Naval Base Fiji was a naval base built by the

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 ...

in 1942 to support the

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 ...

effort. The base was located on

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

in the Central Pacific Ocean. The base was built as one of many

advance bases US Naval Advance Bases were built globally by the United States Navy during World War II to support and project U.S. naval operations world-wide. A few were built on allied soil, but most were captured enemy facilities or completely new. Advanc ...

in the

island-hopping Leapfrogging, also known as island hopping, was a military strategy employed by the Allies in the Pacific War against the Empire of Japan during World War II. The key idea is to bypass heavily fortified enemy islands instead of trying to ca ...

campaign towards the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...

. The US Navy built

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

s, seaplane bases and

airfield An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

s used for staging in 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 ...

History

In 1942 Fiji was a

British colony The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...

, when Japan's Pacific aggression started in the late 1930s. The United Kingdom worked with New Zealand to build up the defense of the Island. New Zealand drew up plans for the defense of Fiji in April 1939. United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Fiji agreed to the plans which called for air bases, seaplane base, coastal batteries, and other defense on the Fiji Islands. The number of Troops sent would not have been enough to defend Fiji had it been invaded. Most troops were sent to the key Suva Peninsula and nearby Nandali airfield. New Zealand built a system of underground bases with a hospital, supply depot, headquarters and more. A depot and 300-bed hospital were built at Tamavua. Fiji College of Advance Education was used as a hospital during the war. With the rapid expansion of Japan in 1942 and 1943, Fiji was under threat of Japanese invasion in 1942 and part of 1943. Japan had made plans to invade Fiji, called

Operation FS __NOTOC__ Operation FS was the Empire of Japan, Imperial Japanese plan to invade and occupy Fiji, American Samoa, Western Samoa Trust Territory, Samoa, and New Caledonia in the south Pacific during the Pacific War, Pacific conflict of World War ...

, but this was canceled after the major defeat at the

Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under Adm ...

. After the

Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

on 7 December 1941, it was agreed that the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

could use Fiji as a staging base and training base. United States Armed Forces took over much of the operation of the airfields and seaplane bases. Fiji was a key point on the long shipping route from the United States to South Pacific bases, including major bases in Australia. On 13 May 1942, the United States issued a document called "Joint Army and Navy Plan for the Relief of New Zealand in Fiji and Tonga".The plan requests the replacement of the 10,000 New Zealand troops with US Troops. The New Zealand troops freed up went on to fight in the

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 capita ...

. Part of the plan called for the US Navy to build an 80,500-barrel tank farm near Nandi, on Fiji's west coast. The US Navy's

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 ...

3rd Construction Battalion formed at

Camp Allen Camp Allen, is a small United States Marine Corps base in Norfolk, Virginia, a satellite of the Naval Station Norfolk. In 1942 the Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks (now NAVFAC) wanted the first Seabee training center close to an existing Nav ...

was sent to Fiji to start new construction and expansion of existing bases on Viti Levu, Fiji's main island. Work started at the tank farm at Nandi and the port at

Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...

, Fiji's main port. The hospital ship USS ''Solace'' was a regular visiter to Fiji. On 28 July 1942, the US Navy and

US Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

did a practice

amphibious landing Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducted ...

at Fiji's

Koro Island Koro (village in Fijian) is a volcanic island of Fiji that forms part of the Lomaiviti Archipelago. The Koro Sea is named after this volcanic island, which has a chain of basaltic cinder cones extending from north to south along its crest. Wi ...

. This was to prepare the troops for the upcoming landings at

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

, the Troop's first major offensive of the War. From the rehearsal, lessons were learned that helped at Guadalcanal. On 31 July 1942, the Troops departed Fiji for the

invasion of Guadalcanal The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and Code name, codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalca ...

. During the

, 8,000 Fijian troops fought with the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

in the

Solomon Islands campaign The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, du ...

and

Bougainville campaign The Bougainville campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan, named after the island of Bougainville. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied ...

