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When World War II broke out the United States Naval Construction Battalions (
Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Forces (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Dependi ...
s) did not exist. The
logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (economics), point of consumption according to the ...
of a two theater war were daunting to conceive. Rear Admiral Moreell completely understood the issues. What needed to be done was build staging bases to take the war to the enemy, across both oceans, and create the construction force to do the work. Naval Construction Battalions were first conceived at Bureau of Yards and Docks (BuDocks) in the 1930s. The onset of hostilities clarified to Radm. Moreell the need for developing advance bases to project American power. The solution: tap the vast pool of skilled labor in the U.S. Put it in uniform to build anything, anywhere under any conditions and get the Marine Corps to train it. The first volunteers came skilled. To obtain these tradesmen, military age was waived to age 50. It was later found that several past 60 had managed to get in. Men were given advanced rank/pay based upon experience making the Seabees the highest paid group in the U.S. military. The first 60 battalions had an average age of 37. "December 1942 saw voluntary Seabee enlistments cease per presidential order. For the next year the
Selective Service System The Selective Service System (SSS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government that maintains a database of registered male U.S. Citizenship of the United States, citizens and o ...
provided younger unskilled recruits." The Seabee solution were Construction Training Centers with courses in over 60 trades. In the field seabees became renowned for the arts of obtaining materials by unofficial and unorthodox means,"Cumshaw" () "moonlight procurement", and souvenir making. Bulldozers, steel pontoons, steel mat, and corrugated steel, combined with "ingenuity and elbow grease became synonymous with Seabees. Nearly 11,400 became officers in the Civil Engineer Corps of which nearly 8,000 served with CBs. During the war the Naval Construction Force (NCF) was simultaneously spread across multiple projects worldwide. On 13 February 1945
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
, Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, made the NCF a permanent Naval element. Before that happened Seabees had volunteered for many tasks outside the NCF: Naval Combat Demolition Units, UDTs, Marine Corps Engineers/ Pioneers and the
top secret Classified information is confidential material that a government deems to be sensitive information which must be protected from unauthorized disclosure that requires special handling and dissemination controls. Access is restricted by law or ...
Chemical Warfare Service The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against and using chemical weapon, chemical, biological agent, biological, radiological weapon, radiological, and nuclear weapon, nuclear (Chemical, biological, r ...
Flame tank A flame tank is a type of tank equipped with a flamethrower, most commonly used to supplement combined arms attacks against fortifications, confined spaces, or other obstacles. The type only reached significant use in the Second World War, dur ...
Group. While the Seabees had many unit types and had their tasks outside the NCF, other services, and the rest of the Navy itself, made no distinction, they all were simply "Seabees".


History


Pre-war naval construction development

In the late 1930s the US saw the need to prepare militarily. Congress authorized the expansion of naval Shore Activities in the Caribbean and by 1939 in the Central Pacific. "Following standard peacetime guidelines the Navy awarded contracts to civilian constructions firms. These contractors employed native civilian populations as well as U.S citizens and were answerable to naval officers in charge of construction. By 1941 large bases were being built on Guam, Midway, Wake, Pearl Harbor, Iceland, Newfoundland, Bermuda, and Trinidad to name a few." International law dictated civilians not to resist enemy military attacks. Resistance meant they could be summarily executed as
guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
s. Wake turned out to be a case in point for Americans.


World War II

The need for a militarized construction force became evident after the Japanese
Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
. On 28 December, Radm. Moreell requested authority to create Naval Construction Battalions. The Bureau of Navigation gave authorization on 5 January 1942. Three Battalions were officially authorized on 5 March 1942. Enlistment was voluntary until December when the
Selective Service System The Selective Service System (SSS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government that maintains a database of registered male U.S. Citizenship of the United States, citizens and o ...
became responsible for recruitment. Seabee Training Centers were named for former heads of the Civil Engineer Corps: Radm. Mordecai T. Endicott, Radm. Harry H. Rousseau, Radm. Richard C. Hollyday, Radm. Charles W. Park and RADM. Robert Peary. One NCTC was named for the first CEC killed in action, Lt. Irwin W. Lee and Lt. (jg) George W. Stephenson of the 24th CB. An issue for BuDocks was CB command. Navy regulations stated that command of naval personnel was limited to line officers of the fleet. BuDocks deemed it essential that CBs be commanded by CEC officers trained in construction. The Bureau of Naval Personnel strongly objected to this violation of Naval tradition. Radm. Moreell took the issue directly to the
Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...
. In March the Secretary gave the CEC complete command of all men assigned to CB units. With CBs authorized and the command question settled, BuDocks then had to deal with recruitment, training, military organization structure plus organizing the logistics to make it all work. That all happened quickly. Due to the exigencies of war there was a great deal of "improvisation", a quality that became synonymous with Seabees in general. At Naval Construction Training Centers (NCTC) and Advanced Base Depots (ABD) on both coasts, men learned: trade skills, military discipline, and advanced combat training. Although technically designated "support", Seabees frequently found themselves under fire with the Marines. After completing boot training in Virginia at Camp Allen and later Camp Peary, the men were formed into CBs or other smaller CB units. The first five battalions were deployed immediately upon completion of training due to the backlog of projects. Battalions that followed were sent to an ABDs at either Davisville, Rhode Island, or
Port Hueneme, California Port Hueneme ( ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Wene Me'') is a small beach city in Ventura County, California, surrounded by the city of Oxnard, California, Oxnard and the Santa Barbara Channel. Both the Port of Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura ...
, to be staged prior to shipping out. Basic military training was done by the Navy while the Marine Corps provided advanced military training at Camp Peary, Camp Lejeune or Camp Pendelton. About 175,000 Seabees were staged out of Port Hueneme during the war. Units that had seen extended service in the Pacific were returned to the R&R Center at Camp Parks, Shoemaker, CA. There units were reorganized, re-deployed or decommissioned. Men were given 30-day leaves and later, those eligible were discharged. The same was done at the Davisville, Rhode Island, for the east coast. From California, battalions attached to III Amphibious Corps or V Amphibious Corps, were staged to the Moanalua Ridge Seabee encampment in the Hawaii Territory. It covered 120 acres and had 20 self-contained areas for CB units. Within each area were 6 two-story barracks served by a 1,200 man
galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...
and
mess The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
hall plus 8 standard quonsets for offices, dispensary, officers quarters and a single large quonset for the ships store. The entire facility had water, sewer, electricity, pavements, armory and a large outdoor theater. A second CB encampment of 4 additional 1000 man Quonset areas was built on Iroquois Point. Battalions attached to the 7th Amphibious Fleet were staged at Camp Seabee next to the ABCD in
Brisbane, Australia Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, then to other US Naval Advance Bases.


