VPB-197
VPB-197 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 21 (VP-21) on 1 September 1938, redesignated Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45) on 1 July 1939, redesignated Patrol Squadron 14 (VP-14) on 1 December 1939, redesignated Patrol Squadron 26 (VP-26) on 15 April 1941, redesignated Patrol Squadron 14 (VP-14) on 1 July 1941, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 14 (VPB-14) on 1 October 1944, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 197 (VPB-197) on 2 December 1944 and disestablished on 1 April 1946. Operational history *1 September 1938: VP-21 was established at FAB Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, under the operational control of PatWing-2. *27 June 1939: VP-21 had been detailed in May 1939 to NAS San Diego, California, to pick up 15 new PBY-4s from the factory. The trans-Pacific flight back to Pearl Harbor was completed on this date without mishap. *1 July 1939: Due to the reorganization of patrol squadrons, VP-21 was redesignated VP-45 and assigned to ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Luganville Seaplane Base
Luganville Seaplane Base is a former World War II seaplane base in the Segond Channel between the islands of Espiritu Santo and Aore Island in the New Hebrides Islands at the Espiritu Santo Naval Base. History World War II The first bases on Espiritu Santo were established by the United States as defensive bases to guard the existing facility at Efate and to support the Solomon Islands Campaign, however its strategic location led to its expansion into one of the largest advance bases in the South Pacific. The Seebee, 7th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 11 August 1942 and began construction of more extensive air facilities to support the Guadalcanal Campaign. The 7th Battalion constructed a parking area, two pre-fabricated by nose hangars, warehouses, quonset huts and two seaplane ramps at Belchif Point on the Segond Channel between the Renee and Sarakata Rivers. The 57th Naval Construction Battalion later built two seaplane drydocks at the base. United States N ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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VPB-13
VPB-13 was a patrol bombing squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 13 (VP-13) on 1 July 1940, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 13 (VPB-13) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 1 December 1945. Operational history *1 July 1940: VP-13 was formed from a cadre of personnel and equipment taken from VP-14 at NAS San Diego, California, coming under the operational control of PatWing-1. The squadron had been formed as a detachment of VP-14 in March 1940 when training in the new XPB2Y-1 Coronado was begun at San Diego. The four-engine, heavy seaplane had been designed to bomb, protect itself with its own heavy armament, land on water, rescue downed flyers, conduct long-range patrols, and carry heavy freight and passengers. After its establishment the squadron had a complement of four PB2Y-1 aircraft to train crews and iron out the wrinkles from the factory as the newer PB2Y-2 models were coming off the production lines. *January 1941: The s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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United States Department Of The Navy Seal
United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * United (2003 film), ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * United (2011 film), ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two film * The United (film), ''The United'' (film), an unreleased Arabic-language film Literature * United! (novel), ''United!'' (novel), a 1973 children's novel by Michael Hardcastle Music * United (band), Japanese thrash metal band formed in 1981 Albums * United (Commodores album), ''United'' (Commodores album), 1986 * United (Dream Evil album), ''United'' (Dream Evil album), 2006 * United (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell album), ''United'' (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell album), 1967 * United (Marian Gold album), ''United'' (Marian Gold album), 1996 * United (Phoenix album), ''United'' (Phoenix album), 2000 * United (Woody Shaw album), ''United'' (Woody Shaw album), 1981 Songs * United (Judas Priest song ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John William Finn
John William Finn (24 July 1909 – 27 May 2010) was a sailor in the United States Navy who, as a chief petty officer and aviation ordnanceman, received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. Though ordnancemen are only responsible for performing maintenance on guns and handling of munitions, Finnwhen the Japanese bombed Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay during the 7 December attackearned the medal by firing a machine gun from an exposed position throughout the attack, despite being repeatedly wounded. He continued to serve in the Navy and in 1942 was commissioned an ensign. In 1947 he was reverted to chief petty officer, eventually rising to lieutenant before his 1956 retirement. In his later years he made many appearances at events celebrating veterans. At the time of his death, Finn was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient, the last living recipient from the attack on Pearl Harb ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu. The town of Luganville, on Espiritu Santo's southeast coast, is Vanuatu's second-largest settlement and the provincial capital. Roads run north and west from Luganville, but most of the island is far from the limited road network. Around Espiritu Santo lie a number of small islands and islets; among them are: Dany Island, Araki Island, Araki, Elephant Island (Vanuatu), Elephant Island, Sakao Island (Sanma, Vanuatu), Sakao, Lataroa, Lataro, Thion (Vanuatu), Thion, Malohu, Malwepe, Malvapevu, Malparavu, Maltinerava, Oyster Island, Tangoa Island, Tangoa, and Bokissa. Vanuatu's highest peak is the Mount Tabwemasana in west-central Espiritu Santo. History A Spanish East Indies, Spanish ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kanton Island
