Naval Base Manila

Naval Base Manila, Naval Air Base Manila was a major United States Navy base south of the City of Manila, on Luzon Island in the Philippines. Some of the bases dates back to 1898, the end of the Spanish–American War. Starting in 1938 civilian contractors were used to build new facilities in Manila to prepare for World War II. Work stopped on December 23, 1941, when Manila was declared not defendable against the Empire of Japan southward advance, which took over the city on January 2, 1942, after the US declared it an open city. US Navy construction and repair started in March 1945 with the taking of Manila in the costly Battle of Manila ending on March 2, 1945. Naval Base Manila supported the Pacific War and remained a major US Naval Advance Base until its closure in 1971.[1]

Naval Base Manila
Fort San Felipe, San Roque, Cavite City
Near Cavite City in the Philippines
Cavite Peninsula in 1941
Naval Base Cavite is located in Philippines
Naval Base Cavite
Naval Base Cavite
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates14°28′54″N 120°54′58″E
TypeUS Naval base
Site information
Owner United States Navy 1898–1970
ConditionClosed (now Philippine Naval Base)
Site history
Builtlate 16th century
Built bystarted by Spanish East Indies
In useSpanish shipyard: late 16th century – early 19th century
Spanish naval station: early 19th century – 1898
U.S. Naval facility: 1898–1971
Philippine Naval facility: 1971–present
Battles/warsBattle of Manila Bay (1898)
Philippines campaign (1941–1942)
Battle of Manila (1945)
EventsCavite Mutiny of 1872
Garrison information
OccupantsUnited States Asiatic Fleet (1902–1907, 1910–1942)
United States Seventh Fleet (1945–1970)
Major bases:
Naval Station Sangley Point
Naval Base Cavite
Mariveles Naval Section Base
US Navy map 1941, with Naval Station Sangley Point, Cavite shipyard, Naval Base Subic Bay, an ammunition depot in Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula, the city of Manila and Corregidor Island in Manila Bay shown
Map of Manila, Naval Base Manila is at Cavite in Manila Bay

History

The first US Navy bases were Spain's bases taken after the 1898 Battle of Manila. At the end of the Spanish–American War, Spain ceded Manila to the United States.[2][3][4] Merchants ship from Spain and China started trading on the Sangley Peninsula in 1571. Sangley was the name given to Chinese traders, a merchant guest, in the Philippines. The two main Naval bases taken: Naval Base Cavite at Cavite City and Naval Station Sangley Point both on the Cavite Peninsula in Manila Bay, eight miles southwest of the city of Manila. The Cavite Peninsula is south of the city center of Manila. On May 1, 1898, the US Navy took over the two Naval Bases after the Battle of Manila Bay. Naval Station Sangley Point was used as a coal station for refueling ships. At the Naval Base Cavite, a repair shipyard, that Spain had called Astillero de Rivera (Rivera Shipyard), the US Navy did updates, improvements and later added a submarine base. The old Spanish hospital, run by Sisters of Charity, was taken over by the US Navy. The old hospital was replaced by a new Naval hospital, Cañacao Naval Hospital Reservation in the 1920s, this Hospital served the Navy and local population. Cañacao Naval Hospital was destroyed during the war. Starting in 1938 US and Philippines civilian contractors were used to build up the US bases at Manila. The new 1941 projects were building at Sangley Point a Seaplane base and an ammunition depot at Mariveles on the tip of Bataan Peninsula.[1][5]

On December 23, 1941, it was declared that Manila was not defendable. Most civilian contractors depart Manila. US Troop were withdrawn to the Bataan Peninsula.[6] Some Troops withdrawn to Corregidor Island in the bay, that surrendered May 6, 1942.[7] Japanese forces took over and started using the two Manila bases in January 1942. US civilians that did not depart were detained by Japan at University of Santo Tomas-(Santo Tomas Internment Camp) and Bilibid Prisons. The University of Santo Tomas prisoner of war (POW) camp held 3,000. The two Bilibid Prisons were used as processing centers, over 13,000 POWs, mostly Americans, were held there before being put on hell ships and transferred to other POW camps.[1][5] Some staff at the Naval Hospital did not evacuate, including some nurses, who became POWs with the Troops in the Battle of Bataan.[8][9] The nurses became known as the Angels of Bataan for their care of the Troop till liberated in February 1945.[10][11][12]