The Atlantic theater

"When the war became a two-ocean war, the Panama Canal became geographically strategic. The convergence of
shipping lanes A sea lane, sea road or shipping lane is a regularly used navigable route for large water vessels (ships) on wide waterways such as oceans and large lakes, and is preferably safe, direct and economic. During the Age of Sail, they were determined ...
necessitated bases to protect its approaches. Agreements in the Caribbean made that possible as did the Lend Lease Agreement. Under the Greenslade Program naval bases in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
,
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, and the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
Zone were all expanded. In Puerto Rico
Naval Station Roosevelt Roads Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, nicknamed Rosy Roads, is a former United States Navy base in the town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The site operates today as José Aponte de la Torre Airport, a public use airport. History In 1919, future US Presiden ...
was turned into the "
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...
of the Caribbean. Construction on existing bases was done primarily by civilian contractors until late 1943 when CBs took over. In the Atlantic, the bases formed a line from
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
to Brazil. On the Pacific side of the Americas the U.S had bases from the
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
to
Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
. The 80th(colored) CB upgraded Carlson airfield on
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
. The 83rd CB cut a highway out of
Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...
, that required moving one million
cubic yard A cubic yard (symbol yd3)IEEE Std 260.1-2004 is an Imperial unit, imperial / U.S. customary unit, U.S. customary (non-SI non-Metric system, metric) unit of volume used in Canada and the United States. It is defined as the volume of a cube with sid ...
s of material." "On the Galapagos Islands, CBD 1012 constructed a
seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tech ...
base with tank farm and did the same again at Salinas, Ecuador. Salinas would be the southernmost U.S. base in the Pacific. While not in combat zones these bases were necessary for the overall war effort." "
North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
was the Seabees' first combat. Landing with the assault in November 1942, they built facilities at
Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...
,
Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
, Sifi, and Fedala. Later they would build a series of staging and training areas along the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
including NAS Port Lyautey,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
." "With Tunisia taken the Seabees began prepping pontoon assemblies for their first use in combat at
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
. This Seabee "innovation" was adapted for amphibious warfare. A pontoon box, standardized in size so multiple pontoons could be quickly assembled like to form
causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...
s,
pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...
s, or rhinos to meet the exigencies of
amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conduc ...
. The beaches of
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
were considered impossible for an amphibious landing by both the Allies and
Axis An axis (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...
. The Seabees with their pontoons proved that was not true. The Germans were overwhelmed by the men and material that poured ashore over them. "Seabee causeways were used again at
Salerno Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...
and
Anzio Anzio (, also ; ) is a town and ''comune'' on region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside resorts, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola, and Ve ...
. Having learned from Sicily the Germans were prepared causing heavy casualties at both. At Anzio Seabees were under extended continuous fire. After
Southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
the Seabees had one last task in the theater,
Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil), known as Débarquement de Provence in French ("Provence Landing"), was the code name for the landing operation of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15Augu ...
." "Seabee operations in the
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...
began early 1942. The first were in
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
,
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
, and
Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
. These airfields and ports supported Allied convoys. To complete the defensive line these bases made, Seabees were sent to Londonderry,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
,
Lough Erne Lough Erne ( , ) is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River E ...
,
Loch Ryan Loch Ryan (, ) is a Scottish sea loch that acts as an important natural harbour for shipping, providing calm waters for ferries operating between Scotland and Northern Ireland. The town of Stranraer is the largest settlement on its shores, wi ...
, and
Rosneath Rosneath () is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It sits on the western shore of the Gare Loch, northwest of the tip of the Rosneath Peninsula. It is about by road from the village of Kilcreggan, which is sited on the southern shore ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. Depots, fuel farms, and seaplane bases were constructed to anchor the line. Afterwards the Seabees went South for
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
preparations. They built invasion bases from
Milford Haven Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was ...
to
Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...
and prepared for their own multifaceted D-day role." On
D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
Seabees were the first ashore as Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDU). Their task was to remove German defensive beach obstructions built to impede amphibious landings. "They came under very heavy fire, but were able to detonate their charges opening gaps allowing the assault to land. Once again Seabees placed pontoon causeways over which the assault to reach land." "Seabees also brought their Rhino ferries, a motorized adaptation of their modular pontoon boxes. With them, vast amounts of men and material went ashore. For the American sector Seabees assembled
pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...
s, and breakwaters into Mulberry A. It was a temporary port until French ports were liberated. Even after weather disabled the Mulberry, Seabee handiwork got thousands of tons supplies and troops ashore." "The liberation of Cherbourg and
Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...
gave CBs major projects. These were the harbors that would replace Mulberry A. Foreseeing the Allies would want harbors the Germans had left them in ruins. At Cherbourg the first cargo landed 11 days of the Seabees and within a month it was handling 14 ships simultaneously. Seabees repeated this at Le Havre and again at Brest,
Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...
, and St. Nazaire." The last Seabee task in Europe was the
crossing of the Rhine The crossing of the Rhine River by a mixed group of barbarians which included Vandals, Alans and Suebi is traditionally considered to have occurred on the last day of the year 406 (December 31, 406). The crossing transgressed one of the Roman E ...
. The U.S. Army asked the Navy for Seabees to do the job. General Patton ordered they wear Army fatigues to do it. Their first crossing was at Bad Neuenahr near
Remagen Remagen () is a town in Germany in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler (district), Ahrweiler. It is about a one-hour drive from Cologne, just south of Bonn, the former West Germany, West German seat of government. It i ...
and the Seabees made the operation work as planned. On 22 March 1945, they put Patton's
armor Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...
across at
Oppenheim Oppenheim ( or ) is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location The town lies on the Upper Rhine in Rhenish Hesse between Mainz and Worms. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde (special ad ...
, on pontoon ferries and landing craft that had been trucked overland from the coast. More than 300 craft were brought inland to make the crossing possible. One crew even took
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Churchill across. "The 69th was the only CB to set foot on German soil. They also were the first CB to deploy by air. They were flown to
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
in April tasked to repair damaged buildings and the
power grid ''Power Grid'' is the English-language version of the second edition of the multiplayer German-style board game ''Funkenschlag'', designed by Friedemann Friese and first released in 2004. ''Power Grid'' was released by Rio Grande Games. I ...
for the allied occupation force. Making
Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (; ) is a city on the east bank of the Weser estuary in northern Germany. It forms an exclave of the Bremen (state), city-state of Bremen. The Geeste (river), River Geeste flows through the city before emptying into the Weser. Brem ...
harbor operational also fell to them. One detachment's project was the U.S. Navy Hq in Germany at
Frankfurt-am-Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
. By August 1945 the battalion was back in England concluding NCF Atlantic operations."