Canton Island (also known as Kanton or Abariringa), previously known as Mary Island, Mary Balcout's Island or Swallow Island, is the largest, northernmost, and , the sole inhabited island of the Phoenix Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati. It is an atoll located in the South Pacific Ocean roughly halfway between Hawaii and Fiji, a location that once made it advantageous as an airline stop. The island is a narrow ribbon of land around a lagoon; an area of . Canton's closest neighbour is the uninhabited Enderbury Island, west-southwest. The capital of Kiribati, South Tarawa, lies to the west. , the population was 20, down from 61 in 2000. The island's sole village, Tebaronga, is located on the northwest point, below the airstrip. Kiribati declared the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in 2006, with the park being expanded in 2008. The marine reserve contains eight coral atolls, including Canton. Because it is inhabited, management of Canton Island is described in the Canton Res ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Midway Island
Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; ; ) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an unorganized and unincorporated territory. The largest island is Sand Island, which has housing and an airstrip. Immediately east of Sand Island, across the narrow Brooks Channel, is Eastern Island, which is uninhabited and no longer has any facilities. Forming a rough, incomplete circle around the two main islands and creating Midway Lagoon is Spit Island, a narrow reef. Roughly equidistant between North America and Asia, Midway is the only island in the Hawaiian Archipelago that is not part of the state of Hawaii. Unlike the other Hawaiian islands, Midway observes Samoa Time ( UTC−11:00, i.e., eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time), which is one hour behind the time in the Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone used in Hawaii. For statistical purposes, Midway is grouped as one of the United States Minor Outlying Islands. The M ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ontong Java Atoll
Ontong Java Atoll or Luangiua (formerly Lord Howe Atoll, not to be confused with Lord Howe Island) is an atoll in the Solomon Islands, and one of the largest atolls on earth. It is inhabited by a Polynesian community of about people, who speak the Ontong Java language. Description Geographically, Ontong Java belongs to a scattered group of three atolls which includes nearby Nukumanu Atoll and the wholly submerged Roncador Reef located to the south. Administratively Ontong Java belongs to Solomon Islands. As an outlying part of Malaita Province, it forms the northernmost tract of land of this state, over north of Santa Isabel Island. The closest land, however, is Nukumanu Atoll, which lies only due north of Ontong Java's northern tip and, though historically closely related to Ontong Java, is now under the administration of Papua New Guinea. Ontong Java is roughly boot-shaped. The entire size of the atoll is , but there are only of land, spread out over 122 small is ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mitsubishi A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-capable fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the ''Reisen'' (, zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the IJN. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the name "Zero" was used more commonly. The Zero is considered to have been the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world when it was introduced early in World War II, combining excellent maneuverability, high airspeed, strong firepower and very long range.Hawks, Chuck"The Best Fighter Planes of World War II" chuckhawks.com. Retrieved: 18 January 2007. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service also frequently used it as a land-based fighter. In ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, to the northeast of Australia. It is directly adjacent to Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Bougainville, a part of Papua New Guinea to the west, Australia to the southwest, New Caledonia and Vanuatu to the southeast, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, and Tuvalu to the east, and Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia to the north. It has a total area of 28,896 square kilometres (11,157 sq mi), and a population of 734,887 according to the official estimates for mid-2023. Its capital and largest city, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the wider area of the Solomon Islands (archipelago), Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the Autonomous ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army's Distinguished Service Cross, the Air and Space Forces' Air Force Cross, and the Coast Guard Cross. The Navy Cross is bestowed by the Secretary of the Navy and may also be awarded to members of the other armed services, and to foreign military personnel while serving with the U.S. Naval Service. The Navy Cross was established by Act of Congress ( Public Law 65-253) and approved on February 4, 1919. History The Navy Cross was instituted in part due to the entrance of the United States into World War I. Many European nations had the custom of decorating heroes from other nations, but the Medal of Honor was the sole U.S. award for valor at the time. The Army instituted the Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Service Medal in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nouméa
Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French Sui generis collectivity, special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest Francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre (New Caledonia), Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian (Wallis and Futuna, Wallisians, Wallis and Futuna, Futunians, Tahitians), Indonesian, and Vietnamese people, Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians, Ni-Vanuatu and Kanak people, Kanaks who work in one of the Oceania, South Pacific's most industrialised cities. The city lies on a protected deepwater harbour that serves as the chief port for New Caledonia. At the September 2019 census, there were 182,341 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Greater Nouméa (), 94,285 of whom lived in the city (Communes of France, commune) of Nouméa proper. 67.2% of the population of New Caledonia lives in Greater Nouméa, which ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |