Naval Base Banika Island

Naval Base Banika Island
Naval Base Banika Island
	Naval Base Banika Island Location in the Solomon Islands
	Coordinates: 009°05′52.8″S 159°11′38.4″E / 9.098000°S 159.194000°E
Country	Russell Islands in Solomon Islands
Province	Central Province
Naval Base	United States Navy
Established ; Closed	May 15, 1943 ; June 1945

Map of Russell Islands and Banika Island

Naval Base Banika Island was a United States Navy base built during World War II on Mbanika Island in the Russell Islands, part of the Solomon Islands. A larger supply depot was built to support the ships fighting in the Pacific War. Also built were a repair base for landing craft, PT boats, and other boats. Banika Island offered excellent fleet anchorage. Banika Island was taken during the Solomon Islands campaign. Also at the base was built the Renard Sound Seaplane Base.^[1]^[2]

History[edit]

US Navy Seabee Construction Battalions built the base starting in February 1943. Seabee 33rd Battalion, 35th Battalion and other Construction Battalions built the Naval Base and much of the airfields on Banika Island. Enemy planes bombed one of the Naval Base Banika Island's tank farms on June 25, 1943. One 1,000-barrel tank was destroyed by fire. Three had shrapnel damage. The pipelines to the port and airfields were damaged. It took the Seabees five days to repair the damages. The airfields remain open during the repair work. In all air attacks, four Seabees were killed. A pontoon bridge was built from Banika Island's Renard Sound to Pavuvu Island. On Pavuvu Island a barge landing dock was built and a small rest and relaxation base. The complete base was completed by November 1943. In the fall of 1943, the port was turned over for operation to the 6th Seabee Battalion and 9th Special Battalion. Operations were turned over to the 11th Battalion and the 12th Special Battalion in February 1944. The 93rd Battalion built Naval Mobile Hospital - MOB 10 with 1300-beds. A pontoon assembly depot was built, it took a lot less space in the ships to transport the pontoons in flat parts. The pontoon assembly depot was run by the 20th Battalion - PAD 2. Seabee built two airfields on the island Banika Field, used by US Navy, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and United States Marine Corps and Renard Field. By February 1945 Naval Base Banika Island was no longer in the front line of action and parts of the base were packed up and sent to move Advance Bases. Naval Mobile Hospital - MOB 10 was one of the first units to be shipped out. Much of the base was shipped over a four-month span. The base was closed and abandoned after the war. ^[2]^[3]^[4]

Bases and facilities[edit]

300-foot (91 m) pier
Radar station
Naval hospital
Naval hospital dispensary
Naval Mobile Hospital - MOB 10
Fleet Post Office FPO# 60 SF Russell Islands
Naval Recovery hospital
Naval training center
Supply Depot
Seabee Camp
Seabee depot - Advanced Base Construction Depot (ABCD)
Seabee sawmill
Repair Depot
Coral quarry
Repair base camp, barracks and mess hall
Power plant
PT boat Base
Machine shops
Ammunition depot
Aviation gasoline Tank farm
Blue Beach landing mats for LST ships and LCT craft
Yellow Beach landing mats
Two-lane coral road around Banika Island (connect beaches to port)
Tillotson Cove, two 432-foot (132 m) pontoon docks
Pontoon assembly depot
Pavuvu Island a barge landing dock
VMF -121 and VMF(N)-531 United States Marine Corps unit camp

Airfields[edit]

The airfields were used to attack the Empire of Japan on New Georgia and Munda.

Banika Field, used by US Navy for Interstate TDR United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and United States Marine Corps
Renard Field used by USAAF and US Navy VB-140 and VB-148, both with Lockheed Ventura PV-1

Renard Sound Seaplane Base[edit]

Near Banika Field, in the channel to the east of the runway, the US Navy operated the Renard Sound Seaplane Base. The Base was at 9°04′52″S 159°12′28″E / 9.08108°S 159.207813°E / -9.08108; 159.207813 ^[5] ^[6]

Seabee units[edit]

Seabee units that spent time at Naval Base Banika Island:

33rd Battalion
35th Battalion
93rd Battalion
6th Seabee Battalion
9th Special Battalions
20th Battalion
24th Battalion
35th Battalion
36th Battalion
87th Battalion
11th Battalion
12th Special Battalion
CBMU 503
CBMU 571
CBMU 572
CBMU 573
CBMU 501
CBMU 580
CBMU 503
CBMU 550
ACORN 15
Bobcat 15
Bobcat 24
Bobcat 33
Bobcat 36
PAD 2
1054 CBD

External links[edit]

References[edit]

^ "The History Behind The Russell Islands During WWII". April 11, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "HyperWar: Building the Navy's Bases in World War II [Chapter 25]". www.ibiblio.org.
^ seabees93.net, Naval Base Banika Island
^ Liberty.edu, Russell Islands World War 2
^ Renard Sound Seaplane Base pacificwrecks.com
^ Renard Sound Seaplane Base tracesofwar.com

[1] "The History Behind The Russell Islands During WWII". April 11, 2022.