The Pacific theater

"
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
Seabee deeds were historically unparalleled. It was there that 80% of the NCF literally built the road to VJ-day constructing nearly all the airfields, piers, ammunition bunkers, supply depots, hospitals, fuel tanks, and barracks required to make it happen on over 300 islands." The very first job Seabees had a hand in was the salvage of the USS ''California'' (BB-44) and USS ''West Virginia'' (BB-48) at Pearl Harbor under the command of a CEC Lieutenant. He had Seabee divers and 120 men from the 16th CB before he was done. Very shortly after their formation the Marine Corps took an interest in this other Naval ground force. This would lead to a unique relationship with the Naval Construction Force that remains at present. The first combat interaction the two had was the Battle of Guadalcanal and Henderson Airfield. Marine reports to the Commandant were such that the Corps requested Construction Battalions be assigned to the Corps. The Navy had not considered this possibility in CB planning. As it was, the Navy didn't have enough CBs for the plans that were on the drawing boards, the Corps was told no. Not for long. The 18th, 19th, and 25th Construction Battalions were transferred. Between them, the 18th and 19th disputed which was the first to join the Corps. Because a USMC battalion has 3 companies and a CB has 4, one company from each of those battalions was used to create the 51st CB. She was attached to 3rd Amphibious Corps. At wars end there were a half dozen battalions transferred and renumbered into the USMC system. Most were the third battalion of an engineering regiment The troops were issued a complete USMC dufflebag. The 18th CB was coincidently assigned to the 18th Marines. She received a PUC for action on Tarawa. The very first Seabees, the Bobcats received their USMC training in the field and landed on Eniwetok Island with the 22nd Marines. Shortly after, the Navy recalled the transferred CBs and the Corps decommissioned all the engineering regiments. However, for landing assaults the Corps had CBs temporarily assigned to fill shore party assignments on
Iwo Jima is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands, which lie south of the Bonin Islands and together with them make up the Ogasawara Subprefecture, Ogasawara Archipelago. Together with the Izu Islands, they make up Japan's Nanpō Islands. Although sout ...
and
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
. "The entire Pacific from
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
to
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
and the Aleutians were in the Japanese theater of operations. In 1942 they occupied the islands of Attu and
Kiska Kiska (, ) is one of the Rat Islands, a group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is about long and varies in width from . It is part of Aleutian Islands Wilderness and as such, special permission is required to visit it. The island has ...
. Seabees sent to the
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...
were there to work on stalling Japanese strategy. By late June 1942 bases were being built on Adak and Amchitka which served as deterrents for the remainder of the war." While in the region CBs dealt with tasks beyond construction. Twice CB 45 had ships beached on their Tanaga Island doorstep. They assisted the evacuations of both the USS Ailanthus (AN-38) and the LST 451. They put damage control crews aboard the LST. Working round the clock they salvaged the ship. On another salvage operation in the Aleutians CB 4 had divers in the water. And, CBMU 1058 was sent into Naval Petroleum Reserve 4 to drill for oil as well as survey a potential
pipeline A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...
route that remains utilized today. "The first CB projects were on
Bora Bora Bora Bora (French language, French: ''Bora-Bora''; Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Pora Pora'') is an island group in the Leeward Islands (Society Islands), Leeward Islands in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific. The Leeward Islands comprise the we ...
where the 1st CB Detachment arrived February 1942. They took the name "Bobcats" for their own from the Operation's code name BOBCAT. They deployed before the "Seabee" name was created. Their project was a fuel depot on a down under route to Australia. They encountered typical issues of the tropics: incessant rain, multiple types of
dysentery Dysentery ( , ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehyd ...
, numerous skin problems, and the dreaded
elephantiasis Elephantiasis, often incorrectly called elephantitis, is the enlargement and hardening of limbs or body parts due to tissue swelling (edema). It is characterised by edema, hypertrophy, and fibrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissues, due to obstru ...
. Combined they made conditions miserable, and were harbingers of what was awaiting Seabees elsewheres. That detachment was beset with difficulties, but gained satisfaction when the island's tank farms fueled Task Force 44 for the
Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the battle ...
." Following the Bobcats the 2nd and 3rd Construction Battalion Detachments were formed. The 2nd went to
Tongatapu Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukuʻalofa, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% o ...
while the 3rd went to
New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium () and named after the Hebrides in Scotland, was the colonial name for the island group in the South Pacific Ocean that is now Vanuatu. Native people had inhabited the islands for three th ...
both on down under routes also. Their projects would support operations in the
Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down t ...
and the
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, t ...
. The
New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium () and named after the Hebrides in Scotland, was the colonial name for the island group in the South Pacific Ocean that is now Vanuatu. Native people had inhabited the islands for three th ...
became strategic when the Japanese took
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...
and started building airfields. The 3rd CB Det was rushed from Efate to Espiritu Santo to build a countermanding field asap. Within 20 days a 6000' airstrip was operational and the groundwork started on the Espiritu Santo Naval Base. CB 3 sent a detachment to Bora Bora to augment the Bobcats. In the fall of 1943 all of those Seabees were ordered to join CB 3 at Noumea. En route they were redesignated the 3rd Battalion 23rd Marines. The remainder of CB 3s A Co was transferred to the 22nd as well. Neither the Bobcats nor A Co had not received advanced
military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...
before deploying so the 22nd Marines gave them all an intense field version on Bora Bora. Afterwards the regiment returned to Hawaii for
amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conduc ...
training. For the
Marshalls Marshalls, Inc. is an American chain of discount store, off-price department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 1,000 American stores, including larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store (stores operating with HomeGoods combined), ...