. At Suva large staging base was built. Fiji also became a rest and recuperation base for troops fighting in the Pacific War. As the war moved closer to Japan most operations had moved closer to Japan at more advanced bases. By August 1944 most operations at Fiji had been moved out.

Port of Suva

Naval Headquarters was at the Fiji capital, the city of Suva, on the main Fiji Island,

Viti Levu Viti Levu (pronounced ) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It is the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population. Geology Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian P ...

. Port of Suva had good fleet anchorage. King's Wharf was one of the main docking ports. King's wharf was built on reclaimed land during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and replaced the smaller Queen's wharf on Pier Street.The US Navy gave the Suva Naval Headquarters the code name Fantan Two. Suva Navy

Fleet Post Office Military mail, as opposed to civilian mail, refers to the postal services provided by armed forces that allow serving members to send and receive mail. Military mail systems are often subsidized to ensure that military mail does not cost the sen ...

was No. 202 – Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands 130 SF Suva, Fiji Islands. General mail was sent to Fantan Fleet Post Office No. 305 Fiji Islands. The existing Port of Suva was used by the Navy. Port of Suva offered good fleet anchorage. Located at .

Port of Nadi

Nadi Bay offered an excellent anchorage. The US Navy built a new advance naval base and camp at

Nadi Nadi (pronounced ) is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. A 2012 estimate showed that the population had ...

, code name Jampuff. The port base also supported the Nadi airfield built by New Zealand forces. Nadi airfield had two bomber concrete runways each 7,000 feet long (2130 meter). The US Navy Seabee's built

Carrier Aircraft Service Unit US Navy K-class blimp Carrier Aircraft Service Units (CASU) were United States Navy units formed during World War II for the Pacific War to support naval aircraft operations. From 1942 to 1946, 69 Carrier Aircraft Service Units were formed to ...

No. 9 at Nadi. Port of Nadi location at . At Nadi Bay was Seaplane Base Nadi with

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 ...

s USS ''Mackinac'' and USS ''Ballard''.

VP-23 VP-23, Patrol Squadron 23, known as the ''Seahawks'', was a U.S. Navy fixed-wing, anti-submarine and maritime Patrol Squadron based at Brunswick Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine, United States. It was established as Weather Reconnaissance Squa ...

, Patrol Squadron 23, known as the Seahawks was stationed at Seaplane Base Nadi with

Consolidated PBY Catalina 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 ...

, including ''black Cats'', night fighters.

Port of Lautoka

Port of

Lautoka Lautoka () is the second largest Local government in Fiji, city in Fiji. It is on the west coast of the island of Viti Levu, in the Ba Province of the Western Division, Fiji, Western Division. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane-growing r ...

on the western coast of Viti Levu Island was built by the Navy. Seabees 3rd Construction Battalion, Company C built a

jetty A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying somet ...

60 feet long and 300 feet wide for loading and unloading of ships. The port was used to support Lautoka Airfield. Also at Lautoka was a New Zealand Army, 3rd Division, 30th Battalion camp. At location .

Port of Tomba Ko Nandi

Port of Tomba Ko Nandi was used for fleet anchorage and docking. Tomba Ko Nandi Port is located on the west shore of Viti Levu Island, near the city of Nasoso, at .

Lauthala Bay Seaplane Base

Lauthala Bay Seaplane Base was at Lauthala Bay, also called Laucala Bay, built by New Zealand and taken over by US, to the east of the city of

on the southern coast of Viti Levu. Island. From 1944 to 1945, the US Navy Navy Air Transport Service (NATS) operated from Lauthala Bay Seaplane Base. During 1945, The

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

operated

Short Sunderland The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East ...

from the base in 1945. At location . Based at Lauthala Bay Seaplane Base was

VP-91 Patrol Squadron 91 (VP-91) was a patrol squadron of the U.S. Naval Reserve. It was the second squadron to bear the VP-91 designation, the first VP-91 was redesignated VPB-91 on 1 October 1944. The squadron was established on 1 November 1970 and ...

