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Naval Base Hawaii
Naval Base Hawaii
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21°21′23″N 157°57′53″W / 21.356365°N 157.964705°W / 21.356365; -157.964705

Key Information

Pearl Harbor Mooring and Berthing Plan Map
Map of the five counties of the state of Hawaiʻi
Hawaii regions map

Naval Base Hawaii was a number of United States Navy bases in the Territory of Hawaii during World War II. At the start of the war, much of the Hawaiian Islands was converted from tourism to a United States Armed Forces base. With the loss of US Naval Base Philippines in Philippines campaign of 1941 and 1942, Hawaii became the US Navy's main base for the early part of the island-hopping Pacific War against Empire of Japan. Naval Station Pearl Harbor was founded in 1899 with the annexation of Hawaii.[1][2]

History

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Pearl Harbor started as a naval facility and coaling station after a December 9, 1887, agreement. King Kalākaua granted the United States exclusive rights to use Pearl Harbor as a port and repair base. The United States - Hawaii relationship started with the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875, a free trade agreement. On May 28, 1903, the first battleship, USS Wisconsin arrived at the new coal station for coal and water. The Naval Station had existed in Pearl Harbor since 1898, but in 1908 the United States Congress allocated $3 million to build Navy Yard Pearl Harbor. Also in 1908 the Great White Fleet stopped at Pearl Harbor on its journey around the globe.[3] During World War II Naval Base Hawaii was given the codename Copper and Naval Station Pearl Harbor the codename FRAY.[4] The fear of Japan's aggression started at the end of World War I.

After World War I in which Japan fought on the Allied side, Japan took control of German bases in China and the Pacific. In 1919, the League of Nations approved Japan's mandate over the German islands north of the equator. The United States did not want any mandates and was concerned with Japan's aggressiveness. As such Wilson Administration transferred 200 Atlantic warships to the Pacific Fleet in 1919.[5][6] The Port of San Diego was too shallow to handle the battleships, so San Pedro Submarine Base became a Naval Base on August 9, 1919. San Pedro Submarine Base and Long Beach became fleet anchorage for the 200 ships. In 1940, President Roosevelt had the fleet at San Pedro moved and stationed at Honolulu's Naval Base Pearl Harbor due to Japanese war actions in China. While the United States was committed to Neutrality in the 1930s, Japan's aggression against China had caused concern.

On December 7, 1941, Japan carried out a surprise military strike on the Naval Base in Pearl Harbor.[7][8] Japan hoped to eliminate US military force in the Pacific as it soon carried out attacks across the South Pacific. The attack led the US to enter World War II. For the US all of the Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers were at sea during the attack and most of the other ships sunk in the attack were repaired and put back in service. During the war, Hawaii became a major staging and training base for the Pacific War. Many wounded troops were sent to Hawaii hospitals.[9] The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard became a major repair base for the war. Hawaii was a major supply depot and refueling depot for the Pacific War. A vast fleet of United States Merchant Navy ships help keep the base depots supplied. After the attack at Pearl Harbor, General Walter Short put Hawaii on Martial law, putting all of Hawaii under military rule till the end of the war. Japanese-Americans and Japanese immigrants on Hawaii were sent to Internment Camps during the war. Two small internment camps were built in Honolulu Harbor and Honouliuli. At Honouliuli 3,000 Japanese were held and later Italians, Okinawans, German Americans, Taiwanese, and a few Koreans were later held. At the end of the war, many of the troops returned home in Operation Magic Carpet and some of the small bases were closed. In the Korean War (1950–1953) some ships in the United States Navy reserve fleets returned to active duty after being overhauled at the shipyard and sea trialed by the base. With the Vietnam War (1955–1975) the base was again busy with support efforts. The Cold War (1947-1991) and the 600-ship Navy had Naval Base Hawaii active.[10][11] Hawaii was admitted as a US state on August 21, 1959 by the Hawaii Admission Act.[12]

Pearl Harbor attack

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Pearl Harbor attack on 7 December 1941

Japan planned and carried out a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Japanese midget submarines type Kō-hyōteki were used during the Pearl Harbor attack. Five midget submarines were launched before the Pearl Harbor attack: 16, 18, 19, 20, and 22. Of the five submarines it is thought that only two made it into the harbor. No. 19 was captured as it grounded on the east side of Oahu. No. 18 sank after a depth charge attack. No. 20 was sunk by Ward. No. 22 made it into Pearl Harbor and fired two torpedoes, both missed their targets before being sunk by the USS Monaghan. No.16 fired two torpedoes, at an unknown target. The midget submarines had been launched by fleet submarines I-16, I-18, I-20, I-22, and I-24 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) from Pearl Harbor.[13][14]

Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters, level and dive bombers, and torpedo bombers) attacked bases in Hawaii, including Pearl Harbor in two waves. The aircraft were launched from six aircraft carriers 430 km (260 mi) north of Hawaii. The main target was Battleship Row at Ford Island and the airfields. Seven battleships were at Ford Island and one was in dry dock No. 1 for repairs, the USS Pennsylvania. All eight battleships were damaged and four were sunk in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. The battleship USS Arizona and USS Utah were not salvaged and remain as war grave memorials. The battleship Oklahoma was salvaged and then scrapped due to her age. The other battleships damaged were repaired and returned to service: West Virginia, California, Nevada, Maryland, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. In the attack three cruisers: Helena, Raleigh and Honolulu were damaged and later repaired. Four destroyers: Cassin, Downes, Helm, Shaw were damaged and later repaired.[15] and one minelayer. More than 180 US aircraft were destroyed.[16] In the attack 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded.[17] The attack destroyed most of the planes at NAS Ford Island, Hickam Field, to the North Wheeler Airfield and NAS Kaneohe Bay. Japan's focus on the battleships, other large ships and airfields in the attack left other parts of the base unharmed: the power station, dry docks, shipyard, depots, fuel tanks, and torpedo depot, ammo, depots, submarine base, intelligence office. Of the Japanese 354 planes 29 aircraft were lost.[18][19][20]

At the time of the attack, no US aircraft carriers were at Pearl Harbor. The USS Enterprise was returning to Pearl Harbor and was 215 miles west of Pearl Harbor. USS Lexington was 500 miles southeast of Midway. USS Saratoga was at NAS San Diego preparing to depart to Pearl Harbor. Due to the attack, the USS Yorktown was transferred to the Pacific Fleet on 16 December 1941. New aircraft carriers would join the Pacific War and other transferred. The USS Yorktown was later sunk by Japanese submarine I-168 on 7 June 1942. USS Lexington (CV-2) was badly damaged in the Battle of the Coral on 8 May 1942 and was scuttled.[21]

Current Hawaii Naval Bases

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Pearl Harbor submarine base in the early 1930s. USS Alert at the lower right use as a barracks ship. The Kuahua supply depot is in the upper left corner
USS Alert, as submarine tender for the Third Submarine Division of the Pacific Fleet, lying alongside the wharf at Kuahua Island, U.S. Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, 22 August 1917. K-3 and K-4 are alongside; the unidentified "boat" is probably K-8
Pearl Harbor submarine base and fuel tank farms in October 1941, with Merry Point at the top. Top Center is the Bloch Arena

Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor opened in 1918 at the end of World War I. The US Navy sent United States R-class submarines: USS R-15 (SS-92) and USS R-20 (SS-97). The submarines arrived in January 1919. In 1912 four F-class submarines operated out of the Naval Station at Pier 5 in Honolulu. USS F-4 sank off Honolulu in 1915 and the remaining F-class submarines were taken back to the states.[23] In 1916 four K type submarines operated out of Pearl Harbor with the submarine tender USS Alert (AS-4) till after World War I.[24] In 1919 a submarine base was built with waterfront concrete docking slabs at 21°21′18″N 157°56′31″W / 21.355°N 157.942°W / 21.355; -157.942, on Quarry Loch and Magazine Loch. Commander Chester W. Nimitz, later Fleet Admiral Nimitz, was the first Commanding Officer of the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base, Submarine Division 14. Some of the new bases building were aviation cantonment buildings from World War I France. The new base had a mess hall, administration building; machine shop, carpenter shop, electric plant, gyro-compass shop, optical and battery overhaul shops. For general stores, a floating barge was used. Starting in 1920, nine United States R-class submarine were stationed Pearl Harbor in 1920. In 1923 permanent building construction was stated. With limited barracks during construction submarine personnel lived on the 1885 cruiser USS Chicago, later renamed the USS Alton, at where pier S1 is now.[25] By 1925, the sub base had about 25 buildings and some swamp land had been turned in usable land. In 1928, the current U-shaped barracks building was built to house all submarine and submarine base personnel. By 1933, submarine berths 10 to 14 were completed with a 30-ton crane for servicing the subs. In 1933 a submarine rescue and training tank was built. In 1933 a new torpedo shop, pool, theater and repair building were completed and the USS Alton retired. Pearl Harbor Submarine Base was not attacked on 7 December 1941, the base was small compared to Naval Base and battleships. So the submarine fleet was the first to take the war to Japan in the Pacific.[26][27] The submarine Base started with 359 men on 30 June 1940, then 700 on 15 August 1941, to 1,081 by July 1942, and peaked July 1944 with 6,633 men at the Submarine Base.[28] Over 400 men were stationed on submarines out of the 123.5 acre base. During the war, the base handled 15,644 torpedoes and 5,185 torpedoes fired at enemy vessels. Of these 1,860 torpedoes made successful hits. Submarine Base had is own Base Medical Department, as medical needs on a sub are different than a ship. For Rest and Recuperation, the Submarine Base used the nearby Royal Hawaiian Hotel with 425 rooms, air crew and small craft crew used the hotel also. The base had a baseball team: the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base Dolphins. The bases on Hawaii each had a team that would play in their downtime. Submarine Memorial Chapel it is the oldest chapel at Pearl Harbor, it in now a remembrance of all the submariners who died in World War II.[29][30] On 7 December 1941, the US Navy had operational: 55 fleet submarine and 18 medium-sized submarines (S-class submarines) in the Pacific, 38 submarines in other theaters, and 73 submarines under construction.[31] By the end of World War II, the Navy had built 228 submarines.[32] Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, USS Parche Memorial, Submarine Memorial Park, Sharkey Theater, Paquet Hall, NGIS Lockwood Hall Annex, and Navy Gateway Lockwood Hall are on the former Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor location on Quarry Loch and Magazine Loch in Southeast Loch.

Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base

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PT-20 that was at Pearl Harbor in 1941

At the Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor was the Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base. PT boats used the same torpedoes as the submarines so the PT Boat base operated out of the Submarine Base. At the time of the attack six PT boats were in Magazine Loch at the base at Berth S-13: PT-20, PT-21, PT-22, PT-23, PT-24, and PT-25, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One. The PT Boats were the first to use their anti-aircraft guns to shoot back. The PT Boats fired over 4,000 rounds at the planes with Boat PT-23 shooting down the first Japanese torpedo bomber in the attack. The boats engaged in anti-submarine patrols after the attack. YR-20, a submarine barge, was being used as a PT Boat tender for the PT Boat squadron at Pearl Harbor. Six PT Boats, at the time of the attack, were in various stages of being loaded onto the deck of the oil tanker, USS Ramapo, to be shipped to Naval Base Philippines. Ramapo was at berth B-12 at the Naval Yard, as a Naval Yard crane was being used to load the boats. Patrol torpedo boat PT-29 was one the boats already loaded on Ramapo. The six PT-Boats at replenishment oiler Ramapo, PT-26, PT-27, PT-28, PT-29, PT-30 and PT-42, were able to fire at the attackers. With the fall of the Philippines the 12 PT Boats were sent to defend the Midway Atoll in May 1942 under their own power. PT-23 broke down en route and was returned to Pearl Harbor.[33][34] In 1943 PT Boats with Squadron 26, (PT-255 thru PT-264) were stationed at Pearl Harbor. PT Boats had a range of about 500 miles and were armed with four .50-caliber machine guns and four 21-inch torpedo tubes. PT Boat were wooden boat that were small, fast and able to attack large ships.[35][36]

Ford Island Seaplane Base

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Ford Island Seaplane Base with Consolidated P2Y seaplane with VP-10F at Pearl Harbor in 1934

Ford Island Seaplane Base was located on Ford Island's southwestern corner in Pearl Harbor. The base was called Naval Air Station Ford Island, (NAS Ford Island). On December 16, 1918, two seaplane ramps and two seaplane hangars were built. The base was near the Joint Services Flying Field, later renamed Luke Field Amphibian Base. The Island in the early days was called Rabbit Island. The US Army operated Luke Field, a 5,400 foot long runway, on Ford Island from 1919 to 1941.[37] In 1941 all of Ford Island used by the US Navy and renamed NAS Pearl Harbor. US Navy unit VJ-1 (JRS-1) was based at the Seaplane Base. Ford Island Seaplane Base was the first base hit on the 7 December 1941 attack. An Aichi D3A Val piloted by Lt Cdr Takahashi dropped the first bomb, a 242 kg Type 98 land bomb at 7:55am on the seaplane ramp. During the war Consolidated PBY Catalina and Martin PBM Mariner were both stationed and passed through the base. Battleship Row was along the east shore of Ford Island.[38][39][40] K. Mark Takai Pacific Warfighting Center is currently on Ford Island.

Net laying

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USS Ash Net laying ship that worked at Pearl Harbor

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was concern about a second attack, as such more anti-submarine net operations were put in place to protect capital ships and the dry docks. Net laying ships: USS Ash, and USS Cinchona Aloe-class net laying ships, worked at Pearl Harbor through the war. YNG-17 a net barge was used by the net laying ships to store nets at Pearl Harbor. In 1941 at the Pearl Harbor entrance the Navy had only a torpedo net installed. The torpedo net was only about 30 feet deep and did not extend down to the bottom of the channel with anchors. Submarine nets are anchored to the bottom. One and maybe two midget submarines were able to go under the torpedo net. At the time of the attack, no nets were installed in the Naval Base harbor, as the shallow harbor was thought to be safe from air torpedoes. After the attack temporary and later permanent nets were placed to protect capital ships and the dry docks. a fleet of net laying ship ships were built and used at major bases across the Pacific War.[41][42][43]

Kaneohe Bay Seaplane Base

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Naval Air Station Kaneohe after Pearl Harbor raid. With burnt hangar, seaplane PBY, 4 of the 5 seaplane ramps are visible

Kaneohe Bay Seaplane Base, Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, at Kaneohe Bay, Oʻahu on 464 acres of the Mokapu Peninsula.[44] In 1940 a 5,700 by 1,000 foot runway was added to seaplane base, with housing for 9,000 men. During the 1941 attack, only 9 of the 36 PBY Catalinas at Kaneohe Base survived the attack and of the 9 that survived, six were damaged. At the Kaneohe Bay Seaplane Base 18 sailors were killed in the attack. Seabees built an assembly depot, repair depot, plating shop, engine testing depot, and an engine-overhaul depot. In February 1944 the Seabees built a second runway 5,000-feet long, Kaneohe Field.[45][46] US Navy units stationed during the war at Kaneohe were: Patrol Wing 1, VP-14 with PBY, 318th Fighter Group, 73rd Fight group with Curtiss P-40E Warhawk) and VP-137 with Lockheed Ventura PV-1). Kaneohe Field had an assembly and repair shop for aircraft. Naval Air Station Kaneohe was a training center for aviation, naval gunnery, turret operations, celestial navigation, sonar, and other naval operations till 1949. For baseball the base had the: Naval Air Station (NAS) Kaneohe Bay Klippers. Kaneohe Field is now part of Marine Corps Base Hawaii - Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. In 1951, the Marine Corps took over Kaneohe Field, and the Navy moved land operations to NAS Barbers Point.[47][48]

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The two 6,600-foot parallel runways built by Naval Air Station Honolulu in, now Honolulu International Airport. During World War II the Navy had seaplane ramps add, so seaplanes could be brought onto the airfield. To the left is part of the John Rodgers runway

Naval Air Station Honolulu also called Honolulu Airfield, was John Rodgers Field at Keehi Lagoon on the south shore of Oahu.[49] The Navy acquired the commercial airfield John Rodgers Airport, in February 1943. John Rodgers Airport opened in March 1927. Next to the John Rodgers runway, the Navy built a second runway and a seaplane base. The Seabee lengthened the John Rodgers, the two runways were 7,400 feet and 6,800-foot long. The Seabee built two new 6,600-foot parallel runways on fill, aviation-gasoline storage, control tower, barracks, depot, 10 plane nose hangar, and two seaplane ramps. The main Naval activity at the base was the Naval Air Transport Service. The US Navy WAVES were stationed at Naval Air Station Honolulu with their own quarters. Naval Air Station Honolulu support the largest seaplane, Martin JRM Mars.[50] The US Navy used Martin JRM Mars for cargo from San Francisco Bay starting 23 January 1944.[51][52] The Martin JRM Mars service continued until 1956. In 1946 Airfield was returned to commercial use. The runways are now Honolulu International Airport.[53][54]

Pearl City Seaplane Base

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During the war, in 1942, the Navy took over most of the Pan American Airways terminal, the Pan American Clipper Hawaii Terminal, on the southern tip of the Pearl City Peninsula at 21°22′31″N 157°58′37″W / 21.375375°N 157.976901°W / 21.375375; -157.976901. The Naval Air Transport Service operated out of the base, new Pearl City Seaplane Base. Once Naval Air Station Honolulu opened Naval Air Transport Service moved to Honolulu Seaplane base. Pan American Airways started using the Pearl City terminal in 1934, including the China Clipper and Honolulu Clipper. The terminal was returned to Pan American after the war, but with many land base runways built during the war, the terminal was closed in a few years.[55]

Aiea Naval Hospital

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Aiea Naval Hospital
Temporary World War II, 3,000 bed Moanalua Ridge Naval Hospital in 1944

Aiea Naval Hospital construction started in July 1939. There was an expectation of war and the Navy wanted to be sure to care for the troops. The Aiea Naval Hospital was on 41 acres of land atop a steep hill north of Pearl Harbor. The Aiea Naval Hospital opened with 1,100-beds in early 1941. After the December 1941 attack, construction accelerated. After the attack, 960 patients were admitted and 452 died over the three hours after the attack. The Hospital Ship USS Solace, not damaged in the attack took in 177 patients. Aiea Naval Hospital was the primary rear-area hospital for Navy and Marines. As the Pacific War grew, so did the hospital. In 1944 temporary wards with 5,000 beds was added by the US Navy's Seabees, Naval Construction Battalion. Aiea Naval Hospital had patients from battles in Solomon, Gilbert, Marshall Islands, Saipan, Guam, and Mariana Islands. In 1944 the hospital received 41,872 patients, and 39,006 of these patients were transferred to the mainland or returned to active duty. The hospital's patients peaked in March 1945 with 5,676 patients after the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. Hospital patients were entertained by 1940s celebrities like: Boston Red Sox Joe Cronin, organist Gaylord Carter, Nearby recreation center had: bowling alleys, tennis, and volleyball courts, and billiard tables for able patients.

The 25-acre site's Richardson Recreation Center was used by all troops. The Hospital patient's food gardens, cared for by patients, as part of rehabilitation. The staff had a baseball team the: Aiea Naval Hospital Hilltoppers, as the hospital was on volcanic ridge overlooking Pearl Harbor. The teams played in the Central Pacific Area (CPA) League. Next to the hospital was the Aiea Naval Barracks, with the Aiea Naval Barracks Maroons team. Aiea Naval Hospital closed in June 1949 and is now part of Camp H. M. Smith. The 1949 patients were moved to a joint Army and Navy medical center at Tripler Army Medical Center.[56]

  • On McGrew Point in Pearl Harbor at Aiea Heights was Naval Base Hospital No. 8, a temporary hospital to augment Pearl Harbor hospital facilities. The hospital was built with quonset hut and closed in 1945. Mobile Hospital No. 2 operated at McGrew Point before No. 8 from 1941 to 1943. Mobile Hospital No. 2 received 110 patients from the 1941 attack.[57] Naval Regional Medical Clinic (NRMC), Pearl Harbor was opened on March 8, 1974.[58]
  • The Naval also built a temporary Naval hospital near the Tripler Army Medical Center called the Moanalua Ridge Naval Hospital, with 3,000 beds.[59]
The 1915 Naval Hospital Pearl Harbor on Hospital Point in 1940

Hospital Point

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Naval Hospital Pearl Harbor at Hospital Point was the first naval hospital at Pearl Harbor opened in May 1915 with a 50-bed at 21°20′53″N 157°58′01″W / 21.348°N 157.967°W / 21.348; -157.967. From 1892 to 1910 the USS Iroquois was used as the Marine Hospital Service Hospital Ship for the base. In 1901 a dispensary building was built at the old Honolulu Naval Station. Surgeon General Rixey put in a request for new Hospital in 1909, which lead to the construction of the 1915 hospital at Hospital Point. Starting in 1925 and completed in 1930 more wards and buildings were added to keep up with the growth of the base. On Ford Island a Naval Dispensary was built in 1940. With Aiea Naval Hospital completed the plan was to close the Hospital Point Hospital, but with World War II the need was great and the old Hospital continued operations, called Naval Hospital Navy No. 10, till the end of the war. Hospital Point is now a Naval House complex.[60]

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Navy Yard Pearl Harbor in 1941, dry docks 1, 2, 3 and Hospital Point are on right side
Pearl Harbor dry docks aerial July 1942, Right to left YFD-2 (with Alywin), Dry Dock 3 (with Growler and Nautilus), Dry Dock 2 (with Litchfield and ARD-1 and Dry Dock 1 (with West Virginia)

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard was built in 1908. The first drydock was completed in 1919.[61] Ship repairs start with the founding of the base in 1898. Three more drydocks were completed in 1941, 1942 and 1943. Dry Dock No. 4 built in 1943 was built at Hospital Point. To help with the World War II workload, the Auxiliary floating drydock USS YFD-2 was added in October 1940 until 1947. The main shipyard was not attacked in 1941, only the ships at the yard were targeted. After the 1941 attack, only Dock No. 2 was working. YFD-2 and Dock No. 1 were repaired and used to repair the many ships damaged in the 1941 attack. The four drydocks and YFD-2 could not keep up with the demand of the war, a new Auxiliary floating drydock, USS ARD-1 was stationed at the yard during the war able to repair destroy-size ships. USS ARD-8 was stationed at Pearl Harbor and Midway. USS Richland (YFD-64) started work at Pearl Harbor and then was sent to Naval Base Eniwetok, Naval Base Ulithi and then Leyte-Samar Naval Base.[62][63][64] At the end of the war the USS Arco (ARD-29) transferred from Naval Base Okinawa to Pearl Harbor in 1946.