landings 3rd Battalion was tasked as shore party,
engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consider ...
and demolitions men. They would see extensive combat at the Battle of Eniwetok. When those operations were over the 22nd Marines were given a Naval Unit Commendation and the Bobcats and A Co 3 CB were released by the
Marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...
. On 30 October 1942 the USS Enterprise (CV-6) pulled into Noumea damaged from the Battle of Santa Cruz. She was the only air craft carrier remaining west of Pearl Harbor, but had a bomb go through the
flight deck The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface on which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...
at the bow. Two of enterprise's aircraft elevators were out of commission as well as a torpedo elevator. The flight deck arrestor cables were severed and their gear damaged. One near miss was midships below the
waterline The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. A waterline can also refer to any line on a ship's hull that is parallel to the water's surface when the ship is afloat in a level trimmed position. Hence, wate ...
while another was adjacent the elevator hit. B Co. from CB 3 put 75 men aboard her to assist effect emergency repairs en route to the first naval Battle of the Solomons. Underway to engage the enemy, the Seabees focused on the repairs even into the battle. They had worked round-the-clock under the Enterprise's damage control officer along with 40 men off the repair ship USS Vestal. He wrote that on 11 November: "She made the open sea with her decks... shaking and echoing to air hammers, with welders' arcs sparking... and with her forward elevator still jammed... since the bomb... broke it in half." On 13 November the ship's captain notified SOPAC in Noumea that "The emergency repairs accomplished by this skillful, well-trained, and enthusiastically energetic force have placed this vessel in condition for further action against the enemy". Those repairs enabled the Enterprise to engage and sink the Japanese battleship Hiei that day. Over the next three days her planes would be involved in the sinking of 16 and damaging another 8. When it was over Vice Admiral Bull Halsey knew what those Seabee repairs meant to the outcome. He sent a commendatory letter to the Seabee's OIC, Lt. Quayle: "Your commander wishes to express to you and the men of the Construction Battalion serving under you, his appreciation for the services rendered by you in effecting emergency repairs during action against the enemy. The repairs were completed by these men with speed and efficiency. I hereby commend them for their willingness, zeal, and capability." At Pearl Harbor in November 1942, 120 steel workers, riggers, and electricians from the 16th CB were responsible for salvaging the USS ''West Virginia'' far faster than Navy estimates. Divers from the 16th CB assisted in the salvage of the USS Oklahoma. The 27th CB created its own "Ships Repair Shop" as a courtesy to the fleet. Its divers replaced 160 damaged ship's props. That "Shop" logged major repairs on 145 vessels, including 4 submarines. The 6th CB was the first CB to see combat. They did so with the
1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
on Guadalcanal keeping Henderson Field operational. The Japanese made this a never-ending job, bombing it as fast as the Seabees repaired it. The first Seabee given a
Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...
was there." The Marines/Seabees made simultaneous landings on
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...
and Tulagi Island. On Tulagi it was to construct an advance PT base. Its boats became famous for their operations in the "slot" PT Squadron 3 was there and requested Seabee volunteers nightly to fill out its crews. It also became Headquarters Motor Torpedo Boat So. Pacific Command MTBSoPac. News worthy to the troops at the time, off Tassafaronga Point on Guadalcanal, Seabees in a Higgins boat ran into the
periscope A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...
of a sunk Japanese two-man sub offshore. It was in of water and with improvised diving gear they hooked cables for bulldozers to pull it ashore. With bulldozers straining on the cables, a dynamite blast was used to free it of the mud suction force and it was beached. It became a "must see" for U.S troops on the island. Like CBs, PTs were new in WWII. The Seabees would build 119 PT bases or Cubs. The largest would be on Mios Woendi. Many battalions were involved, however, the 113th and 116th CBs had PT Advance Base Construction Detachments. The 113th's detachment was attached to Task Group 70.1 through the end of the war. It was a precursor to postwar Seabee teams. Each man was cross-trained in multiple trades with some qualified as corpsmen or divers. Down under deployments had CBs building bases in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. As the war island-hopped the Seabees landed in assaults with New Zealanders and Australians on multiple islands to build airfields for joint RNZAF,
RAAF The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...
, U.S. Army Air Corps operations. There were some airfields like Turtle Bay that were built for joint USMC RNZAF use.
Kukum Field Kukum Field also known as Fighter 2 Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. World War II From the beginning of the Guadalcanal Campaign it was planned that the area would be developed into a major air bas ...
on Guadalcanal was home at various times to RNZAF Squadrons 1, 2, 3, 14, 15, 16, and 17 as well as the
USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
. On Noemfoor the 95th CB repaired three airfields that would service RAAF 22, 30, 37, 75, 76, and 80 Squadrons. On the Solomons, Russells, Rendova,
New Georgia New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province (Solomon Islands), Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the List of islands by area, 203rd-largest island in the world. Since July 1978, the island has been par ...
, and Bougainville CBs turned all into some kind of advanced base. "Mid-1943
Merauke Merauke is a large town (''kelurahan'') and an administrative district (''distrik'') in Merauke Regency of South Papua Province, Indonesia. It is also the administrative centre of Merauke Regency, and is considered to be the easternmost city in I ...
,
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
got an air strip and comm station at
Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...
. In December Seabees with the 1st Marine Division landed at Cape Gloucester. There, Seabees of the 19th Marines bulldozed trails for the armor beyond the front lines so far they had to be told to hold up. A Co 87th CB had to visit the armory for combat gear prior to joining the 3rd New Zealand Division. The 3rd New Zealander's took Seabees with them in taking the Green and Treasury Island groups. Japanese occupied Papua,
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