, Patrol Squadron 91 with Consolidated PBY Catalina.

Saweni Bay Seaplane Base

Saweni Bay Seaplane Base, also called Saweni Beach Seaplane Base, was at Saweni, on Saweni Bay, north of Lauwaki on the northwest part of Viti Levu Island in Fiji. The base was 10 miles north of

Nadi Airfield Nadi International Airport is the main international airport of Fiji as well as an important regional hub for the South Pacific islands, located by the coast on the western side of the main island Viti Levu. Owned and operated by Fiji Airpor ...

. The base was built by the Seabees 3rd Construction Battalion starting July 1942.

VP-11 Patrol Squadron 11 (VP-11), nicknamed ''Proud Pegasus'', was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island on 15 May 1952 and was disestablished on 2 August 1997. It was the fourth squadron to ...

, with six

, started operating at the base on 4 August 1942. Patrol from the base went north to cover the Solomon Island for the upcoming campaigns. VP-11 also had operations at

Naval Base Noumea Naval Base Noumea was a major United States Navy sea and air base at Nouméa, New Caledonia. Naval Base Noumea was built at Noumea Harbor. Noumea was picked for a Naval Base as it was beyond the range of Japanese land-based planes. Noumea is on ...

. By August 1944 Fiji was now far from the active front and the base was closed, as operations had been moved to more forward bases. The Base was operated by Naval Construction Maintenance Unit 503, which depart at the closure. At Saweni Bay was the Seabees camp and supply depot. At location .

Fleet Recreation Center

The US Navy Seabees built a Fleet Recreation Center at Vunda Point on the west shore of Viti Levu. Located at , just south of Saweni Bay Seaplane Base on the Dreketi inlet. Troops of the 1st Marine Division that were in the

Battle of Guadalcanal The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the ...

were able to rest at Fiji before the next campaign,

Battle of Cape Gloucester The Battle of Cape Gloucester was fought in the Pacific theater of World War II between Japanese and Allied forces on the island of New Britain, Territory of New Guinea, between 26 December 1943 and 16 January 1944. Codenamed Operation Backhande ...

Airfields

, Naval Air Facility Nandi, now Nadi International Airport, at

on Viti Levu west shore. Built by New Zealand, taken over by US. Fleet Post office was Fantan-1 No. 201 SF Nandi, Fiji Islands. The large fuel depot Fleet Post Office was No. 516 SF Fiji Islands. *Lautoka Airfield, Viti Levu west shore, now abandoned, was used for pilot training by US Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Created

Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by the ...

shipped from the USA were reassembled and tested at the Airfield by the

67th Fighter Squadron The 67th Fighter Squadron "Fighting Cocks" is a fighter squadron of the United States Air Force, part of the 18th Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 67th is equipped with the F-15C/D Eagle. Mission The 67th Fighter Squadron is one ...

. *Namaka Airfield, near Nadion on Viti Levu west shore. In the summer of 1942, used by US Army Air Force for

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

of the

11th Bombardment Group An international call prefix, international dial-out code or international direct dial code (IDD code) is a trunk prefix that indicates an international phone call. In the dialling sequence, the prefix precedes the country calling code (and, fur ...

. *Nandali Airfield on Yasawa Island. * Suva Airfield on Viti Levu south shore near city of

, now

Nausori International Airport Nausori International Airport , also known as Luvuluvu, is the secondary international airport in Fiji, behind Nadi International Airport. It is situated in Nausori on the south-eastern side of Viti Levu (Fiji's main island). Nausori Airport is r ...

. Built by Navy Seabees in 1942. *Narewa Airfield on Viti Levu north shore. Narawa Airfield had two 5,000 feet long (1520 meter) clay-gravel runways.

