Naval Base Saipan or Naval Advance Base Saipan or Naval Air Base Saipan was a United States NavyNaval base built during World War II to support Pacific Ocean theater of war and the many warships and troops fighting the war. The base was on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. The base was part of the Pacific island hopping campaign. The base construction started after the Battle of Saipan ended on July 9, 1944.[1]US Naval Advance Base Saipan was constructed by the Seabees Naval Mobile Construction Battalions. The base was under the Commander Naval Forces Marianas. Saipan is 12 miles (19 km) long and 5 miles (8.0 km) wide. About 70% of the island was sugarcane cultivation at the start of the base construction. At the start of the Battle of Saipan, the island's population had about 30,000 Japanese troops and about 20,000 Japanese civilians. The city of Garapan was the administrative center for the Saipan governmental district.[2][3][4]
The Navy used 110 ships to bring troops and equipment to Saipan from Hawaii. Included in the Saipan fleet were 37 troopships (APA and AP), 11 cargo ships (AKA and AK), 5 Dock landing ships, 47 Landing Ship, Tank and 10 Auxiliary ships. For the battle and base, 74,986 tons of cargo was moved, at 7,845,194 cubic feet of cargo.[5][6] After the war, Saipan remained a US Navy base. In 1962 Saipan became the headquarters of the U.S. administered United Nations trust territories of the Pacific Islands till 1986.[7]
Seabees Construction
The first Seabee Construction Battalions landed with the United States Marine Corps on June 15, 1944, at Chalan Kanoa on the west coast of Saipan. The 121st and the 18th Seabee Construction Battalions with parts of 92nd and 67th Battalions start unloading equipment for the battle and base operations. The Seabees repaired the captured airfields, the northern island runway and the Aslito Airfield. Both airfields were repaired with crushed coral and marston mat. The northern side airfield was 4,500 feet (1,400 m) long, US Navy Grumman TBF Avengers were the first to use the runway. The captured aviation fuel tanks were usable and the Seabees filled them from shore tankers. After the repairs were complete, United States Army Air Forces started patrols fights from the runway also. The Seabees used a captured pier to unload cargo ships. On June 21 Seabees of the 121st Construction Battalion began to repair the shell-damaged railroad tracks that ran from Charan Kanoa to Aslito Airfield and by June 25 supply trains started running. The other tracks in the area were also repaired. Construction Battalions did road repair and started depot construction. After the capture of Tanapag Harbor, Seabees repaired and expanded the port facilities. The port had a depth from 9 feet (2.7 m) to 25 feet (7.6 m). Japanese resistance on Saipan ended on July 9. On September 13, 1944, the Seabees were given the order to turn Saipan into a major Advance Base. Much of the damaged equipment on the island was removed first. The 39th, 17th, 101st, 117th, 595th and 614th Construction Battalions and the 31st Special Battalion joined in the construction.[8] To keep boats on the flighting front there was a great demand for bases that could repair and restock boats in remote ports, Advance Base Saipan was able to repair and restock boats. Large ships in need of repair went to Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo. The base became a major resting place for troops and a regroup spot. Many of the wounded troops from the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Okinawa campaign were taken to the hospital on Saipan. By the end of the war, Saipan had 9,500 hospital beds in seven hospitals. The Seabees built two new 8,500 feet (2,600 m), asphalted runways at Aslito Airfield. These were used for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers. At the end of the war, the Japanese civilians that had survived were returned to the Japanese homeland.[9][10]
US Navy Charan Kanoa port in Saipan in 1944Seabees completing runway on Saipan in 1945 with B 29 in the airNavy ships docked at SaipanNAS Tanapag in 1950
Facilities
Facilities built, repaired or expanded, 7,000 buildings were built.[11][12]
Tanapag Harbor Navy port, 3 Liberty ship beths, masonry pier and two 12 feet (3.7 m)x72 feet (22 m) pontoon piers. Ramp for LST's, LCT's, and LCM's. Seabees dredged the Harbor, so large ships could dock.
