Map of New Caledonia and Noumea (cropped)

Naval Base Noumea was a 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 air base at

Nouméa Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, a ...

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. 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 the east side the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fre ...

, 1,469 km, (913 miles) from

Brisbane, Australia Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

. The Base 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 as part of 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 ...

. Naval Base Noumea had anchorage for large ships. Noumea was protected against submarine attack by ring of islands and

Naval minefield A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ve ...

s. At its peak 50,000 Troops were stationed at Naval Base Noumea. New Caledonia has been a

colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

since 1853. Noumea is the capital City of New Caledonia on the southwest end of the island. On November 8, 1942, US Navy South Pacific headquarter moved to Noumea.

History

In September 1940, New Caledonia joined the

Free France Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...

organization, founded June 1940, after the June 1940

Fall of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...

. In March 1942 an agreement was made between Free France and the United States for a base in New Caledonia. In July and August 1942

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 ...

s arrived and began building the Naval Base. The first project was building a vast fuel

tank farm Tank Farm (sometimes Tuff Crater) is the name of a volcanic explosion crater (or maar) on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand, near the approaches to the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Geology Part of the Auckland volcanic field, it was crea ...

on the Ducos Peninsula, north of Noumea. Naval Base Noumea became the main

fuel oil Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), bun ...

storage depot for the fleet from 1942 to November 1944. The tank farm had storage for 30,000 barrels of

and 20,000 barrels of

diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

. US Navy and United States Merchant Navy tankers brought 225,000 barrels of fuel oil to be stored at Noumea on the Ducos Peninsula. In August 1942 another 225,000 barrels arrived. USS ''Kanawha'' was one of the UN Navy tanker that arrived, she was sunk on April 8, 1943 by a Japanese plane. The USS Platte and USS ''Sabine'' are some of many ships that loaded fuel oil at Naval Base Noumea to replenish fleet ships. Noumea had a large feet anchorage in

Dumbéa Bay Dumbéa Bay or Baie de la Dumbéa is a bay in southwestern New Caledonia. It lies to the northwest of Noumea. To the north is Gadji Bay. This bay has major historical importance related to the naval history of New Caledonia and the Pacific, especi ...

Gadji Bay Gadji Bay or Baie Gadji is a bay in southwestern New Caledonia. It lies to the north of Noumea and just north of the Dumbéa Bay. Settlements on this stretch of coast include Savanah and Nakutakoin. It contains an island known as "Pine Island" ...

and Baie de Koutio Kouéta. Aviation, Construction, Ordnance, Repair, Navy (ACORN) arrived at Noumea on September 30, 1942. US Navy

Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 1 Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 1 is a maritime patrol aircraft wing of the United States Navy, responsible to Commander, Naval Air Forces, Pacific. It is located at Misawa Air Base, Japan, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base. The wing was est ...

arrived on September 19, 1942. Naval Base Noumea also became a major

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 by the fall of 1942 to supply both ships and troops. The next project was building a base on Ile Nou Island, now called Nouville. Ile Nou is a small island just east of the City of Noumea. Nouville had an old Fort at the North end, Fort Téréka, and a

penal colony A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer to ...

that closed officially in 1897, with the last convict removed in 1927. Seabee's built what locals called ''Half-Moon village'' on the flat south end of the island at . In 1987 at the site of half-moon village, the

University of New Caledonia The University of New Caledonia UNC (''Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie'') is a French university which is part of the Academy of New Caledonia located in Nouméa. The university goes back to 1987 when the ''Université Française du Pacifi ...

opened. Half-Moon village was named after the shape of the

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 and

Nissen hut A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure for military use, especially as barracks, made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated iron. Designed during the First World War by the American-born, Canadian-British engineer and inventor Majo ...

s built at the site. After the war about 90% of the huts were removed, the other 10% were used for New Caledonia Armed forces and for low-cost housing, including dance halls and recreation halls. In the center of the island the Théâtre de l'île was converted into a ''regrouping center'' for Japanese civilians on New Caledonia, that were then relocated

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 ...

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

had built a small

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 ...

on Ile Nou. Most Australian Forces returned to Australia and the US Navy took over operations of the seaplane base for Navy patrol planes. Seabee expanded the seaplane base and added more barracks. A

Naval Air Transport Service The Naval Air Transport Service or NATS, was a branch of the United States Navy from 1941 to 1948. At its height during World War II, NATS's totaled four wings of 18 squadrons that operated 540 aircraft with 26,000 personnel assigned. Formation, ...

center was built. At the Navy Base, a 75-ton crane was installed for unloading the may cargo ship arriving with both base supplies and supplies for the Troop's moving out to start the

island hopping campaign 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 captu ...