With the taking of Manila in 1945, in March 1945 the US Navy's Seabee, Naval Construction Battalions, began repairing the battle damage at the two bases. Soon improvement began, with new Troop arriving at Pacific War, a base for new Troops arriving was built at the Cavite naval base. With the fighting ships at war for years, a Cavite repair base and depot was built for the repair and maintenance of ships. United States Seventh Fleet headquarters moved into the 40-acre Manila Polo Club. At Sangley Point Seabees built a new 5,000-foot runway for Naval Air Transport Service airfield. The new airfield had 12,000 barrel tank farm, hangars, and a depot. Sangley Point seaplane base was repaired and improved, including adding a pontoon dock. The Cavite base was repaired and a new replacement Naval hospital was built. The Manila bases and the large Fleet anchorage in Manila Bay began to build up for the expected costly invasion of Japan, planned for November 1, 1945, called Operation Downfall. With the Surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, the invasion was not needed. The new Naval Hospital was completed and expanded. Naval Base Manila continued as US Base till 1971, when it was turned over to the Philippines Navy.[1][13][5]

Bases and facilities

USS Rigel (AD-13), a repair ship, at anchor in Manila Bay in 1945

Naval Base Manila was a major repair base, bases at the repair facilities:[1][5]

Sangley Point 1941, with USS Langley AV-3 docked

Auxiliary Airfields

US Naval Station Sangley Point in 1966, seaplane base was to the right of the Varadero de Manila Shipyard

Manila auxiliary airfields:

Seabee units

Seabee units working at Naval Base Manila: [1]

  • 12th Naval Construction Regiment
  • 77th Battalion
  • 119th Battalion
  • ACORN-45

Losses

Overhead view of the Sangley Point facilities in the 1960s.

See also

References

  1. "Building the Navy's Bases, vol. 2 (part III, chapter 26)". US Navy, navy.mil.
  2. José Roca de Togores y Saravia; Remigio Garcia; National Historical Institute (Philippines) (2003), Blockade and siege of Manila, National Historical Institute, pp. 148–150, ISBN 978-971-538-167-3
  3. "Blockade and Siege of Manila". US Navy, navy.mil.
  4. "Battle of Manila Bay". US Navy navy.mil.
  5. "Maps and Photos – expendable.us".
  6. "Decision To Withdraw to Bataan". history.army.mil.
  7. "Bataan and Corregidor". US Navy, navy.mil.
  8. "Navy Nurse POW, Philippines". US Navy navy.mil.
  9. Oral Histories – U.S. Navy Nurse in the Pacific Theater during World War II Recollections of CAPT Ann Bernatitus, US Navy navy.mil
  10. Norman, Elizabeth (2013). We Band of Angels, p. 24-25.
  11. "Navy Nurses Behind Enemy Lines in the Philippines". US Navy navy.mil.
  12. Monahan, Evelyn M. & Neidel-Greenlee, Rosemary (2003). All This Hell, p. 31.
  13. "Manila Bay". US Navy navy.mil.
  14. "Pacific Wrecks". pacificwrecks.com.
  15. "NH 44684 First Reserve Hospital, Manila, Philippine Islands". public2.nhhcaws.local.
  16. Norman, Elizabeth (2013). We Band of Angels, p. 24.
  17. "Pacific Wrecks – Cavite, Cavite Province, Luzon, Philippines". pacificwrecks.com.
  18. uscg.mil, Coast Guard Air Station Sangley Point
  19. US Navy Cavite Submarine base
  20. US Navy Cavite Submarine base
  21. Part I Into Action – Pearl Harbor and the Philippines
  22. NPS.gov Mariveles Naval Section Base
  23. pacificwrecks.com, Mariveles Naval Section Base
  24. pacificwrecks.com Mariveles Seaplane base
  25. pacificwrecks.com, Mariveles Airfield
  26. tracesofwar.com, Malinta Tunnel
  27. Naval Supplementary Radio Station Melbourne Australia stationhypo.com
  28. In the Hands of Fate: The Story of Patrol Wing Ten, Messimer, 1985, chapter 13
  29. PBY Catalinalanbob.com
  30. "Pacific Wrecks – Manila Bay (Manila Harbor) Luzon, Philippines". pacificwrecks.com.
  31. "Pacific Wrecks – Manila, National Capital Region, Luzon, Philippines". pacificwrecks.com.
  32. "Pacific Wrecks – NAS Sangley Point (Antonio Bautista, Danila Atienza) Cavite Province, Luzon, Philippines". pacificwrecks.com.
  33. "Pacific Wrecks". pacificwrecks.com.
  34. "Pacific Wrecks – Nichols Field (Manila Airport, Ninoy Aquino Airport) Luzon, Philippines". pacificwrecks.com.
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