Jinamoc Seaplane Base is a former
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
seaplane base on Jinamoc Island,
San Pedro Bay,
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindana ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Jinamoc Seaplane Base was part of the
Leyte-Samar Naval Base
Leyte-Samar Naval Base was a large United States Navy base in the Philippines on the Islands of Leyte and Samar. The Base was built during World War II to support the many naval ships fighting and patrolling in the South West Pacific theatre of ...
.
History
Construction on the base commenced in December 1944 with grading for a seaplane ramp, a pontoon barge was then floated into position and submerged. In May 1945 construction was started on a more permanent steel and concrete ramp. Taxiways and hardstands were graded and surfaced and of access roads constructed. Facilities at the base included 75
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 ...
s for accommodation, a 200-bed dispensary, water supply and utilities. While construction was not completed until May 1945, the base began operation on 14 January 1945.
US Navy units based at the base included:
*
VP-25 6–25 February 1945
*
VP-33 1–16 March 1945
[
* VP-43 June 1945 – June 1946][
* VPB-17 9 March-27 April 1945][
*]VPB-20
VPB-20 was a patrol bombing squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 20 (VP-20) on 15 February 1944, redesignated as Patrol Bombing Squadron 20 (VPB-20) on 1 October 1944, and disestablished on 4 February 1946.
...
8–26 February 1945[
]No. 42 Squadron RAAF
No. 42 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) mine laying and maritime patrol squadron of World War II formed in June 1944. It conducted patrol and mine-laying operations over the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) from August 1944 until ...
maintained a detachment at Jinamoc from March to May 1945.
See also
* Tacloban Airfield
References
{{reflist
Airfields of the United States Navy
Military installations closed in the 1940s
Seaplane bases
Military installations of the United States in the Philippines
Buildings and structures in Samar (province)
History of Samar (province)
Closed installations of the United States Navy