. At Naval Base Noumea the new crane unloaded

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 ...

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) ...

, LCT-5's, and

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

s. On the south side of the island was built 800-foot Nickel Dock for loading and loading ships. Three 7-ton cranes were installed for small cargo. Navy also built the 1400 feet Le Grand Quai Dock with 68,500 square feet storage depot. With the built for the Pacific War, there was often a backlog of ships to be unloaded. With limited space on the island, construction started on the New Caledonia mainland both north, south, and west of the City of Noumea. At Point Chalix south of the city, the navy built two wharves for unloading barges on a landing. At Point Chalix an aviation supply depot was built. Next construction was in the City of Magenta, to the west of Noumea, two 200-foot wooden piers were built out into Boulari Bay. Also at Magenta, a Navy runway was built, now

Nouméa Magenta Airport Nouméa Magenta Airport (french: l'Aéroport de Nouméa Magenta) is a domestic airport on the main island of New Caledonia. The airport is east northeast of the centre of Nouméa, the capital, and approximately from La Tontouta International ...

at . The main Seabee unit at Noumea were the CBMU 536, 3rd Naval Construction Battalion, Construction Battalion 11 and CBMU 537. Admiral

Thomas C. Kinkaid Thomas Cassin Kinkaid (3 April 1888 – 17 November 1972) was an admiral in the United States Navy, known for his service during World War II. He built a reputation as a "fighting admiral" in the aircraft carrier battles of 1942 and commanded t ...

's carrier task force was stationed at Noumea, for the supply and support of the

Guadalcanal campaign 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 th ...

. A large

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

depart Naval Base Noumea for Guadalcanal on November 8, 1942. Admiral

Robert L. Ghormley Vice Admiral Robert Lee Ghormley (October 15, 1883 – June 21, 1958) was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as Commander, South Pacific Area during World War II. Early years Born in Portland, Oregon, Ghormley was the oldest of six ...

moved his headquarters to Naval Base Noumea on August 1, 1942. On August 28, 1942 the USS Hornet's task group arrived at Naval Base Noumea. Naval Base Noumea became a major Naval train center for the Fleet. On November 8, 1942 a large convoy departed Noumea to set up a Naval Base 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 ...

. Many operations on Noumea slowly moved to

Espiritu Santo Naval Base Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo or Naval Base Espiritu Santo, most often just called ''Espiritu Santo'', was a major advance Naval base that the U.S. Navy Seabees built during World War II to support the Allied effort in the Pacific. The base ...

that opened in 1942 and was closer to the action. By June 1945 Noumea was only a fueling station and on May 27, 1947 Naval Base Noumea closed.

Ship repair depot

Naval Base Noumea had a major ship repair depot. The battleship USS South Dakota was repaired at Noumea after the

Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific ( ''Minamitaiheiyō kaisen''), was the fourt ...

. After the sinking of the USS Hornet (CV-8) and the USS Porter the 3,000 survivors were stationed at Naval Base Noumea for recovery for a few days. The USS West Point took the survivors back to the states.

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 ...

ARD-2 arrived fall of 1942 with repair ships. ARD-2, and added AFD-9, repaired destroyers, submarines, and landing ships, tank (LST). USS Vulcan supported ship repairs. USS ''Kitty Hawk'' (AKV-1) and USS ''Hammondsport'' (APV-2) unload planes and plane parts.

Seaplane base

The expanded seaplane base at Naval Base Noumea had three US Navy

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 servicing the seaplanes: USS ''Curtiss'', USS ''McFarland'' and USS ''Mackinac''. USS ''Whitney'' ''Dobbin''-class

destroyer tender A destroyer tender or destroyer depot ship is a type of depot ship: an auxiliary ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of this class has faded from its peak in the first half of ...

and the USS Argonne a Design 1024

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

were station at Noumea in support of the many ships passing through Noumea. Navy unit VP-14 and VP-71 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 ...

was stationed at the base.