After the war the shipyard was renamed, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. After Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor closed, submarine service was moved to Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.[65]US Nuclear Submarines are still supported at the shipyard.[66][3]

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Naval Air Station Kahului in 1944, now Kahului Airport, Maui

Naval Air Station Kahului was a US Naval Air Station on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii. Naval Air Station Kahului was used for carrier aircraft aviation training. The airfield opened 15 March 1943, construction started 16 November 1942. The land had been leased from a sugar company, Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company. Five miles south of Naval Air Station Kahului was NAS Puunene, which was too small to keep up with the carrier aircraft demands of World War II. Holmes and Narver, Industrial and Architectural Engineers in Los Angeles won the contract to build the first part of the Air Station. Naval Air Station Kahului had two runways, 5,000 feet and 7,000 feet long. Navy Squadron VC-23 with Douglas SBD Dauntless scout bombers were the first unit based at Naval Air Station Kahului. Some troops trained at Naval Air Station Kahului joined Carrier Aircraft Service Units (CASUs). Carrier Air Service Unit 32 was the first unit at the base, on 1 September 1943. In April 1943 Seabee expanded the Air Station, 142nd Construction and 39th Construction worked on the base. On 11 February 1944 Construction Maintenance Unit 563 arrived to run the Air Station. The airfield was support by a small Naval Base at Kahului Harbor. Naval Air Station Kahului was deactivated in December 1947. The Navy turned the airfield over to civil aviation, Hawaii Aeronautics Commission and the base became the Kahului Airport. Commercial airline operations started in June 1952.[67][68]

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Naval Air Station Puunene in 1948

Naval Air Station Puunene started as a civil airport at Puʻunene in 1939, the Navy took over the airport on December 7, 1941, after the attack. At the time the construction work at the airport was about 90 percent completed at 20°49′01″N 156°27′36″W / 20.817°N 156.46°W / 20.817; -156.46 (Naval Air Station Puunene). The 2,202 acres airfield had two 4,500-foot runway. The Naval Air Station Puunene facilities were expanded to support the carrier plane training base. The southwest runway was extended to 6,000 feet. The northwest–southeast runway was extended s7,000 feet. The base was renamed Naval Air Station Maui in 1942. US Navy CASU 4 and VF-72 were the first to operate out of the NAS Maui. Naval Air Station Puunene also used the Maalaea Outlying Landing Field for training and Kahoolawe island for a bombing range.[69] Later part of the carrier plane training base moved to the newer Naval Air Station Kahului five miles away, in 1943, as NAS Puunene could not keep up with the war demand for carrier aircraft aviation training. Interisland Airlines was operated out of the base with limited civil air travel. Naval Air Station Puunene became a commercial airport on October 1, 1946. The Navy ended ownership in December 1948, the base-airport facilities was larger than needed for a civil airport and some of the surplus land and surplus buildings were sold. The 515.639 acres base was now in the ownership of the Territory of Hawaii, the Army, the Navy and the Hawaiian Commercial and Hawaiian Sugar Company. Hawaiian Airlines (now American) was the only operator out of the airport. All airport operations moved to Kahului Airport (former Naval Air Station Kahului) and Puunene Airport on June 24, 1952. The title of Maui airport also moved from Puunene Airport to Kahului Airport. Puunene Airport closed on December 31, 1955. Puunene Airport was used for drag racing in 1956. Starting in September 1958 the Puunene Airport land was sold off, with the profits going to improve the Kahului Airport. One runways is still used by the Maui Raceway Park. Nearby on the former base are the Maui Go Karters Association, Signature Maui Event Rentals, Maui Motocross Track and the Army National Guard Armory off the Maui Veterans Hwy.[70][71][72]

Carrier Aircraft Service Units

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Aviation machinists working on an aircraft engine

In 1942, Ewa Field, Naval Air Station Kahulu and NAS Puunene became a major United States Marine Corps and US Navy aviation training facilities for Carrier Aircraft Service Unit (CASU). Flight crews and air mechanics trained at Ewa Field for the upcoming Pacific War, including Battles at Wake Island, Guadalcanal, and Midway. Also at Ewa Field the Navy had a lighter-than-air base for blimps and WAVES base. Ewa airfield had four runways from 2,900 feet to 5,000 feet.[73][74]

Aircraft carriers of World War II would have 70 to 100 planes on board. Escort carriers would carry 20 to 30 planes. US Navy and US Marines also operate the planes from land bases.

Tenders

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During World War II the demand for servicing ships and submarines was so great that the land base operations could not supply all the needs. As in many of the US Naval Advance Bases across the Pacific War, tender ships were used to support Navy vessels. Tenders provided: food, water, fuel, ammo, repairs, and for submarines and seaplanes crew living quarter.

The submarine tenders: USS Argonne (AS-10), USS Widgeon (ASR-1) and USS Pelias were at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. The USS Fulton (AS-11), a submarine tender was used to support submarines at Pearl Harbor from 15 March 1942 to 8 July 1942.[75] YR-20, was submarine barge used as a submarine and PT Boat tender. USS Orion (AS-18) was station from November 1943 to 10 December 1943, the USS Gar (SS-206) is one of the Submarines she repaired at Pearl Harbor.[76] USS Sperry (AS-12) worked at Pearl Harbor in 1942.[77] USS Bushnell (AS-15) and USS Griffin (AS-13) worked at Pearl Harbor in 1943 and 1944.[78]

The destroyer tender USS Whitney (AD-4) and USS Dobbin (AD-3) were at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.[79] USS Dixie (AD-14) worked at Pearl Harbor in 1942.[80] USS Piedmont (AD-17) worked at Pearl Harbor 1944.[81]

The seaplane tenders, USS Avocet (AVP-4), USS Swan (AVP-7), USS Hulbert (AVD-6), USS Thornton (AVD-11) USS Curtiss (AV-4), and USS Tangier (AV-8) were at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.[82]

Waipio Peninsula Amphibious Base near Pearl Harbor

US Navy repair ships would come alongside a vessel, like a tender, to provide repair (or salvage) operations. The repair ship had machine shops, parts depot, the tools and crews to get ships repaired or able to get to drydocks. The USS Vestal was next to the USS Arizona during the attack.[83][84] Other repair ships during the attack: USS Medusa (AR-1) and USS Rigel (AR-11)

Waipio Peninsula Amphibious Base

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On the Waipio Peninsula the Navy operated a US Amphibious Training Base, Waipio Peninsula Amphibious Base. The base was at 21°21′40″N 157°59′13″W / 21.361°N 157.987°W / 21.361; -157.987 (Waipio Peninsula Naval Reservation Airfield) and trained troops for the Pacific island-hopping campaigns.[85] Waipio Peninsula Naval Reservation Airfield was built at the base after the war, with a single northeast–southwest runway along the eastern shore of the Walker Bay of the base. The airfield and run runway were abandoned, little remain of the base, as it is now overgrown with vegetation.[86][87][88]

Underwater Demolition Teams

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Seabees in both UDT 3 and UDT 4 made welcome signs for the US Marine Corps on Guam.

The US Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams are the forerunner to today's United States Navy SEALs, they were founded in December 1943 in Hawaii. The first of 30 WW2 teams, was Underwater Demolition Team One, UDT-1 established with UDT-2 in December 1943. The Underwater Demolition Team trained at Amphibious Training Base Kamaole an (ATB) on Maui and Amphibious Training Base Waimanalo (ATB) at Waimanalo on Oahu near current Bellows Air Force Station. The Amphibious Training Base Kamaole used the 8 miles of beach from Māʻalaea Bay to Makena Landing at 20°43′14″N 156°26′57″E / 20.720466°N 156.449091°E / 20.720466; 156.449091 from 1943 to 1944. Amphibious Training Base Waimanalo at Waimanalo Beach, 21°22′05″N 157°42′33″W / 21.36805°N 157.7091°W / 21.36805; -157.7091, was used from 1943 to 1944. At Bellows Air Force Station is memorial to the men of the Underwater Demolition Team, that reads: This WWII combat swimmer commemorates the birthplace of the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams. Commissioned here in December 1943, UDT-1 and UDT-2 paved the way for 28 more Maui-based UDTs, which played a major role in the island battles of the Pacific between 1944 and 1945. These "Naked Warriors" swam unarmed onto heavily-defended enemy beaches with explosives to clear the way for amphibious landings. The concrete "scully" on which this swimmer stands is typical of the underwater obstacles they risked their lives to destroy. [89]

LCDR Joseph J. Rochefort head of codebreakers at Station HYPO, Pearl Harbor

Station HYPO

[edit]

Fleet Radio Unit Pacific, also called Station HYPO, was the US Navy's codebreaking unit in Hawaii. The Navy unit was used in breaking Japanese naval codes.[90] The US Navy's Station CAST and Fleet Radio Unit at Naval Base Melbourne was the other unit working on codebreaking. The unit at Naval Base Cavite and Naval Base Manila's Corregidor Island was lost with the fall of the Philippines in 1942. Station HYPO was key in finding the planned attack on Midway in 1942.[91][92]

Supply depots

[edit]
Kuahua Peninsula Naval Depot, also called Supply Base Magazine Island and Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor (right side) on August 22, 1941
Supply and Fuel depot at Merry Point Landing
Pearl Harbor coaling station in 1919
  • On Kuahua Island, now Kuahua peninsula, due to land fill, the Navy built a large supply depot on 47-acres at 21°21′25″N 157°56′46″W / 21.357°N 157.946°W / 21.357; -157.946 called Supply Base Magazine Island. Fill material was used to extend the island to 116 acres and turn the island into a peninsula (current site of NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor). Piers and railway tracks were built to move the vast amount of supplies needed to support the Troops in the Pacific war. Still a depot for the base, NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor.[93]
  • A second supply depot was built at Merry Point Landing on Quarry Loch, at 21°21′07″N 157°56′35″W / 21.352°N 157.943°W / 21.352; -157.943 just south of the Sub Base. Merry Point depot was built by the 64th and the 90th Seabees. Also at Merry Point was the fuel depot ship landing for fleet oil tankers. Still a depot for the base.
  • A third depot was built at Pearl City (Pearl City peninsula) called the Manana Supply Center at 21°22′N 157°58′W / 21.37°N 157.96°W / 21.37; -157.96. Pearl City was the site for Naval Base Hawaii part distribution and the Naval Air Transport station. Depot closed after war.
  • At Salt Lake, a neighborhood of Honolulu, was a storage area and the Seabees Advance Base Construction Depot (ABCD), stored supplies used to build new advance bases across the Pacific. Advance Base Construction Depot was built by the 117th Battalion Seabees, with 26,000 square feet of covered storage. The Advance Base Construction Depot camp also had a Seabee heavy equipment overhaul depot. Still a depot for the base.[94]
  • Seabees 98th Battalion built the Iroquois Supply Annex at Iroquois Point. Depot closed after war.
  • The Navy handled aviation supplies, at Waiawa Gulch by the Waiawa river. The Navy built the Waianae Aviation Depot. Depot closed after war.
  • The Navy rented storage space in Honolulu in 30 buildings during the war.
  • Ship taken out of service due to damage of age were salvage for part at Waipio Point depot. Parts of Waipio Depot were operated by the WAVES. Depot closed after war.
  • Tank farms. Both above and underground tank farm were built for: fuel oil, gasoline and diesel. Oil storage tanks were not hit in the 1941 attack. Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility was built in 1940 as storage would be safe from an enemy aerial attack. During the war there were two large Pearl Harbor tank farms, upper and lower. Only a few tanks near the former Submarine Base remain.[95]: 178–179 
  • The Coal Dock, Pearl Harbor was built is 1915, was located just south of Hospital Point next to Dry Dock No. 4, at 21°20′38″N 157°57′54″W / 21.344°N 157.965°W / 21.344; -157.965. Coal Dock, Pearl Harbor was the first official Naval installation in Hawaii for US Navy coal fired ships. The Coal Dock was used during World War II, as older World War I ships were removed from the reserve fleet and put into active duty, due to the great demand for ships. Today the Coal Dock site is a base parking lot.
  • West Loch Ammunition Depot at West Loch. Also staging area for transport, LSTs and cargo ships. By 1944 depot and dock were built. Site of West Loch Disaster, kept secret until 1960. Still in use.[96]
  • Lualualei Ammunition Depot at Lualualei, also called Naval Ammunition Depot Oʻahu and now Naval Magazine Pearl Harbor. Still in use, Navy would like to move to West Loch.[97]
  • Each base in Hawaii had its own local depot for its own needs and was resupplied from the large depots.

