Naval Base Iwo Jima was a naval base built by

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 ...

on the Japanese Volcano Island of

Iwo Jima Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high. ...

during and after the

Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJ ...

, that started on February 19, 1945. The naval base was built to support the landings on Iwo Jima; the troops fighting on Iwo Jima; and the repair and expansion of the airfields on Iwo Jima. United States Navy Seabee built all the facilities on the island.

History

With the landings on Iwo Jima, Seabees' first task was to get cargo and vehicles on the island. Amphibious vehicles,

Amphibious craft An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian), is a vehicle that is a means of transport viable on land as well as on or under water. Amphibious vehicles include amphibious bicycles, ATVs, cars, buses, trucks, railway vehicles, combat vehicles and ...

barges Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by Pusher (boat) ...

and amphibious ships were used to get cargo onto the beaches. Beach unloading was difficult due to the surf and sand. Marston Mats were laid to help

jeeps Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

and

DUKW The DUKW (colloquially known as Duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification of the -ton CCKW trucks used by the U.S. military during World War II and the Korean War. Designed by a partnership under military auspices of Sparkman & Step ...

s onto the beach. Once the beach was secured Seabees built ship dock at the western beach. On the west beach, old ships were sunk to make a breakwater. Both old ships and concrete barges were sunk to make an artificial breakwater to form a harbor. Some of ships sunk were seized from

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 ...

like the Toyotu Maru. Some were old Soviet Union ships like: Chetvertyi Krabalov, Caliche, and Gilyak. Other ships sunk were US Concrete Barge No. 30 and other concrete Barges. The last ship, the 12th was sunk on June 13, 1945. On the west beach a small harbor was built to support a small boats. The other high priorities for the Seabees were fresh water and the repair and expansion of the airfields on Iwo Jima. Japanese had made 14 wells on the island, the Seabees used eight wells to build a fresh water system including water tanks.

Cistern A cistern (Middle English ', from Latin ', from ', "box", from Greek ', "basket") is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by t ...

s and new wells were added to the system. The United States Seventh Fleet Command Headquarters move to Iwo Jima in newly built buildings. After clearing land mines, the Seabees built a

Radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

station on

Mount Suribachi is a -high mountain on the southwest end of Iwo Jima in the northwest Pacific Ocean under the administration of Ogasawara Subprefecture, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The mountain's name derives from its shape, resembling a ''suribachi'' or grindin ...

and built a road to the top. IwoJimaSeabeesHarbor1945

Facilities

Facilities built by the Seabee: *West beach harbor, built with sunk ships *East boat basin *Piers and quay walls *

west beach landings with mats *Landing beaches with mats *Water supply system, with tanks and water distillation *

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 *Quartermaster depot *Medical center *Engineering camp *Chemical Engineering Camp *Power stations *Crash boat base *27,000 cubic feet refrigerated depot *Tent camp for 37,000 Troops *Headquarters -

quonset hut A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semi cylindrical cross-section. The design was developed in the United States, based on the Nissen hut introduced by the British during World War I ...

s *Navy Carrier Aircraft Service Unit (CASU) camp and depot *Mess halls - quonsets *Hospitals: 1,250 beds **38th Field Hospital **41st Station Hospital **232nd General Hospital *Navy dispensaries with 105 beds *Radar station on

, built road to top. *20 miles of primary roads *40 miles of secondary roads *Tank farms for: Fuel oil, aviation fuel, diesel fuel, gasoline * AA gun emplacements *Navy Communication Center *Post office FPO# 3150 SF Iwo Jima, Kazin Group *East shore quarry *Seabee depot *Hangers Central and North Fields Iwo Jima 1945

Airfields

PB4Y-1 VPB-110 on patrol over Atlantic September 1944

The Seabees first repaired the captured airfields. Next for

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...

operation, the Seabees did massive earth works to get some to the needed runway. A number of Superfortresses made emergency landings as soon as the runway was fixed. * Central Field (also called Motoyama No. 2) was built by Japan, with two

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

s: and . Seabees completed the extension of the runway to by July 7, 1945, and by July 12, to a length of .

