Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo or Naval Base Espiritu Santo, most often just called ''Espiritu Santo'', was a major advance

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 ...

that the U.S. Navy Seabees 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 Allied effort in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. The base was located on the island of

Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...

in the

New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...

, now

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

, in the South Pacific. The base also supported the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

and

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...

, and

US 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 ...

. It was the first large advance base built in the Pacific. By the end of the war it had become the second-largest base in the theater. To keep ships tactically available there was a demand for bases that could repair and resupply the fleet at advance locations, rather than return them to the United States. Prior to December 7th,

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

was the U.S. fleet's largest advance base in the Pacific. Espiritu became capable of all aspects necessary to support the Fleet's operations from fleet logistics in fuel, food, and ammunition, to transport embarkation for combat operations or returning to the continental United States. The ship repair facilities and

drydock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

s were capable of attending to most damage and routine maintenance. Had it not existed, ships would have had to return to Pearl Harbor,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, or

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

for major repairs and resupply. The base became a major R and R destination for the fleet.

History

At the start of the war Espiritu Santo was one of a string of roughly 80 islands under the rule of a joint British and French New Hebrides colony. The administration was the Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides. U.S. troops first set up a base in May 1942 on the nearby island of

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 ...

, as a defence against the expanding

Imperial 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 forma ...

. In July 1942 the 1st Construction Battalion (CB) sent a detail from the 3rd CB Construction detachment that was on Efate to Espiritu Santo to build a bomber strip to attack the Japanese on

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 4th Marine Defense Battalion and the 24th Infantry Regiment both on Efate respectively sent an

anti-aircraft battery 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 ...

and an

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

Company to help the Seabees. Together, working around the clock, they built

Turtle Bay Airfield Turtle Bay Airfield or Fighter Field #1 is a former World War II airfield on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands at the Espiritu Santo Naval Base. History World War II The first bases on Espiritu Santo were established ...

in 20 days. In August the 7th CB arrived tasked with constructing a base.Espiritu Santo, Building the Navy's Bases in World War II, History of the Bureau of Yards, and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps, 1940-1946, Volume II, US GPO, Washington, 1947, p.228-3

/ref> In 60 days they had built a second field and began work on two more. In October the 15th CB arrived. In February the 36th Naval Construction Battalion arrived as did the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 40, 40th CB.

Facilities

* Navy port - support base * Navy Base Hospital No. 1 at Bellevue plantation, 1,500-beds in

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 (600 beds to start) * Navy Base Hospital No. 2 * Navy Base Hospital No. 3, now Northern Provincial Hospital * 25th Evacuation Hospital * Naval harbors for anchoring * Floating drydock repairs *

Luganville Seaplane Base Luganville Seaplane Base is a former World War II seaplane base in the Segond Channel between the islands of Espiritu Santo and Aore Island in the New Hebrides Islands at the Espiritu Santo Naval Base. History World War II The first bases on E ...

served the

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 ...

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 ...

s at Havannah Harbor * Pontoon wharf at Santo *

Vanuatu Labor Corps The Vanuatu Labor Corps was a labour unit of the United States Armed Forces consisting of New Hebrides natives. The unit was established in 1942 and dissolved in 1945. During its service it provided crucial logistical support to the Allied war ...

* Naval Air Station Tender * Crash boat base * Aviation Overhaul shop * Red Cross Service Club * Officers Club * Casual camp * Motor pool * Quartermaster Laundry * 17th Photo Detachment * Army Air Force Transient Camp * Army Air Force Fighter pilot camp * Royal New Zealand Air Force Fighter pilot camp * Firing ranges * Torpedo assembly center * Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit * Navy Fleet Ammunition Stores, large complex north of base for safety * Marine Air Depot Squadron * Army Air Force Bombers Camp * Marine Camp * Marine Air Warning Squadron * Oxygen Plant * Navy Net Layer center * US Navy Port Director's Office, now Cruise Ship Terminal * Navy Pier No 1, now Cruise Ship Terminal * Navy Pier No 2, 3 and 4 *

Aore Island Aore Island is an island in Sanma Province, Vanuatu. It is located opposite Luganville on Espiritu Santo and has an area of 58 km2. The estimated terrain elevation above sea level is some 89 meters. Aore's climate is humid tropical. The a ...