Hawaii Naval Bases

[edit]

Naval Radio Stations

United States Coast Guard

  • The United States Coast Guard was supported by the US Navy, United States Coast Guard had bases at the US Navy bases:
  • Port Allen, Kauai, FPO# 43
  • Hilo, Hawaii, FPO# 47 Captain of the Port Offices
  • Nawiliwili, Kauai, FPO# 45
  • Kahului, Maui, FPO# 46
  • Honolulu, Oahu, FPO# 48 Post Office-Pier II
  • Ahukini, Kauai, FPO# 44, Ahukini Landing and Ahukini Breakwater Lighthouse

Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor is holding base for decommissioned naval ships, waiting final fate of the ship. The ships are inactive, some are still on the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) and others have struck from the Naval Register.[105]

Current Coast Guard base

  • Coast Guard Station Honolulu [106]
  • Coast Guard Station Maui [107]
  • Coast Guard Station Kauai[108]
[edit]

Naval Station Pearl Harbor was made up of a number of bases, docks, berths, and depots at Pearl Harbor:[109][110]

  • Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor with berths S-1 to S-21
    • Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base at berth S-13
  • Navy Yard Pearl Harbor with berths B-1 to B-26
    • Dry dock No. 1, 2 & 3 with berths DG-1 to DG-4
    • Dry dock YFD-2, next to Drydock 3 (1940-1947)
    • 1010 dock, a 1,010 foot wharf at the Navy Yard berth B-1, B-2 and B-3
    • Bravo Docks, a 2,900 foot wharf at the Navy Yard berth B-22 to B-26
    • Dry dock No. 4 at Hospital Point
  • Merry Point Landing with berths M-1 to M-4
  • Kuahua Depot with berths K-1 to K-11
  • CINCPAC and CINCPAC Landing with berths H-1 to H-6
  • CINCPAC small boat landing
  • Richardson Recreation Center and boat landing
  • Fire Fighting School and boat landing
  • Aiea Boat Mooring and landing, Aiea with berths C-3 to C-6 and D-24
  • East Lock and McGrew Point (Naval Base Hospital No. 8) with berths X-6 to X-15
  • Pearl City Peninsula East Loch with berths X-16 to X18
  • Pearl City Peninsula Middle Loch with berths X-21 to X23 and D-14 to D-21
  • Bluff Point, Waipio with berths D-1 to D-13 (and Waipio Depot)
  • Magnetic Proving Ground, Degaussing range on Beckoning Point Waipio Peninsula at 21°21′52″N 157°58′31″W / 21.3645°N 157.9753°W / 21.3645; -157.9753.[111]
  • Minesweeper range Waipio Peninsula
  • West Loch Ammo Depot and wharf at Powder Point
  • Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital at Hospital Point
  • Coal Dock south of Hospital Point with berths DE-1 to DE-6
  • NAS Ford Island, Seaplane base on South Shore
    • Ford Island East shore with berths F-1 to F-8, called Battleship Row and AM-2 to AM-8
    • Ford Island West shore with berths F-9 to F-13 and AM-9 to AM-13
    • Ford Island North shore with berths X-2 to X-6
  • Advance Base Construction Depot (ABCD), next to the shipyard
  • Naval Section Base Bishop's Point
  • Aiea Naval Hospital
  • Moanalua Ridge Naval Hospital
  • Naval Headquarters
  • Naval Air Station Honolulu
  • Barracks and mess hall
  • Motorpool
  • Upper and lower tank farm, Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility

Airfields

[edit]
Curtiss P-40s burning at Wheeler Field on 7 December 1941

Wheeler Army Airfield was a primary target and site of the first attack on 7 December 1941, leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor The US Navy supported the Airfields with aviation gas, spare parts and shipped in planes. The Navy played baseball against the 7th Army Air Force (7th AAF) Fliers.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

[edit]

The US Navy supports the current Marine Corps Base Hawaii and Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. During the war Marine barracks were on 55 acres next to the navy yard with 29 buildings. The Marine Corps baseball team was the Camp Catlin Gators. On Moanalua Ridge the Marines had a large staging base, built by the Seabees, able to house up to 20,000 troops in 3 camps, for troops departing. Marine base depot was on 73-acre next to the Seabee Camp depot. Camp Maui was a large staging camp.[122][123] Camp Tarawa was a training camp built on the island of Hawaiʻi for the 2nd Marine Division during World War II.[124]

USO Hawaii

[edit]
Bob Hope USO Show at Pearl Harbor in 1944

With thousands of Troops stationed and passing through Hawaii, the USO Hawaii was an important part of the life of many Troops. The United Service Organizations (USO) was founded in 1941 to lift the morale of our military and nourish support on the home front. The USO was formed by having existing organizations work together to support the Troops, the first groups were: Salvation Army, Young Men's Christian Association, Young Women's Christian Association, National Catholic Community Services, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board. USO Hawaii serve all the military bases in Hawaii. Current USO Locations are: USO Honolulu, USO Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, USO Pohakuloa Training Area, USO Schofield Barracks, USO Schofield Transitions.[125][126] USO operated Clubs, like: Hilo Downtown Club, Victory Club, Hu Welina club, Mo'oheau Park Club, Mokuola Club, Rainbow Club, Haili Street Club, Barbara Hall, Molokai Club, Honoka'a Club, Naalehu, Pahala, Pahoa and Kopoho clubs.[127][128]

One of the major events during World War II was the Bob Hope show at the Nimitz Bowl. Hope called his 1944 USO World War II military tour of the South Pacific: "Loew's Malaria Circuit" and "the Pineapple Circuit". Hope, Jerry Colonna, Frances Langford, musician guitarist Tony Romano and Patty Thomas did 150 shows in the two 1/2 months they were on road. Hope and Thomas would do soft shoe dance together in the show and Thomas would do solo tap dance numbers. So the Troops could see Patty Thomas tap dance Hope followed her around a microphone. Also on the tour were singer Gale Robbins, musicians June Brenner and Ruth Denas, and comedians Roger Price and Jack Pepper.[129] The tours visited: Naval Base Pearl Harbor Hawaii at the Nimitz Bowl, Naval Base Eniwetok, Naval Base Cairns, Green Islands, Bougainville, Milner Bay, Naval Base Treasury Islands, Naval Base Mios Woendi called Wendy Island, and Naval Base Kwajalein.[130]

Nimitz Bowl

[edit]
Site of the Nimitz Bowl in Punchbowl Crater

Nimitz Bowl (1944-1948) was a US Navy outdoor venue in the Punchbowl Crater at Aiea, Honolulu dedication was held on 14 April 1944. The US Naval's Seabees built the Nimitz Bowl with 12,000 seats in a natural Bowl, there was more seating for overflow attendees in the natural Bowl.[131] USO shows, music and sporting events. Nimitz Bowl Sporting events included wrestling and boxing. Army/Naval and Naval District Championship, boxing matches were held at the Nimitz Bowl. Nimitz Bowl was sometime call the Hill.[132][133] Bob Hope released as record album recorded at the I Never Left Home in June 1944, A tribute to the armed forces on Capitol Records.[134] Site of Nimitz Bowl is now the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific also called the Punchbowl Cemetery. Congress approved funding and construction in February 1948 for a new national cemetery in Hawaii. The new cemetery was dedicated on September 2, 1949, at the site of the former Nimitz Bowl at 21°18′46″N 157°50′47″W / 21.31278°N 157.84639°W / 21.31278; -157.84639.[135][136]

Recreation

[edit]

Naval Base Hawaii was both a major staging place for troops and supplies going to more forward base and a major rear base for R&R for Troops that had been on the front lines. Due to the fear of Japanese invasion after the attack, the US government took back all regular United States dollars and replaced them with new Hawaii overprint note during the war.[137]

Base Baseball

[edit]
Admiral Chester Nimitz tossed out the first ball in Game 1 of the All-Star Game on September 26, 1945

Baseball was a popular pastime in Hawaii, different bases and organizations had Baseball Clubs. Furlong Field was a baseball field built in 1943 at Naval Air Station Kaneohe. This is where some of the base's Hawaii baseball teams played. Peterson Field at Aiea Barracks was another. At Furlong Field on September 26, 1945, was the first game of the 1945 All-Star Game. The best for the base's teams played off in American League Vs. National League. About 26,000 came to the Base's 7 game All-Star Baseball Series. Admiral Chester Nimitz tossed out the first ball in Game 1. Game 6 was played at Hickam Field. Game 3 was played at Redlander Field near Schofield Barracks and Poamoho Camp at Whitmore Village. Of the 50 All-Star players in the series, 36 had played in the major leagues. Navy Fleet tournaments were also played in Hawaii.[148][149]Joe DiMaggio, hit a home run out of the Honolulu Stadium while playing for a military base team in 1944.[150][151]

Kamaainas.

Internment Camps

[edit]
Shigenori Nishikaichi, the pilot who became the center of the Niʻihau Incident in Hawaii on December 7, 1941

After the attack on Pearl Harbor it was feared that some Japanese Americans might be loyal to the Empire of Japan and the Emperor of Japan after the Niihau incident. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the Secretary of War to set some military zones for the internment of Japanese Americans. Hawaii had some of the U.S. prisoner of war camps and Japanese Americans internment camps. Hawaii had more than 150,000 Japanese Americans or about one-third of Hawaii population, but only 1,200 to 1,800 were sent to the Internment camps.[152] War Relocation Authority built both temporary and permanent relocation camps. As aliens they had to register in accordance with the law and were required to turn in all weapons and short-wave radios. Even with internment, a number of American-born Japanese (or Nisei) volunteered to join the U.S. armed services. The Nisei units fought well and are highly decorated units. Nisei joined all the U.S. armed branches, most joined the U.S. Army.[153][154][155]

Post WWII

[edit]
[edit]
Pearl Harbor during the attack - Ships of Pearl Harbor attack
Map of Pearl Harbor, with locations of battleships and facilities

1: California
2: Maryland
3: Oklahoma
4: Tennessee
5: West Virginia
6: Arizona (6a: Next to the Arizona was the repair ship USS Vestal)
7: Nevada - departed south during attack
8: Pennsylvania (in Drydock No. 1 with destroyers: Cassin and Downes)
9: NAS Ford Island
10: Hickam field
1b: North of 1 (California) tanker Neosho
1c: South of 1 (California) Seaplane tender Avocet

West side of Ford Island: (N to S) Detroit, Raleigh, Utah, Tangier
North of Ford Island: Solace, Chew, Allen, USS Whitney with her destroyers: Tucker, Conyngham, Reid, Case, and Selfridge.
North and Northeast of Ford Island, off McGrew Point: Phoenix, Blue, Helm, Monaghan, Dale, Aylwin, Ralph Talbot, Patterson, Henley, Farragut, USS Dobbin with her destroyers: Phelps, Macdonough, Worden, Dewey and Hull.

A: Oil storage tanks, not targeted
B: CINCPAC, not targeted
C: Submarine base, At base: Sub Narwhal., Tautog and Dolphin; Sub Tenders Argonne, Widgeon and Pelias, at Sub base Hulbert Thornton
South of C (sub base) at Merry Point: Castor and Sumner
C1: North of C, PT Boat Base at Sub base with: PT-20, PT-21, PT-22, PT-23, PT-24, and PT-25
D: Naval yard, at yard: Honolulu, Bagley, St. Louis, Tern, Jarvis, San Francisco, Oglala, Helena, Schley, Cachalot, Grebe, Tracy, Mugford, Sicard, Swan, Ontario, Pruitt, Sacramento, Rigel, Ramapo, New Orleans, Preble, Cummings and YFD-2 with destroyer Shaw and Sotoyomo
Red Cross: Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital at Hospital Point
South of Red Cross, on A shoreline: Drydock No. 4 and Coal Dock, Turkey, Bobolink, Vireo and Rail, at harbour entrance Helm Cinchona and Ash
White (upper left): Pearl City Peninsula, off Peninsula: Medusa, Curtiss, Ramsay, Montgomery, Breese, Zane, Wasmuth, Trever, and Perry
Upper right gray: McGrew Point and Mobile Naval Hospital No. 2

Depth key for Pearl Harbor map

See also

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References

[edit]
[edit]

Sources

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Naval Base Hawaii refers to the integrated network of United States Navy facilities across the Hawaiian Islands, with its core at Naval Station Pearl Harbor within Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu, established in 1908 as a coaling station and expanded into a major Pacific naval hub. The installation provides essential berthing for surface ships and submarines, maintenance services, training facilities, and logistical support to over 270 tenant commands, including 8 ships, 15 submarines, and fixed-wing aviation squadrons, spanning more than 23,000 acres of land and water. Historically, the base endured the devastating Japanese aerial attack on December 7, 1941, which sank or damaged 18 ships and killed over 2,400 personnel, yet facilitated the U.S. Navy's rapid wartime recovery and projection of power that contributed decisively to Allied victory in the Pacific theater. In contemporary operations, it anchors U.S. naval presence in the Indo-Pacific, enabling deterrence against regional threats through submarine basing at Pearl Harbor and aviation support at sites like Kaneohe Bay, while injecting over $2 billion annually into Hawaii's economy via military spending and personnel activities.

Historical Development

Pre-Establishment Context and Strategic Motivations

In the mid-19th century, the United States developed economic interests in Hawaii through whaling ports, missionary activities, and sugar plantations dominated by American settlers, which fostered calls for greater political influence to protect these assets. Hawaii's archipelago, positioned approximately 2,400 miles southwest of California and serving as a midpoint between the U.S. West Coast and Asia, offered a natural waypoint for trans-Pacific shipping in an era when steamships required frequent coaling stops every 3,000 to 5,000 nautical miles. Early U.S. naval surveys, such as those conducted in the 1820s and 1870s, identified Pearl Harbor on Oahu as possessing one of the Pacific's finest natural harbors—deep, spacious, and largely landlocked—making it superior to Honolulu for military refueling and repairs. Strategic imperatives intensified after the 1875 Reciprocity Treaty, which granted duty-free sugar exports to the U.S. in exchange for economic concessions, culminating in the 1887 treaty revision that secured U.S. exclusive rights to establish a coaling and repair station at without fortification, ratified by the on January 20, 1887. Naval theorist Alfred Thayer Mahan's 1890 publication The Influence of Sea Power upon History argued that command of the seas demanded overseas bases to project power and sustain fleets, explicitly endorsing Hawaii's acquisition to counterbalance European colonial expansions and support U.S. commerce in amid rising threats from Japan's modernization following its 1894-1895 victory over and Russia's eastward naval advances. These factors aligned with broader U.S. policy shifts toward Pacific dominance, as evidenced by congressional debates emphasizing Hawaii's role in defending against potential interdiction of trade routes carrying over 50% of U.S. exports to by the 1890s. The overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani on January 17, 1893, by a committee of American and European residents, backed by U.S. Minister who ordered Marines ashore from USS Boston, established a that prioritized to safeguard against restoration efforts and foreign rivals. Despite President Grover Cleveland's initial opposition and a failed 1894 counter-revolution, the Spanish-American War of 1898—necessitating bases for operations in the and —propelled via the , passed by Congress and signed by President on July 7, 1898, integrating Hawaii as a U.S. territory without a . This move was framed in official records as essential for national defense, enabling the conversion of from a rudimentary coaling depot (with initial capacities of around 1,000 tons by the late 1880s) into a fortified naval outpost to deter aggression and facilitate fleet mobility across 10,000 miles of Pacific theater.

Establishment and Infrastructure Buildup (1908-1941)

The establishment of Naval Station Pearl Harbor began with the U.S. Congress passing an act on May 13, 1908, authorizing the dredging and enlargement of the harbor's channel and lochs to accommodate large warships, along with the construction of necessary shops, buildings, and facilities. This legislation allocated approximately $3 million for initial development, driven by strategic imperatives to fortify U.S. naval presence in the Pacific following demonstrations of Japanese naval capabilities in the Russo-Japanese War. The station's creation marked a shift from earlier limited coaling facilities in Honolulu Harbor, enabling sustained operations for the emerging Pacific Fleet. Construction of the first commenced in 1909, but the initial concrete structure failed catastrophically in due to hydrostatic from inadequate against and forces. Reconstruction using and blocks followed, culminating in the dock's completion and commissioning in 1919, which allowed for major repairs and maintenance. Parallel efforts included channel straightening and deepening, completed by 1919, transforming the shallow, dog-leg entrance into a navigable for battleships. In 1916, the U.S. established the 14th Naval District at , overseeing regional operations and spurring continuous infrastructure expansion over the subsequent decades. The was formalized in 1920 on a 32-acre site adjacent to the navy yard's industrial area, supporting the growing undersea fleet with repair shops and berths. Supporting facilities proliferated, including a naval operational by 1916 on Hospital Point, , power plants, and fuel storage, all underpinned by dredging over 1,000 acres of harbor bottom to create berthing spaces. By , infrastructure buildup accelerated in response to rising Pacific tensions, with further channel improvements, additional dry docks planned, and aviation facilities on enabling seaplane operations for patrol squadrons. These enhancements positioned as the principal hub for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, with machine shops, foundries, and administrative structures supporting over 10,000 personnel by 1941. The cumulative investments ensured the base's capacity for fleet logistics, repair, and defense, though vulnerabilities in dispersed infrastructure persisted.

World War II: Pearl Harbor Attack and Immediate Aftermath

On December 7, 1941, the conducted a surprise aerial assault on the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchored at Naval Base, Hawaii, marking the entry of the into . The attack began at 7:55 a.m. Hawaiian time with a first wave of 183 , including fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo planes, followed by a second wave of 171 planes around 8:45 a.m. Japanese forces targeted , airfields, and base infrastructure to neutralize American naval power in the Pacific. The assault inflicted severe damage on the fleet: battleships USS Arizona (BB-39) and USS Oklahoma (BB-37) sank with heavy loss of life, while USS West Virginia (BB-48), USS California (BB-44), and the target ship USS Utah (AG-16) also sank but were later raised; the remaining battleships—USS Nevada (BB-36), USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), USS Tennessee (BB-43), and USS Maryland (BB-46)—suffered significant damage but were repaired. In total, 19 U.S. Navy ships were sunk or damaged, including three cruisers, three destroyers, and various auxiliaries. Aircraft losses amounted to 188 destroyed and 159 damaged across naval and army airfields. American casualties totaled 2,403 killed (2,335 military personnel and 68 civilians) and 1,178 wounded. Japanese losses included 29 aircraft and five midget submarines. U.S. forces mounted a limited defense, downing some attackers with anti-aircraft fire from ships like USS Nevada and shore batteries, though the surprise element minimized effective resistance. Immediate on-site responses focused on firefighting, damage control, and rescue operations amid burning oil and exploding ammunition, particularly on Arizona, where a magazine detonation killed 1,177 crewmen. personnel at the base hospital treated hundreds of wounded, while sailors and civilians improvised to contain fires and save trapped personnel. In the hours following the raid, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, of the Pacific Fleet, initiated searches for the Japanese carrier force using available reconnaissance assets, though without success. President Franklin D. Roosevelt requested a from on December 8, which passed overwhelmingly, unifying the nation. Salvage operations commenced promptly at , leveraging intact dry docks to refloat and repair damaged vessels; by mid-1942, six battleships and most other ships had returned to service, transforming the base into a key repair and staging hub for counteroffensives. The absence of U.S. aircraft carriers during the attack preserved vital assets for subsequent Pacific campaigns.

Post-World War II Expansion and Cold War Role

Following , served as the primary homeport for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, facilitating the repair of war-damaged infrastructure and the logistical support for demobilization efforts, including , which repatriated over 3 million service members from the Pacific theater by late 1945. The base's shipyard and submarine facilities were prioritized for modernization to accommodate emerging technologies, such as early jet aircraft and diesel-electric submarines, though major dry dock expansions were deferred until later decades. By 1949, the had resumed full operations, handling maintenance for the fleet's growing undersea assets amid the onset of the . During the from 1950 to 1953, functioned as a critical repair and resupply node, overhauling damaged vessels and staging amphibious forces for operations against North Korean and Chinese communist forces, with the processing dozens of ships including destroyers and cruisers. The base's role expanded under imperatives, providing forward basing for the Pacific Fleet to counter Soviet naval expansion in the region, including surveillance missions and deterrence patrols extending to the and Western Pacific. By the , the adapted to nuclear-powered submarines, supporting deployments that monitored Soviet submarine activity and ballistic missile tests, thereby bolstering U.S. strategic deterrence without significant territorial enlargement but through enhanced operational capacity. Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, part of the broader naval complex, was reactivated on January 15, 1952, after post-war deactivation, to train helicopter and fixed-wing squadrons essential for and anti-submarine roles amid escalating tensions with communist powers. This development integrated air support for fleet exercises, including simulated invasions and reconnaissance over the Pacific, reinforcing Hawaii's position as a hub for joint naval-air operations through the era, where the base handled transit and refueling for combat aircraft en route to . The facilities' persistence as a asset underscored their causal importance in maintaining U.S. naval superiority, enabling rapid response to crises like the 1968 incident and Soviet fleet movements, until the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991.

