in

amphibious ship An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, as ...

landings, with two programs one for officers and one for troops. The center had quonset hut camp for 1,500 troops, mess hall, vast supply depot, class rooms, a 2,000 foot waterfront. Seabee did a massive grading project to space for the center. The center opened in January 1944. Seventh Amphibious Force moved from

Toorbul, Queensland Toorbul is a coastal town and a locality in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Toorbul had a population of 930 people. Geography Toorbul is north of Brisbane. Toorbul is bounded on the east by Pumicestone Channel which se ...

to the Alotau Base in 1944, and in March 1945 moved out of Alotau to

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the Spanish Navy and subsequently the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. The base was 262 square miles, about the size of Singapore. Th ...

. US Army 32d Infantry Division and 41st Infantry Division are some of the units that trained at the center, also the

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF). It is the ...

. Fleet Post Office FPO#818 SF Stringer Bay, Milne Bay. GiliGiliDock_1942_MilneBay

Gili Gili Dock

Gili Gili Dock was Naval loading and unloading dock, with both a jetty and pontoon wharf at

Gili Gili Gili Gili is a village in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. The village is located between Swinger Bay-Alotau to the east and Ladava to the west in Milne Bay north shore. Gili Gili Dock Gili Gili Dock was naval loading and unloading dock, ...

(also spelled Gill Gill). On September 6, 1942 the ship MV Anshun a 1930 ship was sunk at Gili Gili Dock by

Japanese cruiser Tenryū was the lead ship in the two-ship of light cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ''Tenryū'' was named after the Tenryū River in Nagano and Shizuoka prefectures. Background The ''Tenryū''-class was designed to act as flagships for destroy ...

. She was refloated and repaired. Gili Gili Base was at , just west of Swinger Bay and the Swinger Bay Base. Turnbull Field No. 3 Strip, was inland from the Gili Gili Dock and Swinger Bay Base amphibious training center just to the east of Gili Gili Dock. Gili Gili also became a US Army staging area with a large tent camp. Feet Post Office FPO# 717 SF Gilli Gilli, Milne Bay.

Gamadodo Center

The Gamadodo Center was south of Ladava, at Gamadodo, now called Gibara, at . At Gamadodo a Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 built a sawmill to supply lumber to the bases in Milne Bay. As the size of the Naval Base Milne Bay increased more supplies were needed so a cargo pier and a very large depot were built at Gamadodo. Soon

Liberty Ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...

s and

Victory ship The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slight ...

s were unloading supplies. Seabees built a large staging camp for 10,000 troops, and a pontoon assembly depot, to assemble pontoons that were shipped in parts to save space on ships. Fleet Post Office FPO# 167 SF Gamadodo, Milne Bay. An

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...

depot was built outside of the camp.

Milne Bay Submarine Base

In late 1943 Milne Bay Submarine Base opened an advanced submarine base with

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s from

. The US Navy

submarine tender A submarine tender is a type of depot ship that supplies and supports submarines. Development Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and ...

USS ''Fulton'' was station at Milne Bay Submarine Base from 29 October 1943 to 17 March 1944.

Hilimoi Bay hospital

Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 built a 500-bed Naval hospital and 3,000 bed rest and recovery center was built at Hilimoi bay on the south side of Milne Bay at . Hilimoi is five miles east of Gamadodo depot and center. Also called Hilimoi Mission. The hospital was shipped to a more forward base in July 1945. Fleet Post Office FPO# 817 SF Hilimoi, Milne Bay. AWM 014700 No 3 Strip and Stephens Ridge at Milne Bay

AWM 014700 No 3 Strip and Stephens Ridge at Milne Bay

Airfields

Gurney Airfield An Australian Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun of the 2/9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery at Milne Bay Gurney Airport No. 1 Airstrip An Australian P-40 at Milne Bay Gurney Airport is an airport serving Alotau in the Milne Bay Province of Papua ...

(No. 1 Strip) at Milne Bay, was built by the U.S. Army in 1942 and is now

Gurney Airport An Australian Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun of the 2/9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery at Milne Bay Gurney Airport No. 1 Airstrip An Australian P-40 at Milne Bay Gurney Airport is an airport serving Alotau in the Milne Bay Province of Papua ...

at . *

Turnbull Field Turnbull Field was an aerodrome near Gili Gili, Papua New Guinea. History Built by the US Army 2nd Battalion of 43rd Engineer General Service Regiment (less Company E), during the Battle of Milne Bay during World War II with assistance from the ...

(No. 3 Strip) was built in 1942 and is located near Gil Gili, just west of Swinger Bay. Now Memorial Park- No. 3 Airstrip at . * Waigani Airfield, No. 2 Strip was built near Waigani on the west end of Milne Bay. Due to poor water drainage, the airfield was abandoned and not used. Airfield was at . **Narewa Airfield, Seabees from Naval Base Milne Bay and other bases were sent out to help build an 3,000-foot runway and airfield on

Woodlark Island Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is the main island of the Woodlark Islands archipelago, located in Milne Bay Province and the Solomon Sea, Papua New Guinea. Although no formal census has been conducted sinc ...

north of Naval Base Milne Bay, now

Guasopa Airport Guasopa Airport , is an airport at Guasopa on Woodlark Island, in the Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. History World War II U.S. forces captured Woodlark Island on 30 June 1943 as part of Operation Chronicle. The 60th US Naval Constructi ...