, and New Britain was Australian administered Territory that saw Battalions from Camp Seabee Brisbane. Prior to Cape Gloucester the 1st Marine Division posted notice requesting flight qualified volunteers to form an aviation unit of Piper L4 Grasshoppers. Sixty stepped forward with a dozen having flight time. A Seabee in the 17th Marines, MM2 Chester Perkins, was one. Perkins and the others were put through two months training for recon and artillery spotting once the Pipers arrived. He logged over 200 hours dropping flares ammo, medical supplies, observing troop movements, and providing taxi service to officers. For this Maj. Gen. Rupertus, USMC promoted him to
Staff sergeant Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...
/ Petty officer 1st class and Admiral Nimitz wrote him and the other flyers commendations for the Navy Air Medal. "The Admiralities became key to isolating
Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...
and the neutralization of New Britain. The seizure of
Manus Island Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth-largest island in Papua New Guinea, with an area of , measuring around . Manus Island is covered in rugged jungles w ...
and Los Negros Island cut supplies from all points north and east. By 1944 Seabees had transformed those islands into the largest Lion and Oak in the Southwest Pacific. The Lion became the main supply and repair depot of the Seventh Fleet. The capture of Emirau completed the encirclement of Rabaul. A strategic two-field Oak, with depots, dry dock, and PT base was constructed there." "The Central Pacific saw CBs both landing in all the assaults, their efforts moved the U.S relentlessly toward the Japanese homeland. Tarawa in the Gilberts was bad, but in fifteen hours Seabees had the airfield operational. They turned Majuro Atoll into one of the fleet's Lions and similarly transformed
Kwajalein Atoll Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ) is part of the Marshall Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking re ...
into a Oak." "Seizure of the Marianas turned the Pacific war. Their loss cut the Japanese defense and placed Japan within bomber range.
Operation Forager The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Campaign Plan Granite II, was an offensive launched by the United States against Imperial Japanese forces in the Pacific between June and November 1944 during the Pacific War. The campaig ...
saw CBs make significant contributions at the Kwajalein,
Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
,
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
, and
Tinian Tinian () is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern ...
. On Siapan and Tinian top secret Seabee handiwork was fielded by the 2nd and 4th Tank Battalions, flamethrowing tanks. Within four days of capture, Seabees had Aslito on Saipan operational. During the battle for Guam, CB Specials did stevedoring while others were Marine combat engineers. When they were done CBs turned Guam into a Lion for the fleet and an Oak for the air corps. The invasion of Tinian was a showcase of Seabee ingenuity and engineering. The CEC engineered detachable ramps mounted on LVT-2s making landings possible where the Japanese thought it was impossible. Before the island was even secure, Seabees were completing an unfinished Japanese airfield." During 1944 dredging harbors to facilitate movement of men, supplies, and vessels became an unheralded priority. The 301st CB was formed to do the job and given four demolitioneers from the UDTs, two of them ex-NCDU. Between them they had three Silver stars and one Bronze. "Once the Marianas were taken B-29s needed an emergency field and a forward base for fighter escort.
Iwo Jima is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands, which lie south of the Bonin Islands and together with them make up the Ogasawara Subprefecture, Ogasawara Archipelago. Together with the Izu Islands, they make up Japan's Nanpō Islands. Although sout ...
was chosen for V Amphibious Corps to assault on 19 February 1945. The assault had four battalions tasked as shore party: 4th & 5th Pioneers and 31st & 133rd CBs. The 133rd suffered the most casualties in Seabee history tasked to the 23rd Marines D-day-D+18. Only basic road construction was accomplished during the first days. The Marines requested Seabee heavy equipment operator volunteers to augment their beach depots for the assault D-day. CBs 8 and 95 each sent two dozen men. Work on the first airfield began on D+5. Two Seabees from the 117th CB accompanied the flamethrowing tanks they had created to provide technical field support. On Iwo Jima it got so that the Marines would hold up the assault to wait for one of their Seabee built flamethrowing tanks. Post-battle, the battalions had demolition teams scout and clear areas to provide safe construction sites. " Island hopping CBs made Hollandia instrumental in reclaiming the Philippines. The 3rd Naval Construction Brigade was part of MacArthur's return to
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
. Seabee pontoons brought MacArthur's Forces ashore. The 3rd was joined by the 2nd and 7th NCF Brigades. Together they numbered 37,000 and together they turned the Philippines into a huge advance base. The 7th Amphibious Force moved HQ there with CBs building everything: fleet anchorages, sub bases, fleet repair facilities, fuel and supply depots, Pt bases and airfields. At Dulag, Leyte Seabee industry became an issue to the Japanese. There, the 61st CB had an air strip detachment assaulted by Japanese
paratroopers A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light inf ...
. The assault lasted 72 hours with the Japanese losing over 350 men. As in the South Pacific, PTs had Seabees augmenting crews on runs along
Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coa ...
in the Lembeh Strait. "At Okinawa the 24th Army Corps and Third Marine Amphibious Corps landed off Rhinos and causeways of the 130th CB. The 58th, 71st, and 145th CBs were attached to the three Marine Division. The Seabees created an entire battalion of flamethrowing tanks for the assault. Numerous CBs followed, as Okinawa became the anticipated jumping-off point for invasion of Japan. Nearly 55,000 in four CB brigades were there. By August 1945 everything was prepped for the invasion." In the three months it took to secure the Island, seven stevedore battalions offloaded 2,000,000 tons. There were three airfields that were crucial to the campaign. The African American Seabees of the 34th CB drew the task of getting the Awase airfield operational and did. When the delivered the
atomic bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear expl ...
to Tinian"August 6, 1945, This Week in Seabee History"
Dr. Frank A. Blazich Jr., NHHC, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, CA
6th Brigade Seabees unloaded the components, stored and posted guard. When technicians assembled the weapon Seabees assisted as needed. On 6 August it was loaded into ''
Enola Gay The ''Enola Gay'' () is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel (United States), Colonel Paul Tibbets. On 6 August 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the Atomi ...
'', a B-29 bomber, for the bombing of Hiroshima. When the war ended 258,872 officers and enlisted had served in the Seabees. Their authorized allotment of 321,056 was never reached. The war saw over 300 Seabees killed in action while over 500 died on the job site. U.S. Fleet Admiral Halsey: "The Seabees helped crush the Japs in every South Pacific campaign".