[auto-2] "HyperWar: Building the Navy's Bases in World War II [Chapter 25]". www.ibiblio.org.

[3] seabees93.net, Naval Base Banika Island

[4] Liberty.edu, Russell Islands World War 2

[5] Renard Sound Seaplane Base pacificwrecks.com

[6] Renard Sound Seaplane Base tracesofwar.com

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v t e World War II Maritime Commission ship designs
Cargo designs	Type C1 Type C2 Type C3 Type C4 Type C5 (Type C6) (Type C7) (Type C8) (Type C9) Type N3
Emergency cargo	Liberty ship ("EC2-S-C1") Victory ship ("VC2-S-AP1")
Tanker	T1 tanker T2 tanker T3 tanker Liberty ship ("Z-ET1-S-C3")
Special-purpose	Type S2 ("Tacoma-class frigate") Type S3-S2-BP ("Landing Ship, Tank") Type S3-S2-BP1 ("Neptune-class cable layer") Type S4-S2-BB3 ("Casablanca-class escort carrier") Type S4-SE2-BD1 ("Gilliam-class attack transport") Type S4-SE2-BE1 ("Artemis-class attack cargo ship") "Crane vessel-Derrick Barge"
Miscellaneous-cargo	Type L6 ("Lakers") Type N ("Coastal Cargo") Type P1 ("Passenger") Type P2 ("Passenger") Type R ("Refrigerated") Type B ("Barge")
Tugs	Type V ("Tugs")
See also:- Empire ship, Fort ship, Park ship, Ocean ship.

v t e United States naval ship classes of World War II
Aircraft carriers	Lexington Ranger^S Yorktown Wasp^S Essex Midway^C
Light aircraft carriers	Independence Saipan^C
Escort carriers	Long Island Charger Bogue Sangamon Casablanca Commencement Bay
Battleships	Wyoming New York Nevada Pennsylvania New Mexico Tennessee Colorado North Carolina South Dakota Iowa Montana^X
Large cruisers	Alaska
Heavy cruisers	Pensacola Northampton Portland New Orleans Wichita^S Baltimore Oregon City^C Des Moines^C
Light cruisers	Omaha Brooklyn Atlanta Cleveland Fargo^C Juneau^C Worcester^C CL-154^X
Gunboats	Dubuque Sacramento^S Asheville Plymouth^S Williamsburg^S St. Augustine^S Vixen^S Erie PGM-1 PGM-9
Destroyers	Sampson Caldwell Wickes Clemson Farragut Porter Mahan Gridley Bagley Somers Benham Sims Benson Gleaves Fletcher Allen M. Sumner Robert H. Smith Gearing
Destroyer escorts	Evarts Buckley Cannon Edsall Rudderow John C. Butler
Patrol frigates	Asheville Tacoma
Patrol boats	Action PT boat
Minelayers	Oglala^S Wassuc^S Monadnock^S Miantonomah^S Terror^S Keokuk^S Salem^S Weehawken^S Camanche Chimo
Minesweepers	Lapwing Raven Auk Eagle^S Hawk Admirable
Submarines	O R S Barracuda Argonaut^S Narwhal Dolphin^S Cachalot Porpoise Salmon Sargo Tambor Mackerel Gato Balao Tench
Tankers	T1 tanker T2 tanker T3 tanker
Cargo ships	Liberty Victory Haskell Andromeda Arcturus Artemis Tolland Alstede Aldebaran Adria Acubens Arctic Denebola Hyades Mizar
Auxiliary ships	Ammunition Floating drydock Repair dock Barracks Collier Combat stores Destroyer tender Depot High-speed transport Hospital Ice cream barge Net laying Motor torpedo boat tender Reefer Oiler Repair Seaplane tender Submarine tender Underway replenishment
C Completed after the war S Single ship of class X Cancelled