Australian Camps

The Australian Armed Forces operated a number of bases in Milne Bay from 1942 to 1945. Some bases: Rabi Camp (also spelled Rabe) was attacked by Japan in 1942. Rabi Camp was on the north shore in Swinger Bay at . KB Mission camp (Koebule Mission) was on the north shore east of Rabi Camp at , in the city of Alotau. Waga Waga Camp was at , on the south shore. At Konibirrubirru Island was an Australian Wireless Spotters Station. Main camp was at HMAS Ladava.

Outlying bases

Naval Base Milne Bay support Outlying naval bases: *Naval Base Bolubolu

Goodenough Island Goodenough Island in the Solomon Sea, also known as Nidula Island, is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and southwest ...

had Navy anchorage and docks. Seabeess built small craft wharf,

wharves. There were spot for beach LST Landings. Seabees built shore facilities including: engineering deopt, staging camp and supply depot. A road was built to the Vivigani Airfield, which the base supported. Bolubolu Fleet PO Box as 724.

Post war

Some the bases were turned into or added to small towns on the bay. *In Turnbull War Memorial Park in Alotau on Milne Bay is the Milne Bay Memorial. In 2002, the Milne Bay Memorial was improved and rededicated by Australia. Turnbull War Memorial Park has three monuments to those that were killed in the battle in August 1942. Also a battlefield relief map. One of the monuments is in memory of The 61st Battalion, Queensland Cameron Highlanders dedicated to them. The park is at . *Milne Bay War Memorial is a monument at the Masurina Lodge, in Alotau at . *Milne Bay Memorial Library and Research Centre is located in

Chermside, Queensland Chermside is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Chermside had a population of 9,315 people. The suburb is situated by road north of the Brisbane CBD. It is home to a large Westfield shopping centre. Geography ...

. *Milne Bay & World War Two Memorial Wall is located in Nundah Memorial Park in

Nundah, Queensland Nundah (previously called German Station) is an inner suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It contains the neighbourhood of Toombul. In the , Nundah had a population of 12,141 people. Prior to European settlement, Nundah was i ...

at . * Milne Bay Military Museum (currently closed, moving) was in

Darling Downs, Queensland The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was generally ...

.Milne Bay Military Museum
/ref>

Gallery

CampSeabeeNavalBaseBrisbane_buildingtrips.jpg, Camp Seabee Naval Base Brisbane, base building trips Gurney Airfield.JPG,

in 1944 LLU's 47 General Hospital, Milne Bay.jpg, US Army, LLU's 47 General Hospital, Milne Bay "Surgical ward treatment at the 268th Station Hospital, Base A, Milne Bay, New Guinea. Left to right, Sgt. Lawrence McKr - NARA - 530771.jpg, Surgical ward treatment at the 268th Station Hospital, Base A, Milne Bay, Left to right, Sgt. Lawrence McKr USSARD10atMareIslandNavyYard.jpg,

, ARD, built by the Pacific Bridge Company USS PT-105.jpg, USS PT-105 014651TurnbullGrave1943.jpg, Milne Bay's Turnbull grave in 1943 AWM 026647 P-40 Milne.jpg, An Australian

P-40 The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time an ...

at Milne Bay Milne Bay 026629.jpg, An Australian

Bofors 40 mm Bofors 40 mm gun is a name or designation given to two models of 40 mm calibre anti-aircraft guns designed and developed by the Swedish company Bofors: *Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun - developed in the 1930s, widely used in World War II and into the 1990s ...

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

gun of the 2/9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery at Milne Bay No. 1 Airstrip Milne Bay 070345.jpg, Australian - USA camp at Milne Bay HMAS Anshun wreck.jpeg, MV ''Anshun'' lying on her side at Gili Gili Dock, in Milne Bay, New Guinea, 1942 File:USS Fulton (AS-11) at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii (USA), on 8 June 1942 (80-G-10120).jpg, USS ''Fulton'' was stationed at the Milne Bay to service submarines

External links

youtube US Navy PT Boat base at Milne Bay, July 1943youtube US Navy PT Boats in Milne Bay, New Georgia Islands 1944

Milne Bay Memorial Library and Research Centreyoutube, The Battle of Milne Bay - The Unknown Turning Point of the Pacific Waryoutube "They Came To An Island" U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps Wwii Seabees Construction Battalions 29564

References

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Naval Base Milne Bay Naval Base Milne Bay, also called Naval Advance Base Milne Bay, was new major United States Navy sea and airbase base built on Milne Bay in Milne Bay Province in south-eastern Papua New Guinea. By spring 1943, the build up of the US Navy to ...

Papua New Guinea in World War II Southern Region, Papua New Guinea Airfields of the United States Navy Military installations closed in the 1940s Closed installations of the United States Navy 1942 establishments in the Territory of Papua