Lions, Cubs, Oaks, Acorns advance base units

Advance base construction operations were given a code name as a numbered metaphor for the size/type of base the Seabees were to construct and assigned to it the "unit" charged with development and administration of that base. These were Lion, Cub, Oak and Acorn with a Lion being a large Fleet Base numbered 1–6. Cubs were Secondary Fleet Bases 1/4 the size of a Lion (numbered 1–12 and most often for
PT boat A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, and it was valued for its maneuverability and speed. However, PT boats were hampe ...
s) Oak and Acorn were the names given airfields, new or captured enemy fields (primary and secondary in size). Cubs were quickly adopted as the primary type airfield with few Oaks. Of the three base types Lions, Cubs and Acorns, Acorns received priority due to their tactical importance and the speed at which the Seabees could make one operational. The Navy believed the Seabees could produce an operational runway overnight. In the Office of Naval Operations manual for Logistics of Advance Bases it reads " Highly mobile Acorns... can be established by surprise tactics between sunset and sunrise on enemy territory... (are) strategically important... offensive instruments possessing tactical surprise to a highly portentous degree." Camp Bedilion was home to the Acorn Assembly and Training Detachment responsible for training and organizing Acorn units. It shared a common fenceline with Camp Rousseau at Port Hueneme. A Lion, Cub, or Acorn was composed of three components: Base Operation units, Fleet/Aviation repair-maintenance units and Construction Battalion personnel. CBs constructed, repaired or upgraded 111 major airfields with the number of acorn fields not published. When the code was first created the Navy thought it would require two CBs to construct a Lion. By 1944 entire Construction Regiments were being used to build Lions. Lions, Cubs, Oaks, Acorns USN Administration in WWII: ACORN: acronym for Aviation, Construction, Ordnance, Repair. A CBMU was attached to every ACORN. A single island could have multiple Acorns on it. It was common practice to separate airfields for bombers and fighters. In December 1944 the Navy took over an unused Army Air Corps base at Thermal, CA. making it Naval Air Field Thermal. The Navy made it the pre-embarkation and training center for Acorns, CASUs, and CBMUs. * Lion 1
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 ...
(1st, 7th 15th, and 40th CBs) * Lion 4 Manus * Lion 6
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
* Lion 8
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
* Cub 1 Guadalcanal * Cub 2
Tulagi Tulagi, less commonly known as Tulaghi, is a small island in Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Ngella Sule. The town of the same name on the island (pop. 1,750) was the capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate from 1896 t ...
* Cub 3 Nadi, Fiji * Cub 9 Guadalcanal * Cub 12 Emirau