- Navy Ammunition store, Navy mine assembly, Fuel Store, Fleet Recreational Center *

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 ...

base #1 and #2 * Sarakata River Bridge * Boat repair dock * Pallikula Bay Pontoon Wharf * AA gun emplacements * Naval Air Transport Service Facilities * Tank farms for: Fuel oil, aviation fuel, diesel fuel, gasoline * Headquarters at Malapoa Point * Barracks * Navy Bank * Fleet Post Office FPO# 140 SF Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides * Mess halls * Navy Communication Center * Troop store * Royal New Zealand Air Force seaplane base * Military supply depot * Espiritu Santo Military Cemetery opened in 1944 * Army 122nd Station Hospital * 687th Quartermaster Bakery Company * US Army Radar & Searchlight * 674th Signal Air Warning Company * Coral mining pits * Trash dump Built at the bases were personnel housing, piers, roads, shops, power plants, water plants and large storage depots with fuel, ammunition, food and other consumable supplies. Fuel for ships, planes and vehicles was in much demand. The build up of Espiritu Santo was both a defense strategy and then a staging point for the offense against the Japanese. The base supported action 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 ...

and

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 ...

. The base was very active 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

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 ...

. There were always fears that New Hebrides and Espiritu Santo would be invaded. To build all the bases and airfield tens of thousands of tonnes of equipment was shipped to the base. By the end of the war 9 million tonnes of equipment had been shipped there and over 500,000 servicemen and women had spent some time at New Hebrides and Espiritu Santo.

Airfields

US Navy seabees built four airfields near the naval base, three to support United States Army Air Forces

bombers A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an aircraf ...

, one to support

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...

. 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 ...

and US Marine Corps also operated at the airfield. *

Palikulo Bay Airfield Palikulo Bay Airfield or Bomber Field #1 is a former World War II airfield on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands at the Espiritu Santo Naval Base. History World War II The 7th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo ...

also called Bomber Field #1 * Bomber Field No.2 which became

Santo-Pekoa International Airport Santo International Airport is an airport in Luganville on Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu . The airport used to be called Santo-Pekoa International airport until it was renamed in the Vanuatu AIPV amendment released on 16 June 2021. Airports Vanuat ...

after the war *

Luganville Airfield Luganville Airfield or Bomber Field #3 is a former World War II airfield on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands at the Espiritu Santo Naval Base. History World War II The Seabees of the 40th Naval Construction Battalion arr ...

also called Bomber Field #3 * Turtle Bay Airfield also called Fighter Field #1 served the Fighter planes, built by the 1st Construction Battalion The base also supported the US

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 ...

base, to the southwest and the

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 ...

training base, to the east. Crushed coral was used or the runways, ramps and road. Local coconut logs were used in building the base.

Auxiliary floating drydock

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 ...

s were used to repair ships. Three large floating

s were stationed at the base.

Advance base sectional dock (ABSD) 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, ...

were able to repair the largest of the Navy's ships. * USS ''Artisan'' (ABSD-1) (A-J), built by Everett-Pacific and others, docked in the

Segond Channel Canal du Segond, also known as Canal Pekoa and in English Segond Channel, literally "Second Channel," separates the island of Aore from the city of Luganville on main island of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. The channel was the location of the United ...

, off Aese island. This was the largest floating drydock ever built able to lift 90,000 tons out of the water for repairs. * USS ''AFD-14'' served Espiritu Santo. This was a

Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock An auxiliary floating drydock is a type of US Navy Dry dock#Floating, 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 fl ...

. AFD were built as one piece, open at both ends. AFD were used to repair small craft,

PT boats 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 ...

and small submarines. *( (A-J), built by

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...

Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to the ...

. Assembled at the base and then towed to

Admiralty Islands The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-co ...

Seeadler Harbor Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II. In German, "Seeadler" means sea eagle, pointing to German colonial activity between 1884 an ...

.) *( (A-G), built by Mare Island Naval Ship Yard (NSY). Assembled at the base and then towed to Admiralty Islands's Seeadler Harbor. Attacked by air on April 27, 1945. Partially sunk 1989 as a reef.)

SS ''President Coolidge''

sank at Espiritu Santo. ''Coolidge'' was built as luxury ocean liner in 1931. In 1941 the US War Department converted the ship to 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 ...

with a capacity of 5,000. On 26 October 1942 it was sunk by two U.S. Navy mines when it unknowingly entered a mined area. It was run aground to keep from sinking while the crew and 5,340 troops safely disembarked. Two died from the mine explosions: a fireman in the engine room and a captain of the

103rd Field Artillery Regiment The 103rd Field Artillery Regiment (103rd FAR) is a regiment of the United States Army. The only currently existing component is the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment (1-103rd FAR), a unit of the Rhode Island National Guard. The regim ...

who had returned to the ship when he heard men were still trapped in the infirmary. As the ship went down it slipped of the reef and sank in the channel. The ''President Coolidge'' is the largest and most accessible wreck dive in the world. The ship has vast array of corals and fish, including barracuda and sharks. The ''President Coolidge'' is part of the tentative list of

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

listing.