Seabees

Seabees based at Naval Base Fiji: *3rd Construction Battalion (C and D) (1942–1944) Much of the unit departed 4 June 1943, for work at

Naval Base Funafuti Naval Base Funafuti was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1942 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on the Island of Funafuti of the Ellice Islands in the Western Pacific Ocean. The island is now Tuvalu, an isla ...

in the

Ellice Islands Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northea ...

and

. Work was turned over to CBMU 503. *Seabee Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit, CBMU 503 (1943–1944) *Bobcat 3, 1944 *6th Special NCB, first Seabee Special Unit, combat assault unit sent to Guadalcanal. (15 May 1943 – 29 December 1943)

Attacks and losses

HMNZS Monowai (F59) HMNZS ''Monowai'' (F59) was a former Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) merchant vessel. At the outbreak of World War II she became an armed merchant cruiser of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). She subsequently became HMS ...

and SS Taroona were attacked by Japanese submarine I-20 off Fiji on 16 January 1943. Both ships were saved by

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

es that exploded to soon. *SS ''Thomas A. Edison'' a

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 ...

became grounded and sank on Vuata Vatoa, a Fiji Island during a hurricane on 1 January 1943. The US Navy ship was grounded and sank in the recuse attempt. *SS ''Cape San Juan'' a

Troopship A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...

Type C1-B cargo ship was torpedoed and damaged off Viti Levu at () by . The attack killed 130 troops, survivors were rescued by , and . The ''Cape San Juan''sank the next day.

Post war

*Suva Memorial, remembers the 34 World War II casualties of the Fiji Military that have no known grave, that are Missing in Action (MIA), twenty-six buried elsewhere in Fiji and Rotuma and eight lost on Bougainville and New Georgia. *War Memorial Plaque at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital for Fijian and British Troops. *Levuka Fijian War Memorial, the memorial commemorates the Fijians who died during the Second World War.Levuka Fijian War Memorial
'tracesofwar.com/''

Gallery

File:South Pacific islands 1945.jpg, File:South Pacific islands in 1945 FijiOMCmap.png, Fji Islands and cities Uss meredith 0543406.jpg, USS ''Meredith'' at Suva, Fiji Islands, 23 June 1942, in dazzle camouflage. USS Mackinac (AVP-13).jpg, USS ''Mackinac'' seaplane tender station at Fiji USS Ballard (DD-267).jpg, USS ''Ballard'' destroyer coverted to seaplane tender station at Fiji Viti Levu Islands.jpg, Fji and the Viti Levu Islands Taroona.jpg, SS ''Taroona'' survived an attacked off Fiji by

Japanese submarine I-21 was a Japanese Type B1 submarine which saw service during World War II in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She displaced 1,950 tons and had a speed of . ''I-21'' was the most successful Japanese submarine to operate in Australian waters, participat ...

when I-21's torpedoes exploded to soon. Aerial view of Nadi Airport from southwest.jpg, Nadi International Airport, built as Nadi Airfield and Naval Air Facility Nandi. Part of Port of Nadi is seen on the left. USS Gregory (APD-3) and USS Little (APD-4) underway during practice landings in the Fiji Islands on 30 July 1942.jpg, USS ''Gregory'' (APD-3) and USS ''Little'' (APD-4) underway during practice landings in the Fiji Islands on 30 July 1942 HMNZS Leander (75), USS Chicago (CA-29) and USS Niagara (PG-52) at anchor off Suva in February 1942 (80-G-7293).jpg, HMNZS ''Leander'', USS ''Chicago'' and USS ''Niagara'' anchored in Port of Suva in February 1942.jpg Suva Bay (Imagicity 1016).jpg, Suva Bay

References

{{USWWII Naval Stations of the United States Navy Closed installations of the United States Navy 1942 establishments in Oceania 1945 disestablishments in Oceania Military installations established in 1942 Military installations closed in 1945 1942 establishments in Fiji

History

Port of Suva

Port of Nadi

Port of Lautoka

Port of Tomba Ko Nandi

Lauthala Bay Seaplane Base

Saweni Bay Seaplane Base

Fleet Recreation Center

Airfields

Seabees

Attacks and losses

Post war

Gallery

See also

References