Espiritu Santo war's end

At the end of WWII,
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 ...
had become the second largest base the U.S. had in the Pacific. To deal with the vast quantities of supplies and equipment staged there the military had to find a solution. It cost too much to send back to the states and would hurt industry by flooding the market with cheap
military surplus Military surplus is goods, usually materiel, that are sold or otherwise disposed of when held in excess or are no longer needed by the military. Entrepreneurs often buy these goods and resell them at surplus stores. Usually the goods sold by th ...
. Additionally, the Navy was more concerned about discharging men and mothballing ships. The answer was to offer to sell it to the French for 6 cents on the dollar. The French thought they wouldn't offer anything and the U.S would abandon it all. Instead the U.S ordered the Seabees to build a ramp into the sea by Luganville Airfield. There, day after day the surplus went into the water. Seabees wept at what they had to do. Today the site is a
tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...
called Million Dollar Point. Individual CBs were ordered to do the same across the Pacific.


CB rates

These indicate the construction trade in which a Seabee is skilled. During WWII, the Seabees were the highest-paid group in the U.S. military, due to all the skilled journeymen in their ranks. Camp Endicott had roughly 45 vocational schools plus additional specialized classes. These included
Air compressor An air compressor is a machine that takes ambient air from the surroundings and discharges it at a higher pressure. It is an application of a gas compressor and a Pneumatics, pneumatic device that energy conversion, converts mechanical power (from ...
s,
Arc welding Arc welding is a welding process that is used to join metal to metal by using electricity to create enough heat to melt metal, and the melted metals, when cool, result in a joining of the metals. It is a type of welding that uses a welding power ...
, BAR,
Bridge building A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
,
Bulldozer A bulldozer or dozer (also called a crawler) is a large tractor equipped with a metal #Blade, blade at the front for pushing material (soil, sand, snow, rubble, or rock) during construction work. It travels most commonly on continuous tracks, ...
,
Camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
,
Carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. C ...
,
Concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...
, Cranes,
Dams A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...
, Diving,
Diesel engines The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the die ...
,
Distillation Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...
and
water purification Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids, and gases from water. The goal is to produce water that is fit for specific purposes. Most water is purified and disinfected for hu ...
, Dock building, Drafting, Drilling,
Dry docks Dry or dryness most often refers to: * Rain#Deserts, Lack of rainfall, which may refer to **Arid regions **Drought * Dry or dry area, relating to legal prohibition of selling, serving, or imbibing alcoholic beverages * Dry humor, deadpan * Drynes ...
,
Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
and demolition,
Electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
,
Electric motor An electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a electromagnetic coil, wire winding to gene ...
s,
First aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with a medical emergency, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery until medical services arrive. First aid is gener ...
,
Fire fighting Firefighting is a profession aimed at controlling and extinguishing fire. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter or fireman. Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural fir ...
, Gasoline Engines, Generators, Grading roads and airfields, Ice makers,
Ignition system Ignition systems are used by heat engines to initiate combustion by igniting the fuel-air mixture. In a spark ignition versions of the internal combustion engine (such as petrol engines), the ignition system creates a spark to ignite the fuel-ai ...
s,
Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...
, Huts and tents,
Lubrication Lubrication is the process or technique of using a lubricant to reduce friction and wear and tear in a contact between two surfaces. The study of lubrication is a discipline in the field of tribology. Lubrication mechanisms such as fluid-lubr ...
, Machine gun, Marine engines,
Marston Mat Marston Mat, more properly called pierced (or perforated) steel planking (PSP), is standardized, perforated steel matting material developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the ...
ting,
Mosquito control Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment. Control strategies range from habitat modification and chemical insecticides to biological agents and mechanical traps. Clim ...
,
Photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
,
Pile driving A pile driver is a heavy-duty tool used to drive piling, piles into soil to build piers, bridges, cofferdams, and other "pole" supported structures, and patterns of pilings as part of permanent deep foundations for buildings or other structures ...
, Pipe-fitting/
plumbing Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses piping, pipes, valves, piping and plumbing fitting, plumbing fixtures, Storage tank, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. HVAC, Heating and co ...
, Pontoons, Power-shovel operation,
Pumps A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic or pneumatic energy. Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of applications such ...
,
Radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
,
Refrigeration Refrigeration is any of various types of cooling of a space, substance, or system to lower and/or maintain its temperature below the ambient one (while the removed heat is ejected to a place of higher temperature).IIR International Dictionary of ...
, Rifle,
Riveting A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the deformed end is called the ''s ...
,
Road building A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. The ...
, Road Scrapers,
Sheet metal Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil (metal), foil or Metal leaf, leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25  ...
, Soil testing, Steelworking, Storage tanks wood or steel, Tire repair, Tractor operation,
Transformer In electrical engineering, a transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple Electrical network, circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces ...
s, Vulcanizing, Water front, and Well-drilling. * BMCB : Boatswain's Mate Seabee * CB : Construction Battalion ( first rate in 1942 for all construction trades) * CMCBB : Carpenter's Mate CB Builder * CMCBD : Carpenter's Mate CB Draftsman * CMCBE : Carpenter's Mate CB Excavation foreman * CMCBS : Carpenter's Mate CB Surveyor * EMCBC : Electrician's Mate CB Communications * EMCBD : Electrician's Mate CB Draftsman * EMCBG : Electrician's Mate CB General * EMCBL : Electrician's Mate CB Line and Station * GMCB : Gunner's Mate CB * GMCBG : Gunner's Mate CB Armorer * GMCBP : Gunner's Mate CB Powder-man * MMCBE : Machinist's Mate CB Equipment Operator * SFCBB : Ship Fitter CB Blacksmith * SFCBM : Ship Fitter CB Draftsman * SFCBP : Ship Fitter CB Pipe-fitter and Plumber * SFCBR : Ship Fitter CB Rigger * SFCBS : Ship Fitter CB Steelworker * SFCBW : Ship Fitter CB Welder * Diver The Seabees had a divers school of their own to qualify 2nd class divers. During WWII being a diver was not a "rate", it was a "qualification" that had four grades: Master, 1st Class, Salvage, and 2nd Class. CBs would put men in the water from the
tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
to the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...
. In the Aleutians CB 4 had divers doing salvage on the Russian freighter SS ''Turksib'' in 42 °F water. In the tropics Seabee divers would be sent close to an enemy airfield to retrieve a Japanese aircraft. At Halavo on Florida Island divers from the 27th CB would recover a Disburser's safe full of money plus change 160 props on vessels of all sizes. The Seabees of the 27th CB alone, logged 2.550 diving hours with 1,345 classified as "extra hazardous". Seabee Underwater Demolition Teams were swimmers during WWII, but postwar transitioned to divers. Another historic note to the Seabees is that they had African American divers in the 34th CB. Those men fabricated their diving gear in the field using Navy Mk-III gas masks as taught at diving school. Twice, while at
Milne Bay Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, south-eastern Papua New Guinea. More than long and over wide, Milne Bay is a sheltered deep-water harbor accessible via Ward Hunt Strait. It is surrounded by the heavily wooded Stirling Range (Papu ...
, the 105th CB sent special diving details on undisclosed missions. At Pearl Harbor Seabee Divers were involved in the salvage of many of the ships hit on 7 December as well as the recovery of bodies for a long time after the attack. Divers in the 301st CB placed as much as 50 tons of explosives a day to keep their dredges productive. However, the divers of CB 96 used 1,727,250 lbs of dynamite to blast 423,300 cubic yards of coral for the Ship repair facility on Manicani Island, at the Naval Operating Base Leyte-Samar. Their primary diving gear was modified Navy Mark III and Navy Mark IV gas masks.


