Naval Base Puerto Princesa

Naval Base Puerto Princesa, Naval Base Palawan, was a United States Navy base built during World War II at Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island, Philippines, after the Invasion of Palawan on February 28, 1945. Puerto Princesa Bay offered an excellent base for fleet anchorage. At the naval base, US Navy Seabees built: a seaplane base, carrier aircraft fighter plane repair depot, land airfield and other base facilities.[1]

Naval Base Puerto Princesa
Map with Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island highlighted in red
Naval Base Puerto Princesa is located in Philippines
Naval Base Puerto Princesa
Naval Base Puerto Princesa
Location Naval Base Puerto Princesa within the Philippines on Palawan island
Geography
LocationSouth East Asia
Coordinates9.75°N 118.75°E / 9.75; 118.75
ArchipelagoPhilippine islands
Adjacent to
Administration
ProvincePalawan
Naval Base
1945		 United States Navy
Capital and largest cityPuerto Princesa
Naval Base Puerto Princesa and Puerto Princesa Airfield in 1945
Invasion of Palawan map 1945
Naval Base Puerto Princesa 1945

History

Palawan Island is an eastern island of the Philippines and is the fifth largest of the Philippine islands. The island is 265 miles long and about 25 miles wide. The 84th Seabee Construction Battalion arrived at Puerto Princesa on March 12, 1945. Most of the captured Japanese facilities had been destroyed in bombing raids. One captured runway was easily repaired and was selected for repair and lengthening. The 84th Seabee Construction Battalion unloaded and loaned the needed equipment to the United States Army Engineers to work on the runway. The 84th Seabee Construction Battalion built all the other support facilities at the airfield. At the same time, the 84th Seabee Construction Battalion built all the needed port facilities. A large repair dept called a Carrier Aircraft Service Unit was built to service the planes on carrier aircraft. Naval Base Puerto Princesa was support by the very large Leyte-Samar Naval Base, east of Puerto Princesa. After the war, the base was closed and abandoned.[2]

Bases and facilities

Airfields

Puerto Princesa Seaplane Base

Puerto Princesa Seaplane Base opened May 15, 1945. Seaplane ramps and a land base was built. A 500-man camp to support the base was built. The USS Pocomoke (AV-9), a seaplane tender serviced the planes of the US Navy Patrol Squadron, VP-17.[3]

Seabee units

Seabee units at Naval Base Puerto Princesa:[4]

  • 84th Seabee Construction Battalion
  • Acorn 47
  • Acorn 52

Palawan massacre
Main article: Palawan massacre

Puerto Princesa is the site of the Palawan massacre. On December 14, 1944 Prisoner of war held by the Empire of Japan were killed to prevent the rescue of prisoners.[5]

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Naval Base Puerto Princesa.

References
  1. Naval Base Palawanpacificwrecks.com
  2. US Navy, Bases of World War II
  3. Puerto Princesa Seaplane Base pacificwrecks.com
  4. 84th Seabee Construction Battalion
  5. Wilbanks, Bob (2004). Last Man Out. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 45, 53, 56, 68–69, 80–81, 84–85, 92, 98–99, 100, 102, 106–07. ISBN 978-0786418220.
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