Key Facilities and Installations

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Overview

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) is a major U.S. military installation on Oahu, Hawaii, resulting from the consolidation of Naval Station Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base on October 1, 2010, under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process to streamline joint operations and reduce redundancies. The base integrates Navy and Air Force infrastructure, including piers, dry docks, airfields, hangars, and support facilities, to sustain Pacific theater missions. It hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Air Forces, alongside submarine squadrons, surface combatants, and aviation units. JBPHH encompasses over 270 tenant commands and supports approximately 15 , 8 ships, and 7 fixed-wing squadrons, with a total exceeding 66,000 active-duty personnel, civilians, and dependents. As one of the 's busiest ports, it provides berthing, fuel, and repair services critical for fleet readiness, while Hickam Field facilitates air mobility, refueling, and reconnaissance operations across the . The installation's multi-service security forces, comprising and personnel, ensure perimeter defense and internal law enforcement. The base's mission centers on delivering operational support to enable mission success for tenant commands, including , , and training, while contributing over $2 billion annually to Hawaii's economy through spending and personnel presence. Strategically, JBPHH underpins U.S. by maintaining forward-deployed assets to deter aggression and respond to contingencies in the Pacific, where geographic centrality amplifies its role in fleet coordination and rapid deployment. The Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor, situated within Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu, , functions as the principal homeport and logistical hub for U.S. Pacific Fleet submarines, accommodating berthing, repair, supply, and training requirements for assigned forces. It supports the operational readiness of attack submarines through coordination with the and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF), which conducts depot-level maintenance on nuclear-powered vessels. Construction of the base commenced in 1918 amid U.S. efforts to bolster Pacific defenses, with submarines R-15 through R-20 arriving in 1919 to inaugurate operations; initial infrastructure utilized portable buildings repurposed from and the first finger pier for mooring. By 1923, the arrival of R-1 through R-10 prompted erection of the first permanent structure, a battery overhaul shop, followed by from marshes and construction of additional piers, , a 30-ton crane, rescue tank, and repair facilities through the 1930s. On December 7, 1941, during the Japanese aerial assault on , the submarine base escaped major damage as attackers prioritized surface fleet and aircraft targets, preserving its capacity to sustain Pacific from the outset of U.S. involvement in . Throughout the conflict, the facility expanded rapidly, peaking at 6,633 enlisted personnel in , and executed 400 submarine overhauls and refits between May 1944 and , while overhauling 15,644 torpedoes that contributed to 1,860 confirmed hits on enemy vessels. In the postwar era, the base adapted to demands, maintaining its role under Commander, Submarine Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), and now hosts Submarine Squadron 7 (CSS-7), established during , which oversees maintenance cycles, crew training, and deployments for Los Angeles- and Virginia-class submarines homeported there. Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam collectively supports 15 submarines alongside surface ships, underscoring the base's enduring strategic value in undersea operations.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii (Kaneohe Bay)

Marine Corps Base Hawaii (Kaneohe Bay), often referred to as MCBH, is a key installation situated on the Mokapu Peninsula along Kaneohe Bay, on Oahu's windward coast, roughly 12 miles northeast of . Spanning approximately 4,500 acres on Oahu plus 12 acres on Molokai, the base supports training, logistics, and operational readiness for more than 20,000 active-duty personnel, families, and civilians. Its strategic position enables rapid across the , with core functions including resource protection, resiliency promotion, readiness production, and force deployment to counter regional threats. Military development on the site traces to 1918, when President established Fort Kuwa'aohe Military Reservation on 322 acres for U.S. Army defense. The expanded the footprint in 1940, commissioning Kaneohe Bay for PBY Catalina seaplane patrols and long-range reconnaissance. On , 1941, Japanese forces attacked the station as part of the operation, destroying 27 aircraft and damaging six others while killing 20 personnel. Post-World War II, the Marine Corps assumed control in 1951 for integrated air-ground training, formally commissioning Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay in 1952 with the arrival of Marine Aircraft Group 13's F4U Corsairs. In April 1994, the Corps consolidated Hawaii-based facilities under MCB , incorporating the air station and ancillary sites like Puuloa Range Training Facility. The base hosts the —redesignated from the 3rd Marine Regiment on March 3, 2022—which focuses on littoral combat, anti-ship operations, and expeditionary advanced base operations, including its 3rd Littoral Combat Team and 3rd Littoral Logistics Battalion. operates from MCAS Kaneohe Bay, providing rotary-wing and aviation support with squadrons equipped for assault, transport, and reconnaissance missions. Additional units include Headquarters Battalion for base administration and tenant commands such as Combat Logistics Company 33. Infrastructure features a 7,800-foot , training ranges, modernized barracks, medical facilities, and energy-resilient utilities tailored to coastal vulnerabilities, enabling sustained exercises like air-ground integration and live-fire drills. Ongoing upgrades, including ground forces modernization and IT infrastructure enhancements, address equipment obsolescence and regional operational demands.

Pacific Missile Range Facility (Kauai)

The (PMRF) at Barking Sands, situated on the Mana Plain along the western coast of Kauai, functions as the U.S. Navy's principal instrumented range for integrated multi-domain operations. Established to accommodate complex testing and training scenarios, it uniquely enables the simultaneous tracking and support of surface vessels, , , and space assets within a controlled environment. This facility underpins naval advancements in weapons systems validation, instrumentation, and tactical simulations, leveraging over 1,100 square nautical miles of instrumented underwater range and more than 42,000 square nautical miles of special-use airspace. The site's origins trace to early 20th-century aviation activities, with the Kekaha Sugar Company developing a rudimentary by 1921 for private . Acquired by the U.S. Army in 1940 and expanded to 2,058 acres by 1941, it operated as Mana Airport during , supporting critical operations such as the logistics. Postwar renamings included Barking Sands Air Base in 1942 and Bonham Air Force Base in 1954, honoring Major Carlos W. Bonham. Transferred to Navy control in 1957 as Bonham Field, it initially hosted instrumentation for missile launches. In 1964, administrative oversight shifted to the Commander, Pacific Missile Range at , , with the formal redesignation as PMRF Barking Sands to expand missile testing infrastructure. PMRF's instrumentation includes advanced , arrays, and tracking stations that facilitate collection across domains, supporting live-fire exercises, intercepts, and evaluations. It accommodates joint-service activities, including and integrations, while maintaining compatibility with national requirements from nearby Pacific sites. Managed by Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, the facility integrates with broader defense testing needs, such as theater validations proposed in environmental assessments from the early onward. As a detached component of Naval Base Hawaii, PMRF contributes to the Navy's operational readiness by providing uncontested access to diverse simulations in a geographically isolated setting, minimizing risks to populated areas while enabling high-fidelity data for system improvements. Annual activities encompass hundreds of sorties and launches, with environmental compliance documented in recent land-based training evaluations confirming no expansion of activity types as of 2024.

Auxiliary Airfields and Support Sites

Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) , situated within , served as a primary auxiliary airfield for and patrol operations prior to and during . Established as Luke Field in 1919 by the Army Air Service and transferred to control, it hosted Patrol Wing Two headquarters and was targeted during the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack, resulting in the destruction of several PBY Catalina flying boats and damage to hangars. Today, NALF supports limited rotary-wing operations and unmanned aerial systems training under Pearl Harbor-Hickam, with a 3,500-foot accommodating helicopters and small fixed-wing . Naval Air Station (NAS) Barbers Point on Oahu's southwest coast functioned as an auxiliary training and operational hub from its commissioning on December 10, 1942, initially as an outlying landing field for . Expanded during to support carrier air groups, patrol squadrons, and utility aircraft, it peaked with over 6,500 personnel and hosted units like Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 for transport missions. Decommissioned in 1999 under , the 3,800-acre site transitioned to , retaining intermittent military use for reserve training and emergency operations with its 8,000-foot runway. On Maui, NAS Kahului operated as an auxiliary airfield from March 15, 1943, to December 1947, primarily for carrier aircraft qualification and advanced training, relieving congestion at Oahu bases. Constructed on leased sugar plantation land with a 7,000-foot , it supported over 900 officers and 5,000 enlisted personnel, accommodating squadrons of fighter and bombers before reverting to civilian control as . Similarly, NAS Puunene, activated in 1942 nearby, focused on and training with squadrons like Torpedo Squadron 3, utilizing Maui's terrain for realistic exercises until its 1947 deactivation and conversion to civilian use. Additional support sites included auxiliary fields like Kipapa Field on Oahu, a World War II-era auxiliary with two paved runways used for dispersed operations to mitigate attack risks, featuring hardened aircraft revetments for P-47 fighters and liaison planes. These facilities enhanced aviation resilience and training capacity across the , with runways and infrastructure adapted for joint or civilian purposes while maintaining strategic readiness.

Operational Missions and Capabilities

Support for Pacific Fleet Assets

Naval Base Hawaii, under the oversight of Commander, Region Hawaii (CNRH), provides essential base operating support to U.S. Pacific Fleet assets, including ships, , and their crews, encompassing facilities maintenance, , berthing, and quality-of-life services to ensure operational readiness. Pearl Harbor-Hickam, a core component, delivers high-quality installation services and infrastructure support to tenant commands and visiting fleet units, facilitating mission success across the region. The and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY&IMF) conducts depot-level repairs and modernizations for Pacific Fleet surface ships and submarines, serving as the most comprehensive such facility between the U.S. West Coast and the with a workforce of approximately 4,850 civilians and 498 . Recent examples include the completion of a 15.5-month maintenance availability for in July 2024, involving dry-dock and pier-side work, and the initiation of repairs on in September 2024. PHNSY&IMF also acts as the naval supervising authority and lead maintenance activity for submarine tenders in the Pacific Fleet. Logistics support is managed by the Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Pearl Harbor, which delivers full-spectrum integrated services such as supply chain management, fuel distribution, and ocean terminal operations to sustain fleet readiness during deployments and exercises like Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). This includes critical provisioning for ships and submarines operating in the Pacific, generating warfighting capability through joint force logistics during peacetime and contingency operations. Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific further handles intermediate maintenance and training for surface ships homeported at Pearl Harbor, enhancing overall fleet sustainment.

Submarine and Surface Warfare Operations

The Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor supports operations for attack submarines assigned to Submarine Squadrons 1 and 7 under Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, focusing on missions such as , anti-surface ship warfare, intelligence collection, and strike operations across the theater. These squadrons oversee Los Angeles-class (SSN-688) and Virginia-class (SSN-774) fast-attack submarines homeported there, including USS Charlotte (SSN-766), USS Tucson (SSN-770), and recently arrived USS Montana (SSN-785), which arrived at Pearl Harbor on December 30, 2024, with a crew of approximately 140 personnel. Submarines undergo maintenance at , enabling extended deployments for stealthy undersea patrols, mine laying, and support for forces, with recent examples including major overhauls completed during 2025 for units under Squadron 1 command. Surface warfare operations at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam are coordinated by Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, which manages training, maintenance, and readiness for Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and other combatants homeported there, such as USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), USS Hopper (DDG-70), USS Decatur (DDG-73), USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121). These vessels execute multi-domain warfare tasks, including ballistic missile defense, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine screening, and anti-surface strikes using Aegis combat systems and vertical launch systems, contributing to fleet protection and power projection in exercises like Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). Amphibious support ships like USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52) augment these operations with capabilities for expeditionary warfare and humanitarian assistance. Integrated submarine and surface operations emphasize , with submarines providing undersea domain awareness to surface groups during transits and contested environments, supported by shore-based from Afloat Training Group Middle Pacific and Center for Surface Combat Systems Detachment . This setup sustains forward-deployed forces for deterrence against peer adversaries, with over 20 surface combatants and multiple submarines routinely participating in joint patrols and operations as of 2025.

Training Exercises and Testing

Naval Base Hawaii serves as a primary hub for multinational and unilateral training exercises, emphasizing interoperability, combat readiness, and advanced tactical proficiency for U.S. Pacific Fleet assets. The biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world's largest maritime training event, is hosted primarily out of Pearl Harbor-Hickam, involving surface ships, , , and personnel from over 20 nations. RIMPAC 2024, conducted from June 27 to August 1, featured participation from 40 surface ships, three , and more than 3,000 personnel, incorporating live-fire sinking exercises (SINKEX), amphibious operations, , and the largest-ever and disaster relief component with eight countries, five ships, and five . These exercises simulate high-intensity scenarios to enhance coalition capabilities in contested maritime environments. Submarine-focused training at Naval Submarine Base includes formal engineering and tactical courses delivered by the Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific (NSTCP), which equips Pacific Fleet crews with skills for undersea operations, including sonar proficiency, weapons handling, and damage control. Annual events like Exercise Black Widow 2025, initiated on March 5 in the Hawaiian operational area, integrate submarines, surface ships, and aircraft to test undersea warfare tactics, such as employment and evasion maneuvers against adversarial threats. Mine warfare training, including unmanned systems and counter-mine operations, occurs in surrounding waters and was incorporated into RIMPAC 2024 by aviation units from . The Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai, an integral component of Naval Base Hawaii, supports precision-guided munitions testing, evaluations, and trials across its 1,100-square-nautical-mile instrumented underwater range and 42,000 square nautical miles of overlying airspace. PMRF facilitates live launches, , and target engagements for systems like the series, with ongoing activities including increased frequency for 13 training types such as rocket-assisted torpedoes and surface-to-air firings, as proposed in 2024 environmental assessments. No novel activities are introduced; instead, these build on decades of established programs for surface, subsurface, and aerial weapons validation. The Hawaii-Southern Training and Testing (HSTT) study area encompasses these efforts, analyzing cumulative impacts from at-sea and land-based drills to maintain readiness without introducing untested methodologies. Joint training oversight falls under Navy Region Hawaii's Operations Training and Exercises (N36) directorate, which coordinates integrated scenarios across bases to assess readiness, including simulations introduced in RIMPAC 2024. These activities prioritize empirical validation of tactics through repeated, data-driven iterations, ensuring forces adapt to evolving threats like peer competitors in the .

Logistics and Maintenance Functions

The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) serves as the primary maintenance hub for U.S. Navy surface ships and submarines at Naval Base Hawaii, functioning as the largest and most comprehensive fleet repair facility between the U.S. West Coast and the Far East. It conducts repairs, overhauls, conversions, alterations, refurbishments, and testing to ensure operational readiness, supporting Chief of Naval Operations availability periods for vessels. With a workforce of approximately 6,400 personnel, including over 5,000 civilians, PHNSY & IMF maintains four dry docks, with Dry Dock 5 under construction to replace the aging Dry Dock 3 and accommodate modern submarines like the Virginia-class. Logistics functions are managed by the Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Pearl Harbor, which provides integrated supply chain management, contracting, transportation, fuel distribution, and personal property movement to sustain naval forces in the Indo-Pacific. This includes operating fuel facilities—prior to the 2021 Red Hill incident—and supporting exercises like RIMPAC with resupply and retail services. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Distribution Pearl Harbor complements these efforts with physical distribution, preservation, air cargo handling, and retail operations, featuring the region's largest preservation facility. Port Operations under Commander, Navy Region Hawaii oversees berthing, mooring, and overall port logistics at , facilitating vessel movements and cargo handling to maintain fleet sustainment. These combined maintenance and logistics capabilities enable rapid turnaround for repairs and resupply, critical for Pacific Fleet operations amid extended deployments and regional tensions.

Strategic and Geopolitical Importance

Role in U.S. Indo-Pacific Defense Strategy

Naval Base Hawaii, particularly through Pearl Harbor-Hickam, functions as the operational centerpiece for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which maintains headquarters there and commands approximately 200 ships, 1,500 , and 150,000 personnel dedicated to maritime dominance in the . This positioning enables sustained forward presence, rapid surge capacity, and logistics sustainment across a theater spanning over 100 million square miles, countering adversarial anti-access/area-denial capabilities. The base supports the fleet's role in executing distributed lethality tactics, including submarine patrols from and missile defense testing at the on Kauai, which validates hypersonic and countermeasures essential for regional deterrence. In alignment with the 2022 National Defense Strategy's emphasis on integrated deterrence against , the installations facilitate real-time intelligence fusion, joint force training, and prepositioned assets to uphold and respond to contingencies like potential crises. tenders and dry docks at sustain undersea warfare assets that provide persistent surveillance and strike options, while at Kaneohe Bay integrates expeditionary forces for littoral maneuver, enhancing the Navy's ability to contest contested spaces. These capabilities underpin the strategy's focus on resilient basing to mitigate vulnerability to long-range precision strikes. The base's alignment with U.S. Command (USINDOPACOM), headquartered in , amplifies its strategic multiplier effect by enabling synchronized campaigns with , Air Force, and allied elements to promote stability and deter coercion. Recent infrastructure investments, including fuel depot redundancies post-2021 Red Hill incident, ensure operational continuity amid escalating great-power competition, with 's ports handling over 70% of Pacific Fleet maintenance needs. This forward posture deters expansionist threats by demonstrating credible combat power, as evidenced in exercises like RIMPAC that simulate multi-domain operations against peer adversaries.

Economic Contributions to Hawaii

The U.S. Navy's presence at Naval Base Hawaii, primarily through Pearl Harbor-Hickam, generates more than $2 billion in annual economic activity for the state, encompassing salaries, operational expenditures, contracts, and local procurement. This direct infusion supports Hawaii's economy as the second-largest sector after , accounting for approximately 8.3% of the state's via broader defense-related spending. Direct payroll constitutes a core component, with roughly $1 billion allocated annually to military personnel, civilian employees, and related compensation across Region Hawaii installations. Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam sustains a and exceeding 107,000 individuals, including over 36,000 active-duty and reserve sailors and more than 17,000 Department of Defense civilians whose earnings circulate through local housing, retail, and services. The and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNS-IMF), a element of the base, employs thousands in specialized trades such as , , and repair, contributing about $731 million in salaries as of recent assessments. Procurement and contracts amplify these effects, channeling funds to Hawaii-based firms for maintenance, construction, and logistics; Navy operations alone drive around $1 billion in such non-payroll spending yearly. Major projects, including shipyard overhauls and infrastructure upgrades authorized under the National Defense Authorization Acts, have injected billions in recent fiscal years—for instance, over $1.7 billion in Hawaii military construction for FY2024—fostering indirect jobs in supply chains and stimulating sectors like professional services and manufacturing. Statewide, defense contracts from 2018–2022 totaled $14 billion, with Honolulu County (home to the base) capturing the largest share, yielding $26.2 billion in total economic output. These contributions enhance economic resilience by diversifying beyond fluctuations, generating state and local tax revenues—estimated at tens of millions from base-related activity—and supporting veteran-owned businesses and retiree spending patterns. However, reliance on federal funding introduces vulnerabilities to shifts, as evidenced by historical base realignment debates projecting job losses of up to 10,000 if key facilities like PHNS were curtailed. Overall, Hawaii's economic footprint underscores its role in sustaining high-wage employment and fiscal stability amid Hawaii's geographic isolation and import dependency.

Alliances and Forward Presence Deterrence

Naval Base Hawaii, as the headquarters of the (COMPACFLT), serves as a critical hub for maintaining forward-deployed naval forces across the , enabling persistent maritime presence to deter potential adversaries such as . The base supports the operational readiness of approximately 200 ships, 1,200 aircraft, and 40,000 sailors and civilians under COMPACFLT, which oversees forward elements like the Seventh Fleet's 50-70 warships routinely operating west of the . This forward posture contributes to deterrence by denial, positioning combat-credible forces in the Western Pacific to complicate aggression and signal U.S. commitment to regional stability, as outlined in the Department of Defense's Pacific Deterrence Initiative. The strategic location of Pearl Harbor-Hickam facilitates rapid force dispersal and projection, enhancing deterrence against threats like Chinese missile capabilities targeting Pacific bases. Infrastructure at the base, including squadrons and surface ship berths, sustains rotational deployments that maintain operational tempo, with vessels like Arleigh Burke-class destroyers equipped for hypersonic weapons stationed there to counter advancing adversary anti-access/area-denial systems. This presence underscores U.S. resolve, as evidenced by COMPACFLT's emphasis on integrated deterrence through persistent operations that raise the cost of conflict for potential aggressors. In support of alliances, the base hosts the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world's largest multinational maritime training event, conducted biennially since 1971 under COMPACFLT sponsorship. RIMPAC 2024 involved 29 nations, 42 surface ships, four submarines, over 150 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel, focusing on in domains including and humanitarian assistance to build collective capabilities against major-power aggression. Such exercises strengthen partnerships with key allies like , , and the , enabling joint operations that deter coercion in contested areas like the . Additional initiatives, including the Pacific Partnership mission, leverage base facilities for collaborative humanitarian and training with partner nations, as in the 21st iteration in 2025, which enhanced regional and resilience. These efforts, coordinated from , integrate allied forces into U.S.-led operations, fostering trust and operational alignment essential for credible deterrence amid rising tensions.

Environmental Impacts and Controversies

Historical Contamination from Military Activities

Military activities at Naval Base Hawaii, particularly at the Naval Complex, have caused environmental contamination since the early 1900s, primarily through , ship maintenance, fuel handling, and ordnance disposal. The U.S. Navy's establishment of the station in involved initial of the harbor entrance, which mobilized historical sediments containing and other naturally occurring pollutants, exacerbating their distribution via naval operations. By the era, intensified ship repairs, painting, and waste disposal introduced synthetic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and petroleum hydrocarbons into harbor sediments and surrounding soils. The Naval Complex was added to the EPA's () in 1990 due to widespread contamination from past military practices, including chemical spills, improper material disposal, and leaks from above-ground fuel storage predating underground tanks. Contaminants identified include volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organics, metals like and lead, and products affecting , , and sediments across multiple operable units. Historical records document over 100 years of harbor from these activities, with pre-World War II storage contributing to baseline pollution levels. Ordnance-related contamination stems from World War II-era training and operations, leaving unexploded munitions in soils and offshore areas, with explosive residues posing risks to and human health; soil at Naval Station is classified as high risk for such contamination. Shipyard activities from the 1930s to 1980s released fibers during vessel construction and repair, contaminating work areas and adjacent environments. By 2005, assessments confirmed that numerous on-base sites retained legacies of these operations, including disposal into the harbor in earlier decades, though remediation focused on verifiable chemical signatures rather than unsubstantiated claims. The Navy has identified and addressed dozens of such sites through investigation and cleanup under CERCLA, prioritizing empirical data on contaminant plumes over speculative health attributions.

Red Hill Fuel Leak Incident (2021)

In 2021, the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, an underground complex of 20 tanks holding up to 250 million gallons of petroleum products above Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu, , suffered two JP-5 jet fuel releases due to operational errors by personnel. The first occurred on May 6, when approximately 20,000 gallons leaked during a fuel transfer from Tank 5, primarily entering a sump and rather than immediately contaminating , though some fuel migrated undetected. The second and more consequential release happened on November 20, when over 19,000 gallons escaped from Tank 14 into a sump that overflowed, infiltrating the fractured basaltic and reaching the Red Hill Shaft, a key source for the base. These releases contaminated the Navy's , affecting roughly 93,000 users, including active-duty service members, dependents, and civilians on the base. Detection delays stemmed from inadequate monitoring and response protocols; fuel odors were reported in water starting November 21, but full system flushing and distribution were not initiated until November 28 after confirmatory testing. Health complaints surged, with over 1,000 individuals reporting acute symptoms such as , , , skin rashes, headaches, and respiratory shortly after exposure, linked empirically to volatile organic compounds like and in the JP-5. Longer-term surveys indicated persistent effects in subsets of the population, including neurological issues and exacerbated pre-existing conditions, though causal attribution remains under peer-reviewed scrutiny by agencies like the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). A Navy command investigation attributed both incidents to procedural lapses, including failure to isolate sumps and verify tank levels, compounded by historical underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance despite known risks from the facility's 1940s-era design in a groundwater-dependent area. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency order on November 29, 2021, mandating defueling and enhanced monitoring, while Hawaii's Department of Health directed operational shutdown. By March 2024, the completed draining all tanks, removing over 149 million gallons, but residual groundwater plumes persist, requiring ongoing remediation under oversight. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviews criticized contractor oversight and DoD risk assessments, highlighting tensions between strategic fuel storage needs and environmental safeguards in vulnerable aquifers.

Remediation Efforts and Ongoing Superfund Sites

The U.S. , under its Environmental Restoration Program, conducts investigations and cleanups at contaminated sites within Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), part of Naval Base Hawaii, as mandated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Pearl Harbor Naval Complex (PHNC), listed on the (NPL) since 1990, encompasses multiple operable units (OUs) with ongoing remediation for contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), , solvents, and petroleum hydrocarbons in soil, , and sediments. Site assessments and remedial actions address historical waste disposal and operational leaks, with the having identified over 60 active sites requiring as of 2022. Remediation at PHNC includes sediment capping and in , as outlined in the 2019 Record of Decision (ROD) for OU-19, which targets human health risks from bioaccumulative toxins while minimizing disruption to naval operations. For per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the has assessed 32 sites of known or suspected contamination in soil and at JBPHH as of 2024, implementing interim measures like monitoring and potential treatment systems, though full-scale remediation awaits site-specific feasibility studies. No PFAS detections have occurred in active sources at the base per Department of Defense (DOD) testing through early 2024. The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, a key focus of remediation efforts following the 2021 fuel leaks, underwent defueling completion by August 2024, with the Closure Task Force-Red Hill (NCTF-RH) advancing physical modifications to tanks and infrastructure, conditionally approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on February 25, 2025. involves aquifer restoration through extraction, treatment, and reinjection, with ongoing site assessments confirming no evidence of contaminant migration beyond the facility as of April 2025; long-term monitoring and remediation are projected to continue for years under EPA and Department of Health oversight. Challenges include securing regulatory approvals and estimating full costs, which DOD has not fully communicated, per a 2024 Government Accountability Office review. Additional ongoing Superfund-related efforts at PHNC target underwater munitions disposal sites in the harbor, where the is evaluating removal or in-situ containment to mitigate explosive and chemical risks, with community input via the Restoration Advisory Board. Overall, EPA reports no immediate threats to human or the environment from PHNC sites, though comprehensive closure requires sustained federal and coordination amid competing priorities.

Debates on Environmental Risks vs. National Security Needs

The 2021 fuel leaks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, which contaminated Oahu's groundwater and affected over 93,000 residents' drinking water with JP-5 jet fuel, intensified debates over balancing environmental safeguards with the U.S. military's fuel logistics for Pacific operations. The facility, holding up to 250 million gallons to enable rapid resupply amid potential conflicts, faced initial military resistance to Hawaii's drainage order, with officials arguing that immediate closure could compromise national security by delaying fuel distribution to naval assets. Ultimately, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin mandated defueling and permanent closure in March 2022, following assessments that alternative dispersed storage and commercial partnerships could sustain readiness without the concentrated risks of Red Hill's aging infrastructure. Environmental advocates and local stakeholders contend that military installations like Pearl Harbor-Hickam contribute to chronic contamination, including PFAS "forever chemicals" in soil and water from firefighting foams and historical activities, threatening Hawaii's unique aquifers and marine ecosystems critical for and Native Hawaiian sustenance. These risks, documented in designations for sediments polluted with metals, hydrocarbons, and organics since , are seen by critics as systemic failures prioritizing operational tempo over causal prevention of spills and leaks. In response, Department of Defense analyses assert that such facilities underpin deterrence against regional adversaries, with a Government Accountability Office review noting Navy efforts to detect and treat PFAS at the base, though acknowledging incomplete risk awareness prior to incidents like Red Hill. Broader controversies involve training and testing on or near naval lands, where Hawaii's 2025 rejection of an environmental impact statement for Big Island live-fire ranges—due to insufficient analysis of and disruption—pitted local environmental and cultural preservation against readiness imperatives. Proponents of sustained operations, including planners, argue that curtailed activities could erode proficiency, heightening personnel risks in high-threat scenarios, as evidenced by modeling reduced live-fire opportunities leading to degraded unit effectiveness. Concurrently, the and partners allocate resources for , such as $10 million in 2024 for watershed protection and restoration, while ongoing environmental impact statements for land retention incorporate public input to reconcile these priorities. These efforts reflect empirical trade-offs, where verifiable incidents drive remediation without empirically demonstrated lapses in strategic posture to date.

Recent Developments and Modernization

Infrastructure Upgrades and Construction (2020s)

In 2020, the U.S. Navy initiated the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) to modernize its public shipyards, including and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF), with investments aimed at enhancing maintenance capabilities for nuclear-powered submarines and surface ships. A key component is the $3.4 billion 5 project, which involves constructing a new graving dock to support Virginia-class submarines; early milestones included precast unit transport via a 6,000-ton vessel in April 2025, with overall funding allocations reaching $1.2 billion by January 2025 as part of broader defense projects totaling $1.55 billion. To facilitate SIOP execution, the Navy awarded a $500 million design contract in 2023 for shipyard modernization at PHNSY & IMF, covering structural upgrades, seismic improvements to Dry Dock 6, and demolition of outdated facilities like the Hammerhead Crane. Complementing these efforts, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii issued an $8 billion multiple-award construction contract in June 2025 to eleven firms for new construction, repairs, alterations, and demolitions across Hawaii bases, including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), to address aging infrastructure and operational needs. This contract supports serial production and maintenance alignment with fleet demands, such as Columbia- and Virginia-class submarines. Additional upgrades in the decade focused on resilience and support infrastructure. In July 2025, JBPHH completed the "Fiber Deep" project, replacing legacy copper lines with fiber-optic cabling to enhance cyber defenses and reduce maintenance costs by up to $60 million over time. The for fiscal year 2025 allocated $83 million for DDG-1000 destroyer support infrastructure at JBPHH and $49.26 million for an entry gate upgrade, prioritizing and logistics efficiency. In November 2024, NAVFAC awarded an $81 million contract for architect-engineer services on waterfront projects in and the South Pacific, emphasizing pier and berthing enhancements. Post-2021 Red Hill fuel leak, infrastructure efforts shifted toward closure and decontamination rather than new fuel storage construction, with the Navy determining in 2022 that existing alternatives suffice for operational continuity without additional facilities. PHNSY & IMF's Area Development Plan further integrates these upgrades by optimizing layouts for future efficiencies, including 3D utility modeling to avoid conflicts in congested areas. Overall, these 2020s initiatives reflect a $8 billion-plus commitment to sustain JBPHH's role in Indo-Pacific maintenance amid rising regional demands.

Relocation of Advanced Assets (e.g., Hypersonic Capabilities)

In response to escalating threats from China's hypersonic missile arsenal, including the DF-27 capable of striking Hawaiian targets, the U.S. Navy announced plans in 2025 to relocate its primary hypersonic-equipped surface and subsurface combatants to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. This repositioning transforms Pearl Harbor into a central hub for Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic glide vehicle systems, enhancing rapid response capabilities in the Indo-Pacific theater. The relocation centers on the three Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyers— (DDG-1000), (DDG-1001), and (DDG-1002)—each slated for integration of CPS hypersonic missiles via vertical launch system modifications completed or underway by late 2025. These 16,000-ton stealth vessels, originally designed for advanced strike roles, will homeport at following infrastructure enhancements such as expanded pier facilities and missile storage upgrades to support hypersonic munitions logistics. Complementing the destroyers, up to three Virginia-class attack submarines (SSN-774 class), also armed with CPS via Virginia Payload Module tubes, are designated for rotational or permanent basing there by 2030, bolstering submerged hypersonic launch options. Base modernizations, funded through the Navy's Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program and accelerated in the early 2020s, include reinforced dry docks and power grid expansions to handle the Zumwalts' high-energy demands for hypersonic launch sequencing and integration. These efforts address prior limitations in accommodating the destroyers' unique hull form and propulsion, while enabling seamless integration with existing Pacific Fleet assets for hypersonic exercises. The strategic calculus prioritizes Hawaii's central Pacific position for shorter response times to potential conflicts over the or , where hypersonic speeds exceeding Mach 5 enable non-escorting strikes against time-sensitive targets. This shift represents a doctrinal pivot from continental U.S. basing, such as at or , to forward-deployed hypersonic forces, driven by empirical assessments of peer adversary missile ranges and U.S. vulnerability windows. Initial deployments began with rotational Zumwalt visits in mid-2025, with full operational capability targeted for 2027-2028 pending successful CPS flight tests validated at nearby . Critics from defense think tanks note potential risks of concentrating high-value assets in a contested zone, but proponents cite enhanced deterrence through credible, survivable strike options as outweighing such concerns based on wargame simulations.

Response to Regional Threats and Exercises (2023-2025)

In 2023, Pearl Harbor-Hickam served as a primary hub for U.S. Command's (USINDOPACOM) Large Scale Global Exercise 23 (LSGE 23), conducted from May 24 to August 19, which integrated joint and multinational forces to simulate responses to peer-level threats, including Chinese and North Korean aggression scenarios such as launches and maritime incursions. This exercise emphasized sustainment of forces across domains, with Hawaii-based assets practicing detection, tracking, and engagement of simulated adversaries to deter escalation in contested areas like the Taiwan Strait and Korean Peninsula. The base's strategic position enabled ongoing contributions to ballistic missile defense (BMD) against North Korean (ICBM) tests, which numbered over 30 launches between 2023 and mid-2025, including hypersonic and (MIRV) variants. Hawaii's (GMD) interceptors and Aegis-equipped ships from provided layered defense, validated through integrated exercises that prioritized empirical testing of and rapid response protocols amid North Korea's nuclear navalization directives issued in August 2025. To counter China's pacing threat—encompassing militarization and potential strikes—Naval Base Hawaii hosted undersea-focused drills like Exercise Black Widow 2025 in March, involving submarines, surface ships, and in (ASW) tactics tailored to People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) submarine proliferation. Complementing this, REFORPAC 2025 in July tested rapid deployments to , simulating surge operations against Chinese air and campaigns, with over 100 and thousands of personnel validating contested logistics. Multidomain exercises further integrated base resources: Resolute Space 2025 in August, the U.S. Space Force's largest to date, originated from Pearl Harbor-Hickam to rehearse protection and denial against Chinese counter-space weapons. Pacific Warrior 2025 in June demonstrated reserve component agility in contested environments, while Freedom Edge 2025 in September honed allied interoperability for deterrence signaling. These activities, totaling dozens under USINDOPACOM by 2025, prioritized causal linkages between training realism and operational edge, with data-driven after-action reviews confirming enhanced readiness metrics against empirical threat profiles from intelligence assessments.

References

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