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 ...

continued to use Central Field. On June 27, 1968, the US departed Central Field and gave control over to Japan. Japan used the airfield for as a navigation and weather station. United States Armed Forces use the airport for refueling and some time for US Navy special pilot training. * South Field (also called Motoyama No. 1 and Chidori Field) is the south corner of Iwo Jima. Japan had built two runways, one and the other .

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB 133) is a United States Navy Construction Battalion, otherwise known as a Seabee Battalion, homeported at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (Gulfport, Mississippi) (aka: Naval Mobile Constructio ...

did the repair work on the runways. The runway was used by both the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

and the US Navy. The US Navy's VPB-116 operated

PB4Y-1 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

patrol bomber A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol rol ...

s from South Field. Later the PB4Y-1 were replaced by

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer is an American World War II and Korean War era Maritime patrol aircraft, patrol bomber of the United States Navy derived from the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The Navy had been using B-24s with only minor modif ...

aircraft. By July 1945, Seabees had completed the extension of the runway to by . On September 30, 1955, South Field was closed and turned over to Japan to be abandoned. *North Field (also called Motoyama No. 3) was an incomplete runway built by Japan. Seabees started work on completing the runway, then turned the work over USAAF aviation engineer battalion April 27, 1945. Massive Earthworks was done, by August 1945 and the

Surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...

the runway was . North Field was located at . With the war over North Field was used as a depot and then abandoned.

Seabee

Seabee on a captured Japanese steam roller Seabee had very high casualties on Iwo Jima. Seabee were given the dangerous task of clearing

land mine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

s. Others were hit by enemy fire during unloading or construction. Unit on Iwo Jima: *31st Seabee battalion attached to the

5th Marine Division The 5th Marine Division was a United States Marine Corps ground combat division which was activated on 11 November 1943 (officially activated on 21 January 1944) at Camp Pendleton, California during World War II. The 5th Division saw its first ...

*62nd Seabee battalion attached to the 5th Amphibious Corps * 133rd Seabee battalion to attached the

4th Marine Division The 4th Marine Division is a reserve division in the United States Marine Corps. It was raised in 1943 for service during World War II, and subsequently fought in the Pacific against the Japanese. Deactivated after the war, the division was re-fo ...

. *Ninth Construction Brigade *90th Seabee battalions *Eighth Regiment: 8th 95th *23rd Special Battalions *Seabee Medical Corps Iwo jima 030312-N-0401E-001

Geography

Iwo Jima is a small

volcanic island Geologically, a high island or volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed ...

south of the Japanese homeland. The base took over almost all of the of land. Seabee built a road to the top of the highest peak, , on Iwo Jima,

on the south point of the island. Most of the remainder of the volcanic island is a flat plateau. Much of the island is covered in volcanic black-gray

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...

and

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

. The soft volcanic ash made the movement of troops and vehicles very difficult. The black beaches have a steep rise to the plateau. Marston Mats were laid on the beaches and into the water to help. The beaches have a sharp dropped off into the ocean, producing a narrow and violent surf zone, difficult for the landing craft. The island had no natural harbors and surf can be heavy at times. The beaches had many disabled crafts and vehicles on the landing D-day. The west beach offered 3 miles of landing beaches and the east shore had 2 miles of landing beaches. Each beach was divided into zones and names of a color. The north beaches were not used as these face a high plateau. Iwo Jima is south of the city of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, becoming a key base near Japan. Due to the island's small size and lack of a large harbor, it did not become a large base like

Tinian Naval Base Tinian Naval Base and Naval Air Facility Tinian (NAF Tinian) was a major United States Navy sea and airbase base on Tinian Island, part of the Northern Mariana Islands on the east side of the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean. The Base was b ...

