naval base
A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that us ...
s 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 1943 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 bases were located on in the
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands ( gil, Tungaru;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this n ...
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 largest base was the
Naval Base Tarawa
Naval Base Tarawa was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1943 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands in the Central Pacific Ocean. The base was built as one of many advance ...
. At
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
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 ...
, supply depots, a small ship repair depot,
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 ...
,
seaplane base
A seaplane base is a type of airport that is located in a body of water, usually a river, bay, harbor, or lake, where seaplanes and amphibious aircraft take-off and land.
History
Initially following the invention of the seaplane, traditional boat ...
and two airbases. Construction started after the
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa was fought on 20–23 November 1943 between the United States and Japan at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, and was part of Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, an ...
ended on November 23, 1943, part of
Operation Galvanic
The Battle of Tarawa was fought on 20–23 November 1943 between the United States and Japan at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, and was part of Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, ...
. The bases were built by the US Navy's
Seabees
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 ...
Naval Base Tarawa
Naval Base Tarawa was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1943 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands in the Central Pacific Ocean. The base was built as one of many advance ...
, a very large base.
**Tarawa Seaplane base
*** VP-13 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 ...
Martin PBM Mariner
The Martin PBM Mariner was an American Maritime patrol aircraft, patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War era. It was designed to complement the Consolidated PBY Catalina and Consolidated PB2Y Coronado, PB2Y Coronado in s ...
Bonriki International Airport
Bonriki International Airport is an international airport in Kiribati, serving as the main gateway to the country. It is located in its capital, South Tarawa, which is a group of islets in the atoll of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, precisely on ...
**
Hawkins Field
Hawkins Field is a baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. It is the home field of the Vanderbilt Commodores college baseball team.
, abandoned and after the war.
*
Naval Base Abemama
Naval Base Abemama was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1943 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on Abemama atoll, also called Hopper Atoll, in the Gilbert Islands in the Central Pacific Ocean. The base was ...
**
O’Hare Field
Abemama Airport is the airport serving Abemama, Kiribati. It is located on the north of the atoll, 200 meters northeast of the village of Tabiang.
The airport is served by Air Kiribati from the international airport at South Tarawa.
History ...
after war became
Abemama Airport
Abemama Airport is the airport serving Abemama, Kiribati. It is located on the north of the atoll, 200 meters northeast of the village of Tabiang.
The airport is served by Air Kiribati from the international airport at South Tarawa.
History ...
Makin Airfield
Butaritari Airport is an airport on Butaritari in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati.
History
Butaritari Atoll Airport was built in Kiribati during World War II by the United States after seizing the island from the Japanese. Constructi ...
became
Butaritari Airport
Butaritari Airport is an airport on Butaritari in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati.
History
Butaritari Atoll Airport was built in Kiribati during World War II by the United States after seizing the island from the Japanese. Constructi ...
Gallery
File:Pacific_Theater_Areas;map1.JPG, Pacific War Theater Areas map 1942
File:South Tarawa (separated to north and south).svg, South Tarawa, Tarawa Atoll
File:GilbertGroupofIslands.jpg, Map Gilbert Group of Islands
File:Tarawa Atoll aerial photo Sept 1943.jpg, Aerial view of Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll before invasion of the island by U.S. Marines, 18 September 1943.
File:80-G-57390 (18414744362).jpg, Seabee building Hawkins Field
File:80-G-57388 (17798244333).jpg, Seabee building Hawkins Field
File:USMC-M-Tarawa-3.jpg, Map of runway on Betio and landing plans
File:Hawkins Field Betio Tarawa March 1944.jpg, Long range aircraft at
Hawkins Field (Tarawa)
Hawkins Field is a former World War II airfield on Betio, Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands of the Central Pacific.
The airfield was named in honor of USMC 1st Lt. William Dean Hawkins who was killed in the battle to recapture Tarawa, and earned th ...
, March 1944
File:Tarawa aerial view 24 Nov 1943.jpg, Aerial view of Betio, Tarawa Atoll, 24 November 1943, looking north toward "The Pocket", the last place of Japanese resistance. An emplacement just onshore with two 12.7 mm anti-aircraft guns is visible near the left edge of the photograph.
File:Gilbert Islands Aerial Imagery, 1943.jpg, Gilbert Islands 1943
File:Cemetery at Tarawa.jpg, The largest of 37 cemeteries on Tarawa
8 Map of Abemama, Kiribati.jpg, Map of Abemama
File:Abemama Map.jpg, Map of Abemama
File:South Pacific islands 1945.jpg, South Pacific islands in 1945
See also
*
US Naval Advance Bases
US Naval Advance Bases were built globally by the United States Navy during World War 2, World War II to support and project U.S. naval operations world-wide. A few were built on Allies of World War II, allied soil, but most were captured enemy f ...
*
Battle of Tarawa order of battle
On 10 November, 1943, men of the United States Marine Corps invaded the island of Betio, located at the southwest corner of Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands chain in the Central Pacific. This invasion, known as Operation Galvanic, was a ph ...
*
Gilbert Islands naval order of battle
On 20 November 1943, simultaneous landings were made by United States Marine Corps forces on Tarawa and United States Army forces on Makin, two coral atolls located in the Gilbert Islands chain in the South-Central Pacific.
Unlike at the Allie ...
*
Makin Airfield
Butaritari Airport is an airport on Butaritari in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati.
History
Butaritari Atoll Airport was built in Kiribati during World War II by the United States after seizing the island from the Japanese. Constructi ...
Gilbert Islands
References
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Naval Base Tarawa
Naval Base Tarawa was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1943 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands in the Central Pacific Ocean. The base was built as one of many advance ...