1st Marine base

At Naval Base Noumea the Navy built the 1st Marine base depot. The 1st Marine Division used Naval Base Noumea as staging before going to

. The 1st Raider Battalion camped at Noumea . The 19th Battalion built a 300 foot large pier and 200foot pier and warehouses. A special ramp for unloading vehicles was built. 1st Marine Amphibious Corps arrived December 1942. Noumea became a depot and staging area for future operations. On August 25, 1943 First Lady

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

visited troops on Noumea. NH 62235 Vice admiral John H

Facilities

*Large Fleet anchorage *Marine camp *Marine training Center *Ducos Peninsula Tank farm *Naval Base Noumea had a major mine assembly center. *Naval Air Transport Service Headquarters *Naval Fleet hospital MOB 5 with 2,000-bed *Naval Fleet hospital MOB 7 with 2,000-bed *Convalescent camp MOB 7 *Aviation supply 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 ...

*Naval supply depot *

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 ...

Camp *Seabees depot **Advanced Base Construction Depot *Aircraft engine overhaul base *Ship repair depot with

marine railway The patent slip or marine railway is an inclined plane extending from shoreline into water, featuring a "cradle" onto which a ship is first floated, and a mechanism to haul the ship, attached to the cradle, out of the water onto a slip. The m ...

and ADRs *

Ammunition depot An ammunition dump, ammunition supply point (ASP), ammunition handling area (AHA) or ammunition depot is a military storage facility for live ammunition and explosives. The storage of live ammunition and explosives is inherently hazardous. The ...

*Naval auxiliary field, a single fighter runway on Magenta Bay

*Magenta Bay tank farm *Fleet post office FPO# 131 SF Noumea, New Caledonia * Pontoon assembly depot, with narrow-gauge railway *

Antiaircraft 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, ...

gunnery school *Tank farm for aviation gasoline *Fire-fighting school *

Motion-picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

exchanges *Gas plants *

Mess hall The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...

s * Cinema theater *Recreation Center *

Chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

with a bell tower *

Power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many p ...

s *

Rock quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their environ ...

*Rock crushing plant *

Silica Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , most commonly found in nature as quartz and in various living organisms. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one ...

pit *

Gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

pit *

Motorpool {{other uses A motorpool is a group of motor vehicles whose use is shared on a short-term basis by the personnel of an organization, such as a governmental agency or military installation. The term can also refer to the place where such vehicles ...

*Amphibious boat pool *Small boat pool *Seabees mill and carpenter shop *Radio stations *Montravel camp *Barnes camp *(Koumac Field US Army Air runway at

Koumac Koumac is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. History On 5 January 1977 about 46% of the territory of Koumac was detached and became the commune of Poum. Climate Koumac has ...

) *(Pier at US Army staging at Neponi, north tip of island) *Tontouta Airfield now

La Tontouta International Airport La Tontouta International Airport, also known as Nouméa – La Tontouta International Airport (french: Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta; ) is the main international airport in New Caledonia, and the military base for the French Air Force based ...

NAB Noumea - Tontouta Airfield

Tontouta Airfield, was built at Tontouta, 46.6 km north of Noumea at . The Australians and the Free French had built two runways at the site the US expanded the runway and facilities. The Tontouta Airfield is now

. The US Navy,

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

United States Marine Corps 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 ...

used the airbase. At Tontouta Airfield were the 43rd Naval Construction Regiment and Naval Construction Maintenance Unit 534 Tontouta Airfield had a 5,000-foot runway. Tontouta Airfield was very busy in 1942 and 1943. Tontouta Airfield refueling depot for planes in route or departing

. Australia was major US

Allied Nation The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during the Second World War (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy. ...

in the war. Tontouta Airfield was expanded in early 1943 and Army Air Force Service Command Unit and the 13th Air Depot were stationed there. A

Boeing B-17E 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 The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army be ...

named ''Fiji Foo'', Serial Number 41-9217 crashed landed on October 27, 1943, on to the Tontouta Airfield runway. The crew was unhurt in the crash. U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) stationed at Tontouta Airfield: *347th FG 67th FS (P-39) 1942-1943, then transferred to Kila and Milne Bay *403 TCG, 13 TCS (C-47) 1942-1943 then transferred to

Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo or Naval Base Espiritu Santo, most often just called ''Espiritu Santo'', was a major advance Naval base that the U.S. Navy Seabees built during World War II to support the Allied effort in the Pacific. The base ...

*403rd TCG, 64th TCS (C-47) 1942-1943 then transferred to Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo *USAAF Service Command *VMF-212 (F4F) 1942 then transferred

Efate Efate (french: Éfaté) is an island in the Pacific Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu. It is also known as Île Vate. Geography It is the most populous (approx. 66,000) island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanua ...

*Marine Aircraft Group 25 (MAG-25), Headquarters (C-47) 1944 *13th Air Depot (13th AD) *United States Marine Corps (USMC)

US Army

On March 12, 1942 17,500 troops disembark at Noumea' Nickel peninsula. The headquarters of the 23 rd Infantry Division of the US Army (nicknamed Americal Division or Poppy Force), commanded by General

Alexander Patch General Alexander McCarrell Patch (November 23, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both world wars, rising to rank of general. During World War II, he commanded U.S. Army and Marine Corps force ...

had a headquarters and camp at Anse Vata south of Noumea. brigadier general William I. Rose was also at the headquarters. US Army had two Hospitals, one at Anse Vata and one at

Dumbéa Dumbéa (, ) is a commune in France, commune in the suburbs of Nouméa in the South Province, New Caledonia, South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The population of the commune was 35,873 according ...

2 miles inland on the Dumbéa River. On January 1, 1943 the US Army's 24th Construction Battalion started construction of a 600 foot x 72 foot wood pier north of the Nickel Dock. The Seabees supplied the pile driver built on a floating crane. The pier was completed January 28. , US Army's 67th Pursuit Squadron operated of 25

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk 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 ...

Japanese prisoners of war

A camp for Japanese prisoners of war was set up at Noumea. The camp also had an interrogation center for Japanese sailors and soldiers.

Naval Base Nepoui

North of Noumea, at Népoui, near the Népoui River US Navy Seabees with 87th built a camp for the US Army, starting in September 1944. The US Army supplied the materials for the staging camp. The 87th have 350 men on the project. The materials was unloaded from

Landing Ship, Tank Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with ...

s and trucked inland to the camp. Seabees built a 4-by-12 pontoon floating pier to help in the unloading of material at Nekoro Bay. With the docks completed the camp construction started on October 12. A sawmill was installed and island forests timber was used. The 82nd Seabees Battalion was at the camp for R&R from September 1944 to May 1945. While at the camp the 82nd built a berthing pier that fit two

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. The staging camp was supported by the nearby

Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield is a former World War II airfield on New Caledonia in the South Pacific. It is located at Plaine Des Gaiacs near the village of Pouembout. The airfield was also known as De Gaiacs and was named for the Gaiac tree that ...

. Naval Base Nepoui Fleet Post Office # was 625.

Post war

After the war, Tontouta Airfield became the New Caledonia Air Force Base for the French military.

Aeronavale French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: ''Aéronavale'' (contraction of Aéronautique navale), or ''Aviation navale'', or more simply ''l'Aéro'') is the naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is ' ...

(French Naval Aviation) planes were stationed at the Airfield. Aeronavale operated

Escadrille A flight is a small military unit within the larger structure of an air force, naval air service, or army air corps; and is usually subservient of a larger squadron. A military aircraft flight is typically composed of four aircraft, though ...

9S transport and patrol aircraft, including

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...

as late as 1969. Aeronavale also operated a Douglas C-54E Skymaster from Tontouta until it crashed on January 21, 1982. At Noumea, in 2013, the Museum of the Second World War opened in a large half-moon hut built in 1943 as a warehouse depot. *''New Caledonia Freedom Memorial'' is an American servicemen was built at Port Moselle at . Noumea holds annual ceremonies for the American servicemen kept them free. *New Caledonia Freedom Memorial reads: ''In Honor Of The U.S. Forces Who By Their Presence During The Pacific War From March 1942 To February 1946 Insured The Freedom Of New Caledonia. Her People Are Deeply Grateful. August 13, 1992''uswarmemorials.org, New Caledonia Freedom Memorial
/ref>

References

External links

youtube Secretary Of The Navy Knox & Party Inspect Noumea SW Pac, 01/1943 youtube Naval Base Noumea 1942youtube Naval Base Noumea, Conversion Of LCIs To GunboatsTourism New Caledonia (South)
*
youtube "They Came To An Island" U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps Wwii Seabees Construction Battalions 29564
Airfields of the United States Navy Military installations closed in the 1940s Closed installations of the United States Navy

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 ...

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