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 I

 

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON
1947



Volume I Contents
[Jump to Volume II]

Part I--The War Program and Its Direction
Chapter   Page
1-- Planning the Public Works Program 1
2-- Financing the War Construction 25
3-- Wartime Organization and Growth of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 61
4-- Wartime Contract Construction Problems 77
5-- Procurement and Logistics for Advance Bases 115
6-- The Seabees 133
7-- Advance Base Equipment 151
Part II--The Continental Bases
8-- Navy Yards and Graving Docks 169
9-- Floating Drydocks 209
10-- The Air Stations 227
11-- The Training Stations 261
12-- The Supply Depots 291
13-- The Ammunition Depots 323
14-- The Hospitals 355
15-- Defense and Emergency Rental Housing 371
16-- Civil Works 383
17-- Minor Programs 401
Index 403
 
Illustrations

Photographs 

Insignia of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, the Civil Engineer Corps, and the Seabees Frontispiece
Doors of a Timber LTA Hangar, South Weymouth, Mass. facing 1
Warehouses, Guam 2
Figures



Navy's First Advance Base

Madisonville in Massachusetts Bay in the Marquesas Islands, some 800 miles northeast of Borabora, was established by Commodore David Porter to repair the frigate Essex after its historic voyage around the Horn in 1813. The Essex, which was the first American warship to visit the Pacific, is shown, with her prizes, in this old print, published in London in 1823.

In his book, A Voyage to the South Seas in the Years 1812, 1813, and 1814, Commodore Porter wrote that "agreeably to the request of the chiefs, I laid down the plan of the village about to be built. The line on which the houses were to be placed was already traced by our barrier of water casks. They were to take the form of a crescent, to be built on the outside of the enclosure, and to be connected with each other by a wall twelve feet in length and four feet in height. The houses were to be fifty feet in length, built in the usual fashion of the country, and of a proportioned width and height.

"On the 3d November, upwards of four thousand natives, from the different tribes, assembled at the camp with materials for building, and before night they had completed a dwelling-house for myself, and another for the officers, a sail loft, a cooper's shop, and a place for our sick, a bake-house, a guard-house, and a shed for the sentinel to walk under. The whole were connected by the walls as above described. We removed our barrier of water casks, and took possessions of our delightful village, which had been built as if by enchantment."

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

 

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON
1947


Foreword

Because the Navy cannot operate without repairs and supplies, bases are as important as are ships and planes and personnel.


Volume II Contents
[Jump to Volume I Contents]

Part III--The Advance Bases
Chapter   Page
18-- Bases in South America and the Caribbean Area, Including Bermuda 1
19-- Bases in the North Atlantic 47
20-- The Mediterranean Area 75
21-- Construction Battalions in France and Germany 95
22-- Pearl Harbor and the Outlying Islands of Midway, Wake, Johnston, Palmyra, Canton, and French Frigate Shoals 121
23-- Bases in Alaska and the Aleutians 163
24-- Bases in the South Pacific 191
25-- Campaign in the Solomons 241
26-- Bases in the Southwest Pacific 277
27-- Bases in the Central Pacific 313
28-- Bases in the Marianas and Iwo Jima 337
29-- Bases in the Philippines 375
30-- Okinawa 397
31-- After V-J Day 413
Appendix--The Seabee Record 417
Index 429
 
Illustrations

Photographs

Navy's First Advance Base Frontispiece
LTA Steel Hangar, Built by the 80th Seabees, at Carlson Field, Trinidad facing 1
Tenth Naval District Headquarters, San Juan Puerto Rico 4
Drydock Area, San Juan, Puerto Rico 7
Bourne Field, St. Thomas 10
Catchment Area for Laundry and Power House at the Submarine Base, St. Thomas 11
McCalla Field Headquarters, Guantanamo Bay 12
Barracks at Trinidad Naval Base 23
Naval Supply Depot, Trinidad 24
Section Base Dispensary, Trinidad 25
Administration and Subsistence Buildings, Trinidad Naval Base 26
Building a Dike for Ship Repair Facilities in Chaguaramas Bay, Trinidad 27
Naval Hospital, Trinidad 28
Small Boat Landing, Trinidad 29
NAS Bermuda in the Process of Construction 30
NAS Bermuda 33
Seaplane Base at Aeolian Cove, Galapagos 37
United States Naval Base, Corinto, Nicaragua 39
Aratu Seaplane Base, Brazil 45
Commissioning Ceremony, NAS Argentia 48
Administration Building, Argentia Naval Operating Base 49
Wooden YFD in Operation at Argentia 50
NAS Argentia, as Viewed from the Control Tower 51
Drill Hall and Gymnasium, Argentia 51
Shops and Warehouses at NAS Argentia 53
Shop at the Naval Operating Base, Argentia 55
Tank Farm at Reykjavik, Iceland 57
Pier to Deep Water at the Tank Farm, Reykjavik 58
Tank Farm on the Shores of Hvalfjordur, Iceland 60
General Headquarters, Londonderry 64
General View of Living Quarters at Springtown Base, Londonderry 65
Creevagh Hospital Base, Londonderry 66
Lisahally Base, Londonderry 67
Warehouses in the Lisahally Storage Area 68
Rosneath, Scotland 71
Tank Farm, Rosneath 72
Industrial Section at the Seabee Base, Rosneath 73
Naval Supply Depot and Camp, Oran 76
Naval Receiving Station, Oran 77
Mobile Hospital Camp, Oran 77
Pontoon Causeway About to Go Over the Side of an LST, Arzeu 78
Airfield at Port Lyautey 81
Hospital Area, Port Lyautey 82
Pontoon Crane in Action at Port Lyautey 83
VP73 and Hedron 13 Personnel at Quarters, Agadir, 84
Aircraft Maintenance Group Huts at Agadir 85
Casablanca Dock Area and Harbor Entrance 86
Pontoons in the Sicilian Invasion, July 10, 1943 88
1006th Seabees in the Salerno Invason 89
1006th Seabees Using a Three-Section Pontoon Causeway at Safta Beach 89
Praia Dock Area, Azores 92
South Breakwater, Monrovia 94
Naval Construction Battalion Depot, Heathfield, England 98
Interior of Temporary Ward, St. Michael's Hospital, Falmouth 99
Uneven OMAHA Beach 100
LST Moves in to Secure to a Liebnitz Pier, OMAHA Beach 101
PHOENIXES at OMAHA Beach 102
Bombardons Moored in Position Off OMAHA Beach 103
Rhino Ferries in Action at OMAHA Beach 104
Personnel Huts at Vicarage Base, Plymouth 105
Naval Dispensary, Manadon Field, Plymouth 106
Storage Warehouses at Exeter Suply Base 107
Rhino Ferry "Married" to an LST 108
GOOSEBERRY No. 2 at OMAHA Beach 109
Unloading Activities at OMAHA Beach MULBERRY 110
Spud Pierhead and Flesible Piers 111
OMAHA Beach Before the MULBERRY Was Installed 112
An Army DUKW Crosses One of the British-built WHALE Bridges at OMAHA Beach 113
OMAHA Beach After the Great Storm 115
Seabees Repair Ship at OMAHA Beach 116
First Seabee Camp on the Normandy Beach 119
Dry Dock No. 1, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard 124
Barracks at the Staging Center, Pearl Harbor 126
Supply Department Warehouse, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard 127
Small Bombproof Power Substation, Pearl Harbor 128
Ordnance Shop, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard 129
Dry Dock No. 4, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard 131
Reinforced Concrete Storehouse, Naval Supply Depot, Pearl Harbor 133
Upper Tank Farm, Pearl Harbor 134
Barracks and Recreation Field at Kaneohe Naval Air Station 137
Assembly and Repair Shop, Kaneohe Naval Air Station 138
Bachelor Officers' Wuarters, Kaneohe Naval Air Station 139
Indutrial Area, Barbers Point Naval Air Station 140
Administration Building at Pearl Harbor Naval Air Station 141
Nose Hangars at Honolulu Naval Air Stations 143
Nose Hangar Shop, NAS Honolulu 143
Barracks for Civilian Housing, Marine Corps Air Station, Ewa 144
Covered Concrete Revetments, Marine Corps Air Station, Ewa 145
Aiea Naval Hospital 146
Wards at the Naval Hospital on Moanalua Ridge 147
NAS Pearl Harbor 148
14th District Quarters for Perrmanent and Transient Officers, Moanalua 150
Control Tower, Marine Corps Air Station, Ewa 157
Bachelor Officers' Quarters, NAS Pearl Harbor 161
Barracks at Pearl Harbor Separation Center 162
NAS Sitka 164
Building an Airfield in the Aleutians 166
NAS Kodiak 168
Naval Operating Base at Adak 170
Members of the 86th Battalion at Adak 173
Building a Road at Adak 174
Hospital Area at Adak 177
Hedron Area Under Construction, Adak 180
86th Seabees Lined Up for Inspection on Maintenance Avenue, Adak, July 16, 1944 183
General View of the Naval Air Station at Attu 185
Hospital Area, Attu 187
Seabees at Point Barrow 188
A Point Barrow Supply Train 189
Borabora 193
Refrigerator Warehouse, Havannah Harbor, Efate 194
Pallikula Bay Pontoon Wharf, Espiritu Santo 198
Aviation Supply Annex, Espiritu Santo, Under Construction 199
Pontoon Pier at the Seaplane Base, Noumea 200
Luganville Field, Espiritu Santo 201
Naval Air Transport Service Facilities, Espiritu Santo 204
Aviation Overhaul Area, Espiritu Santo 205
Ship Repair Unit Shop Area, Noumea 208
Naval Hospital No. 3, Espiritu Santo 209
Bombproof Operations Building, Tafuna Airfield, Tutuila 210
Ship Repair Base, Noumea 214
