View source for Naval Base Puerto Princesa

{{short description|Major World War 2 base}}
{{Infobox islands
| name                            = Naval Base Puerto Princesa
| image_name                      = Ph locator palawan puerto princesa.png
| image_caption                   = Map with Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island highlighted in red
| native_name                     = 
| native_name_link                = 
| map                             = Philippines
| map_alt                         = 
| map_width                       = 
| map_caption                     = Location Naval Base Puerto Princesa within the Philippines on Palawan island
| map_relief                      = yes
| label                           = 
| label_position                  = 
| coordinates                     = {{coord|9.75|118.75|display=inline,title}}
| location                        = [[South East Asia]]
| archipelago                     = [[Philippine islands]]
| waterbody                       = {{unbulleted list | [[South China Sea]] | [[Sulu Sea]] }}
| country                         = [[Philippines]]
| country_admin_divisions_title   = Region
| country_admin_divisions         = 
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = Province
| country_admin_divisions_1       = [[Palawan]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = [[Naval Base]] <br>1945
| country_admin_divisions_2       = {{flag|United States Navy}} 
| country_capital_and_largest_city = [[Puerto Princesa]]
}}
{{Campaignbox Pacific War}}
[[File:NavalBasePalawan1945.jpg|thumb|right|Naval Base Puerto Princesa and Puerto Princesa Airfield in 1945]]
[[File:Southern Philippines operations 1945.jpg|thumb|[[Invasion of Palawan]] map 1945]]
[[File:Naval_Base_Palawan_1945.jpg|thumb|right|Naval Base Puerto Princesa 1945]]
'''Naval Base Puerto Princesa''', '''Naval Base Palawan''', was a [[United States Navy]] base built during [[World War II]] at [[Puerto Princesa]] on [[Palawan (island)|Palawan Island]], [[Philippines]], after the [[Invasion of Palawan]] on February 28, 1945. Puerto Princesa Bay offered an excellent base for fleet anchorage. At the [[naval base]], US Navy [[Seabee]]s built: a [[seaplane]] base, [[carrier aircraft]] [[fighter plane]] repair depot, land airfield and other base facilities.<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/provinces/philippines_puerto_princesa.html Naval Base Palawan]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref>

==History==
Palawan Island is an eastern island of the Philippines and is the fifth largest of the Philippine islands. The island is 265 miles long and about 25 miles wide. The 84th Seabee Construction Battalion arrived at Puerto Princesa on March 12, 1945. Most of the captured Japanese facilities had been destroyed in bombing raids. One captured runway was easily repaired and was selected for repair and lengthening. The 84th Seabee Construction Battalion unloaded and loaned the needed equipment to the [[United States Army]] Engineers to work on the runway. The 84th Seabee Construction Battalion built all the other support facilities at the airfield. At the same time, the 84th Seabee Construction Battalion built all the needed port facilities. A large repair dept called a [[Carrier Aircraft Service Unit]] was built to service the planes on carrier aircraft. Naval Base Puerto Princesa was support by the very large [[Leyte-Samar Naval Base]], east of Puerto Princesa. After the war, the base was closed and abandoned.<ref name="auto4">[https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/building-the-navys-bases/buidling-navys-bases-vol-2-chapter-26.html US Navy, Bases of World War II]</ref>

==Bases and facilities==
*Fuel jetty to unload gasoline
*[[Aviation gasoline]] Tank farm
*Airfield camp, 2,500 troops
*Seabee Camp
*Seabee depot
*Radar station
*Fleet Post Office FPO# 3291 SF 
*Naval hospital - small
*Supply Depot
*Repair Depot
*Coral quarry
*Repair base camp, [[barracks]] and [[mess hall]]
*Three [[Carrier Aircraft Service Units]]
*[[Power station|Power plant]]
*Machine shops
*[[Ammunition]] depot
*Water plant for camp and to supply ships in the port. 
*Fresh water tank farm, 126,000-gallons
*[[USS Pollux (AKS-4)]]  general stores issue ship

==Airfields==
*[[Puerto Princesa Airfield]] now [[Puerto Princesa International Airport]]

===Puerto Princesa Seaplane Base===
Puerto Princesa Seaplane Base opened May 15, 1945. Seaplane ramps and a land base was built. A 500-man camp to support the base was built. The [[USS Pocomoke (AV-9)]], a seaplane tender serviced the planes of the US Navy Patrol Squadron, [[VP-17]].<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/airfields/philippines/puerto_princesa_sea/index.html Puerto Princesa Seaplane Base ]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref>

==Seabee units==
Seabee units at Naval Base Puerto Princesa:<ref>[https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/museums/Seabee/UnitListPages/NCB/084%20NCB.pdf 84th Seabee Construction Battalion]</ref>
*84th Seabee Construction Battalion 
*Acorn 47
*Acorn 52

==Palawan massacre==
{{main|Palawan massacre}}
Puerto Princesa is the site of the [[Palawan massacre]]. On December 14, 1944 [[Prisoner of war]] held by the [[Empire of Japan]] were killed to prevent the rescue of prisoners.<ref name="Bob">{{cite book |last1=Wilbanks |first1=Bob |title=Last Man Out |date=2004 |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers |location=Jefferson |isbn=978-0786418220 |pages=45, 53, 56, 68–69, 80–81, 84–85, 92, 98–99, 100, 102, 106–07}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Naval Base Puerto Princesa}}
*[[U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay]]
*[[Espiritu Santo Naval Base]]
*[[US Naval Advance Bases]]
*[[Naval Advance Base Saipan]]
*[[Service Squadron]]

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdX1ZbyqiGE youtube WWII : Palawan Massacre]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN8x_-be8Ss youtube "They Came To An Island" U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps Wwii Seabees Construction Battalions 29564]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}
{{US Navy navbox|state=collapsed}}
{{WWII US ships}}
{{Warship types of the 19th & 20th centuries}}
{{USWWII}}

[[Category:Airfields of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Military installations closed in the 1940s]]
[[Category:Seaplane bases]]
[[Category:Military installations of the United States in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Closed installations of the United States Navy]]