v t e Naval ships and warships in the late modern period
Naval ship classes in service submarine auxiliary Operational zones Brown-water navy Green-water navy Blue-water navy Gun placement Broadside Central battery Casemate Turrets
Aircraft carriers	Aircraft cruiser Amphibious assault ship Anti-submarine warfare carrier Balloon carrier Battlecarrier CAM ship Escort carrier Fighter catapult ship Fleet carrier Flight deck cruiser Helicopter carrier Interdiction Assault Ship Light aircraft carrier Merchant aircraft carrier Seaplane tender Submarine aircraft carrier Supercarrier
Battleships	Coastal defence ship Dreadnought Fast battleship Pre-dreadnought battleship Super-dreadnought (Standard-type battleship) Treaty battleship
Cruisers	Armored cruiser Battlecruiser Guided missile cruiser Heavy cruiser Pocket battleship Light cruiser Merchant raider Protected cruiser Scout cruiser Strike cruiser Torpedo cruiser Unprotected cruiser
Escort	Aviso Convoy rescue ship Destroyer Destroyer escort Destroyer leader Escort destroyer Escorteur Frigate Guided-missile destroyer Kaibōkan Radar picket Sloop
Transport	Amphibious transport dock Amphibious warfare ship Attack transport Dock landing ship Landing craft Landing craft carrier Landing Craft Support Landing Ship Heavy Landing ship, infantry Landing Ship Logistics Landing Ship Medium Landing Ship, Tank Landing Ship Vehicle Troopship
Patrol craft	Armed boarding steamer Armed yacht Coastal motor boat Corvette Gunboat Harbour defence motor launch Motor Launch Naval drifter Naval trawler Ocean boarding vessel Patrol boat Q-ship Steam gun boat Submarine chaser Torpedo boat
Fast attack craft	E-boat MAS MGB Missile boat MTB MTM MTSM PT boat Shin'yō
Mine warfare	Danlayer Destroyer minesweeper Mine countermeasures vessel Mine planter Minehunter Minelayer Minesweeper
Command and support	Amenities ship Ammunition ship Auxiliary repair dock Auxiliary ship Collier Combat stores ship Command ship Crane vessel Depot ship Destroyer tender Dispatch boat Fast combat support ship General stores issue ship Hospital ship Joint support ship Naval tugboat Net laying ship Repair ship Replenishment oiler Submarine tender
Submarines	Attack submarine Ballistic missile submarine Coastal submarine Cruise missile submarine Cruiser submarine Deep-submergence vehicle DSRV Fleet submarine Human torpedo Midget submarine U-boat Wet sub
Miscellaneous	Armed merchantman Arsenal ship Barracks ship Breastwork monitor Capital ship Flagship Floating battery Guard ship Littoral combat ship Monitor Mother ship River monitor Training ship
Related	Ship types Sailing vessels

v t e Islands of Solomon Islands by province
Central	Aeaun Gavutu Mbanika Nggela Islands Pavuvu Russell Islands Savo Tanambogo Tulagi
Choiseul	Choiseul Cyprian Bridge Island Nuatambu Rob Roy Taro Wagina
Guadalcanal	Guadalcanal Korasahalu Marau Sound Marapa Nughu Tavanipupu Vulelua
Isabel	Arnarvon Furona Island Kerehikapa Mahige Maleivona Ramos San Jorge Santa Isabel Sikopo
Makira-Ulawa	Ali'ite Makira Malaulalo Malaupaina Pio Olu Malau Owaraha Owariki Ugi Ulawa
Malaita	Adagege Alite Anuta Paina Faore Funaafou Langa Langa Lagoon Lau Lagoon Laulasi Maana'omba Malaita Maramasike Matuavi Mbasakana Ndai Ontong Java Roncador Reef Sikaiana Sulufou Tehaolei
Rennell and Bellona	Bellona Indispensable Reefs North Reef Rennell
Temotu	Anuta Banie Bass Islands Duff Islands Fatutaka Fenualoa Lomlom Makalom Malo Matema Nendö Ngalo Ngandeli Ngatendo Ngawa Nibanga Nendi Nibanga Temau Nifiloli Nukapu Nupani Patteson Shoal Pigeon Pileni Reef Islands Santa Cruz Islands Tahua Taumako Teanu Temotu Noi Tikopia Tinakula Utupua Vanikoro
Western	Akara Arundel Balalae Faisi Fauro Ghizo Ghoi Kennedy Kiambe Kingguru Kolombangara Liapari Logha Lola Lumbari Magusaiai Masamasa Marovo Matikuri Mbava Mborokua Mbulo Mondomondo Mono Nakaza Naru New Georgia New Georgia Islands Nggatokae Nusatupe Olasana Ovau Island Pirumeri Ranongga Rendova Shortland Shortland Islands Simbo Stirling Telina Tetepare Treasury Islands Vella Lavella Uepi Vangunu Vonavona