Crane Hoisting Concrete Beams for Cribbing at the End of the 600-foot Marine Pier, Upolu 215
Fuel Tanks at Noumea 216
Oxygen Plant in the Industrial Area, Espiritu Santo 220
Mobile Hospital No. 7, Noumea 224
Ship Repair Unit, Ile Nou, Noumea 225
Pontoon Assembly Area, Noumea 226
Men of the 36th Battalion Erecting Dallas Huts, Espiritu Santo 231
PT-boat Drydock and Repair Base, Espiritu Santo 234
PBY Base, Espiritu Santo 238
36th Seabees Enroute to Bougainville 243
Building a New Fighter Strip on Guadalcanal 247
Unloading Gas and Oil Drums on the Beach at Bougainville 248
Piva Bomber Field, Bougainville 250
Work Shops and Marine Railway at the Landing Craft Repair Base, Carter City 254
Halavo Seaplane Base, Florida Island 255
Living Quarters at Carter City, Florida Island 256
Florida Island Chapel 257
33rd Seabees Working on Banika Airfield, in the Russells 258
Advance Base Construction Depot, Banika Island 260
Acorn 15 Messhall, Bougainville, May 9, 1944 261
Seabees Laying Pierced Plank at Bougainville 264
Quonset Hut Erected by 73rd Seabees for Field Operations at Munda 265
Torokina Fighter Field, November 13, 1943 270
Torokina Fighter Field, November 15, 1943 272
Torokina Fighter Field, December 2, 1943 273
Torokina Fighter Field, December 10, 1943 276
Ship Repair Facilities at Lombrum, Los Negros 281
Naval Receiving Station, Lorengau, Manus, November 1944 282
Sedimentation Tank in Operation in the Admiralties 283
Chapel in the Admiralties 285
Advance Base Construction Depot, Milne Bay, New Georgia 288
Filtering Tanks at the Filtering Station, Manus 289
Advance Base Construction Depot, Manus 294
71st Seabees Build an Airfield in the Admiralties, May 28, 1944 298
71st Seabees Build an Airfield in the Admiralties, June 1, 1944 298
71st Seabees Build an Airfield in the Admiralties, June 4, 1944 299
Blasting for Coral in the Admiralties 300
Coral Excavation at Pityilu 301
Parking Area After Coral Surfacing Had Been Applied, Pityilu Airfield 302
Parachute Loft at Pityilu Airfield 303
Waterfront Facilities at Hollandia 306
Naval Supply Depot Refrigerator Area, Hollandia 307
Hospital Wards on Owi Island 310
Airfield and Adjoining Facilities on Betio Island, Tarawa 316
Roi-Namur in the Kwajalein Atoll 321
Quonset-hut Variation at Eniwetok 326
Naval Base Hospital 20, Peleliu 330
ORANGE Beach Causeway and Channel Entrance Peleliu 331
PURPLE Beach Chapel, Peleliu 332
Sorlen Island, Ulithi 335
Orote Peninsula, Guam 336
Seabee-built Enlisted Men's Quarters of the 50th Bombardment Group, Saipan 339
Double-decker Quonset at Saipan 341
Garapan Waterfront Development, Saipan 342
Hangars at Harmon Field, Guam 344
Ordnance Supply Annex of the Naval Supply Depot, Guam 345
Black Oil Tank Farm, Guam 346
Apra Harbor and Breakwater 347
Wards of Fleet Hospital No. 115, Guam 348
Wards of Fleet Hospital No. 103, Guam 349
Base Hospital No. 18, Guam 350
Advance Base Construction Depot, Guam 351
Dispensary at Marianas Headquarters, Guam 351
Chapel at Fleet Hospital No. 111, Guam 352
Third Marines' Chapel, Guam 353
Port Director's Headquarters, Guam 354
Nose Hangars at Agana Naval Air Station, Guam 354
Bachelor Officers' Quarters, Guam 355
Barrigada Radio Station, Guam 356
Marine Corps Field Depot, Guam 356
Third Marines' Recreation Center, Guam 357
Route 6, Guam 358
Camp of the 94th Seabees, Guam 359
Tinian Camp of the 50th Seabees, April 1945 360
North Field, Tinian 361
Naval Air Base, Tinian 362
B-29's and Taxiway, North Field, Tinian 363
North Field, Tinian 364
Tinian Breakwater 366
Tinian Harbor 367
Men and Equipment of the 62nd Battalion Workinng on the Second Airstrip, Iwo Jima 369
90th Seabees Excavating for Tank-farm Pipeline, Iwo Jima 370
Iwo Jima Hangar Erected by the 8th Seabees 370
Seventh Fleet Command Headquarters, Iwo Jima 371
133rd Seabees Build a Culvert, Iwo Jima 371
CASU 52 Camp and Administration Area, Iwo Jima 372
Messhall and Galley at CASU 52 Camp, Iwo Jima 372
90th Seabeees Move a Quonset Hut, Iwo Jima 373
Philippine Sea Frontier Headquarters, Leyte 374
Seabees Build an Airstrip Thhhrough a Philipine Swamp 378
Receiving Station, Tubabao Island, Samar 380
Wharf Area of the Naval Supply Depot, Calicoan 381
Jungle Road on Calicoan Island 382
Administration Building at the Samar Naval Air Base 384
General View of the Supply Depot, Samar 385
Multiple-quonset Warehouses at the Supply Depot, Calicoan Island 387
Street Scene at the Calicoan Supply Depot 388
Filtration Plant with 810,000 gallons-per-day Capacity, Subic Bay 392
Naval Supply Depot Area, Subic Bay 393
Samar Camp of the 100th Seabees, November 1945 394
Naval Aviation Repair and Overhaul Unit, Samar 395
Unloading Across a Pontoon Causeway, Okinawa 400
Road-surfacing Operations by the 71st Seabees on Okinawa 401
Yonabaru Pier in Operation, July 23, 1945 402
Katchin Hanto Peninsula, Okinawa 403
Extension to Pier at Baten Ko, Okinawa 404
Pontoon Pier at Katchni Hanto, Okinawa, May 12, 1945 405
Kadena Traffic Circle, Okinawa 406
Automotive Construction Equipment Overhaul and Repair Depot, Okinawa 406
Building a Runway at Yontan Airfield, Okinawa 407
Overloaded Truck Towed Through Okinawa Mud 407
Water Point, Okinawa 408
58th Seabees Place Mat for Seaplane Ramp, Katchin Hanto Seaplane Base 410
Tide-control Gates for Drainage of Yonabaru Airfield 410
Building the Operational Unit for the 301st Fighter Group, Ie Shima 411
Docking Facilities at Ie Shima 411
Chimu Airfield, Okinawa 412
Temporary Quarters of the 72nd Seabees at Sasebo, Japan 415
 