Million dollar point

At the end of the war a vast amount of vehicles, supplies and equipment at the bases was deemed not needed and too costly to ship to the U.S.The Million Dollar Point of Vanuatu, Kaushik Patowary, Amusing Planet web site, November 201

/ref> Also it would have hurt home front industries in bringing all the gear home as the was already a vast amount of

military surplus Military surplus are goods, usually matériel, that are sold or otherwise disposed of when held in excess or are no longer needed by the military. Entrepreneurs often buy these goods and resell them at surplus stores. Usually the goods sold by ...

. The U.S. attempted to sell much of the gear to the French for 6 cents on the dollar. The French hoped that by buying none of the gear the U.S would abandon the base and get everything for free. But the U.S had the Seabees to build a ramp into the sea near Luganville Airfield. The gear was then dumped into the sea. The base was abandoned in February 1946. Today the site is a

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...

called ''Million Dollar Point''.

Post war

In 1948 author,

James Michener James Albert Michener ( or ; February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American writer. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were long, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and ...

wrote a sequence of fictional short stories called ''

Tales of the South Pacific ''Tales of the South Pacific'' is a Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of sequentially related short stories by James A. Michener about the Pacific campaign in World War II. The stories are based on observations and anecdotes he collected while s ...

''. The stories became the basis for the

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popu ...

musical, '' South Pacific''. As many troops stayed at or passed through the base, the island became a tourist spot, including a popular

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

spot. The Navy base is now part of the city of Luganville.

South Pacific World War II Museum

There is a plan to build a ''South Pacific World War II Museum'' on Espiritu Santo in the town of

Luganville Luganville is the second largest city in Vanuatu after the capital Port Vila; it is located on the island of Espiritu Santo and has a population of 18,062 as of the 2020 census. Those on Vanuatu's northern islands who regard Luganville as their bi ...

. The site will be at Unity Park, Main Street, Luganville, Vanuatu. On 26 October 2017 the South Pacific World War II's Museum Museum Project Development Office opened. A few

s and other remnants can still be found on the island.

Gallery

"... entrance to the U.S. Navy Base Camp Annex, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides.", ca. 1941 - ca. 1945 - NARA - 520632.jpg, Entrance to the U.S. Navy Base Camp Annex EspirituSantobasedock.jpg, Espiritu Santo Naval Base dock AviationSupplyAnnexEspiritu_Santo.jpg, Aviation Supply Annex under construction EspirituSantobases.jpg, Pallikulo Bay Pontoon Wharf with USS ''Tangier'' unloading supplies NavalAirTransportServiceFacilitiesEspirituSanto.jpg, Naval Air Transport Service Facilities EspirituSantobaseoverhual.jpg, Aviation Overhaul Area SarakataRiverBridge.png, Sarakata River Bridge being built F6F-3 Hellcats of VF-40 at Espiritu Santo 1944.jpg, F6F-3 Hellcats of VF-40 in 1944 EspirituSantobaseboatrepair.jpg, base boat repair dock F4UCorsairEspirituSantoNavalBase.jpg, F4U Corsair over Segond Channel, March 1944 USS Artisan ABSD-1 04.jpg, AFDB-1 with in for repairs off Aessi Island on 13 November 1944 SeabeesEspirituSantoNavalBase.jpg, Seabees depot with earthmovers, used to built runways, ramps, roads and foundations. EspirituSantobasedock2.jpg, SBD Dauntless being moved small bulldozer and two plywood Landing Craft (LCVPs) EspirituSantobasePBYramp.jpg, PBY Catalinas at the Luganville Seaplane Base February 1942 File:South Pacific islands 1945.jpg, South Pacific islands in 1945

References

External links

Video Espiritu Santo Navy Base Hospital No. 3 #1Video Espiritu Santo Navy Base Hospital No. 3 #2Video Espiritu Santo Navy Base Hospital No. 3 #3Video Espiritu Santo Navy Base HospitalVideo, August 15, 1944 the mighty battleship Idaho arrived at Espiritu SantoYoutube, BATTLESHIP USS IDAHO REPAIRED AT ESPIRITU SANTO in 1944 in USS Artisan (ABSD-1)1
{{Provinces and islands of Vanuatu Military installations established in 1942 Naval Stations of the United States Navy World War II airfields in the Pacific Ocean Theater Espiritu Santo Airfields of the United States Navy Military installations closed in the 1940s 1942 establishments in the New Hebrides 1946 disestablishments in Oceania 1940s in the New Hebrides Military installations closed in 1946 Closed installations of the United States Navy