, where the B-29 Superfortress

Enola Gay The ''Enola Gay'' () is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. On 6 August 1945, piloted by Tibbets and Robert A. Lewis during the final stages of World War II, it be ...

took off from. Reunion of Honor memorial on Iwo Jima

Post war

*While fighting ended on March 26, 1945, there were a few Japanese holdouts. Two soldiers under Lieutenant Toshihiko Ohno, and , hide out on the island for four years. They surrendered on January 6, 1949. * The US closed its last base on the island on June 27, 1968. *Seabee Memorial Iwo Jima at * Mt. Suribachi Peak Memorial, dedicated to fallen U.S. and Japanese service members at American Memorial Iwo Jima. *Former American War Cemetery Iwo Jima. 6,821 American Troops died in the Battle a . * Reunion of Honor Memorial, memorial commemorated the reunion of American and Japanese veterans of the Battle of Iwo Jima at . *Islanders' Memorial Peace Cemetery Park at . *Iwo Jima, Japanese Artillery Control Bunker at . *The sunk ship artificial breakwater is still at Iwo Jima. Some of the ships have moved due to

Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

and rising beaches level, due to volcanic uplift. Now called Shipwreck Cluster at . *Tranquility Hill, Japanese memorial at . *Japanese Iwo Jima Memorial at . *

Marine Corps War Memorial The United States Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial) is a national memorial located in Arlington County, Virginia. The memorial was dedicated in 1954 to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 177 ...

, a national memorial located in Arlington County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

dedicated in 1954. With iconic 1945 photograph of six Marines raising a U.S. flag. *Iwo Jima Monument West at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Gallery

File:Pacific_Theater_Areas;map1.JPG, Pacific War Theater Areas map 1942 NavalBaseIwoJimatow.jpg, US Navy Seabee bulldozer is used to get a truck loaded with cargo ashore Iwo Jima - Landing Plan.jpg, Iwo Jima landing plan map Iwo Jima Airfield Number 1.jpg, Seabee working on Iwo Jima South Field, Airfield Number 1 Judge Advocate’s Quarters Iwo Jima.jpg, Tent camp Entrance to Fifth Marine Division Cemetery.jpg, 5th USMC Division Cemetery entrance built by the 31st CB with Mt. Suribachi center. (now moved). 127-GW-303-112896 (25003907711).jpg, Camouflage of Seabee heavy equipment on Yellow Beach #3 Japanese wooden box mine.jpg, Japanese factory made wooden box mine removed by Seabee 127-GW-305-114317 (25004629561).jpg, Marines kneel at cemetery crosses during a dedication ceremony on March 15, 1945 Detritus of War, February 1945.jpg, Debris on the beach Scattered landing craft on beach of Iwo Jima 1945.jpg, Damaged landing craft on beach, 1945 LVT(A)-4 is hoisted from USS Hansford (APA-106) off Iwo Jima 1945.jpg, LVT(A)-4 is hoisted from USS ''Hansford'' (APA-106) Unloading Supplies on Iwo Jima Beach, 1945.jpg, Unloading supplies on Iwo Jima beach Activity on Green Beach, February 1945.jpg, Landing activity on Green Beach, February 1945 Coming ashore, February 1945.jpg,

beach landing with unusable storm-damaged mats Landing Vehicles Tracked on Iwo Jima beach.jpg, Knocked-out LVTs on Iwo Jima beach 70th anniversary Battle of Iwo Jima commemoration ceremony 150321-N-AC887-003.jpg, 70th anniversary commemoration ceremony for the Battle of Iwo Jima on top of Mount Suribachi Defense.gov photo essay 061113-D-1142M-001.jpg, Original American flag raised on Mount Suribachi WWII Veterans, guests remember the battle of Iwo Jima 170325-M-DN141-213.jpg, WWII veterans and guests at a wreath-laying ceremony at Mount Suribachi on March 25, 2017

External links

Battle of Iwo Jima: 19 Feb 1945 – 26 Mar 1945
by C. Peter Chen. The site contains 250 photographs of and about Iwo Jima.
Iwo Jima, a look back
by Raymond C. Backstrom.
youtube 1945 Invasion Of Iwo Jima Newsreel U.S. Marine Corps Operation Detachmentyoutube Invasion Of Iwo Jimayoutube "They Came To An Island" U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps Wwii Seabees Construction Battalions 29564youtube, Seabess Iwo Jima

References

{{Authority control Military installations closed in the 1940s Closed installations of the United States Navy Naval Base Iwo Jima 1945 in Japan Naval Base Iwo Jima