Maps
Western Atlantic and Canal Zone Defense Area 2
Caribbean Area 8
Panama Canal Zone 17
The North Atlantic Area 48
Irish and Scottish Bases 62
Mediterranean Area 78
Bases in Southern England and in Normandy 96
Oahu Island 123
Maui Island 153
Hawaiian and Outlying Islands 154
Alaska and the Aleutians 164
South Pacific Islands 194
Borabora 197
Efate 203
Tongatabu 207
Tutuila 211
Upolu 213
Wallis 217
Viti Levu 219
New Caledonia 223
Espiritu Santo 229
Funafuti 233
Nukufetau 235
Nanomea 237
The Solomon Islands 242
Guadalcanal 245
Florida and Tulagi Islands 253
Russell Islands 259
New Georgia Island Group 263
Treasury Islands 269
Bougainville 271
Green Islands 275
Southwest Pacific Area 278
Milne Bay 287
Hollandia, Aexishafen, Finschhafen 293
Manus and Los Negros 297
Biak, Morotai, Halmahera 309
Tarawa 315
Central Pacific Area 316
Majuro 319
Kwajalein 323
Eniwetok 327
Palau 329
Ulithi 333
The Marianas, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the Japanese Home Islands 338
Philippine Islands 376
Samar and Leyte 379
Manila Area 391
Okinawa Jima 398


Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation