Naval Base Iwo Jima was a naval base built by United States Navy on the Japanese Volcano Island of Iwo Jima during and after the Battle of Iwo Jima, that started on February 19, 1945. The naval base was built to support the landings on Iwo Jima; the troops fighting on Iwo Jima; and the repair and expansion of the airfields on Iwo Jima. United States Navy Seabee built all the facilities on the island.
History
With the landings on Iwo Jima, Seabees' first task was to get cargo and vehicles on the island. Amphibious vehicles, Amphibious crafts, barges and amphibious ships were used to get cargo onto the beaches. Beach unloading was difficult due to the surf and sand. Marston Mats were laid to help jeeps and DUKWs onto the beach. Once the beach was secured Seabees built ship dock at the western beach. On the west beach, old ships were sunk to make a breakwater. Both old ships and concrete barges were sunk to make an artificial breakwater to form a harbor. Some of ships sunk were seized from Empire of Japan like the Toyotu Maru. Some were old Soviet Union ships like: Chetvertyi Krabalov, Caliche, and Gilyak. Other ships sunk were US Concrete Barge No. 30 and other concrete Barges. The last ship, the 12th was sunk on June 13, 1945. On the west beach a small harbor was built to support a small boats. The other high priorities for the Seabees were fresh water and the repair and expansion of the airfields on Iwo Jima. Japanese had made 14 wells on the island, the Seabees used eight wells to build a fresh water system including water tanks. Cisterns and new wells were added to the system. The United States Seventh Fleet Command Headquarters move to Iwo Jima in newly built buildings. After clearing land mines, the Seabees built a Radar station on Mount Suribachi and built a road to the top.
Facilities
Facilities built by the Seabee: West beach harbor, built with sunk ships East boat basin Piers and quay walls DUKW west beach landings with mats Landing beaches with mats Water supply system, with tanks and water distillation Ammunition depot Quartermaster depot Medical center Engineering camp Chemical Engineering Camp Power stations Crash boat base 27,000 cubic feet refrigerated depot Tent camp for 37,000 Troops Headquarters -quonset huts Navy Carrier Aircraft Service Unit (CASU) camp and depot Mess halls - quonsets Hospitals: 1,250 beds 38th Field Hospital 41st Station Hospital 232nd General Hospital Navy dispensaries with 105 beds Radar station on Mount Suribachi, built road to top. 20 miles of primary roads 40 miles of secondary roads Tank farms for: Fuel oil, aviation fuel, diesel fuel, gasoline AA gun emplacements Navy Communication Center Post office FPO# 3150 SF Iwo Jima, Kazin Group East shore quarry Seabee depot Hangers
Airfields
The Seabees first repaired the captured airfields. Next for Boeing B-29 Superfortress operation, the Seabees did massive earth works to get some to the needed runway. A number of Superfortresses made emergency landings as soon as the runway was fixed.
Central Field (also called Motoyama No. 2) was built by Japan, with two runways: and . Seabees completed the extension of the runway to by July 7, 1945, and by July 12, to a length of .United States Armed Forces continued to use Central Field. On June 27, 1968, the US departed Central Field and gave control over to Japan. Japan used the airfield for as a navigation and weather station. United States Armed Forces use the airport for refueling and some time for US Navy special pilot training. South Field (also called Motoyama No. 1 and Chidori Field) is the south corner of Iwo Jima. Japan had built two runways, one and the other . Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 did the repair work on the runways. The runway was used by both the United States Army Air Forces and the US Navy. The US Navy's VPB-116 operated PB4Y-1 Liberator as patrol bombers from South Field. Later the PB4Y-1 were replaced by Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer aircraft. By July 1945, Seabees had completed the extension of the runway to by . On September 30, 1955, South Field was closed and turned over to Japan to be abandoned. North Field (also called Motoyama No. 3) was an incomplete runway built by Japan. Seabees started work on completing the runway, then turned the work over USAAF aviation engineer battalion April 27, 1945. Massive Earthworks was done, by August 1945 and the Surrender of Japan the runway was . North Field was located at . With the war over North Field was used as a depot and then abandoned.