Organization

The primary Seabee unit was the battalion, composed of a headquarters company and four construction companies. Each company could do smaller jobs independently as they each had all the basic ratings for doing any job. Hq. Co. was made up primarily of fleet rates plus surveyors and draftsman. A CB's complement was 32 officers and 1,073 enlisted. "By 1944 construction projects grew in scope and scale. Often more than one CB was assigned to a job. To promote efficient administrative control 3-4 battalions would be organized into a regiment, if necessary, two or more regiments were organized into a brigade. This happened on Okinawa where 55,000 Seabees deployed. All were under the Commander, Construction Troops, Commodore Andrew G. Bisset (CEC). He also had 45,000 U.S. Army engineers under his command making it the largest concentration of construction troops ever." At wars end they would number over 258,000. The NCF grew into 12 Naval Construction Brigades of: 54 Construction Regiments, 151 CBs, 39 Special CBs, 136 CB Maintenance Units, 118 CB Detachments, and 5 Pontoon Assembly Detachments. In addition, many Seabees served in the NCDUs, UDTs, Cubs, Lions, Acorns and Marine Corps. While the CB itself was versatile it was apparent that some units could be smaller and/or specialized for task specific units. "The first departure from the standard CB was the "Special" Construction Battalion, or the "CB Special". "Special" CBs were composed of stevedores and longshoremen who were badly needed for the unloading of cargo in combat zones. Many officers for "Specials" were recruited from the Merchant Marine (and commissioned as CEC) while stevedoring companies were the source of many of the enlisted. Soon, the efficiency of cargo handling in combat zones was on a par to that found in the most efficient ports in the U.S." There were five battalions specialized in pontoons, barges, and causeways: 70th, 81st, 111th, 128th, 302nd. The 134th & 139th CBs were made trucking units due to the transportation and logistic needs on Guam and Okinawa. "Several types of smaller, specialized units were created. Construction Battalion Maintenance Units/CBMUs, a quarter the size of a CB were one. They were Public Works units intended to assume base maintenance of newly constructed bases. Another unit type was the Construction Battalion Detachment/CBD, of 6 to 600 men. CBDs did everything from running tire-repair shops to operating
dredges Dredging is the Digging, excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing Water feature, water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial ...
. Many were tasked with the handling, launching, assembly, installation of pontoon causeways. Others were petroleum dets specializing in
pipelines A pipeline is a system of pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries around the world. The Un ...
or petroleum facilities."


The Seabee

The Seabee's machinegun-toting
bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only Extant taxon, extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct r ...
insignia was created by Frank J. Iafrate, a clerk at the Camp Endicott, Quonset Point,
Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
. Iafrate was known for being artistic and a lieutenant asked if he could do a "
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
style" Seabee insignia. He chose the bumblebee for his model. Image-wise they have more "heft" than the
honeybee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the c ...
and "heft" suited the whole idea. He put three hours sketching: a sailor's cap, a uniform with
petty officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies. Often they may be superior to a seaman, and subordinate to more senior non-commissioned officers, such as chief petty officers. Petty officers are usually sailors that have ...
ranks on each arm plus the tools and rates of the gunner's mate,
machinist's mate Machinist's Mate (or MM) is a List of United States Navy ratings, rating in the United States Navy's engineering community. It is non-capitalised as machinist's mate when discussing the generic rating rather than as a proper noun when discussing a ...
, and
carpenter's mate Ship's carpenter is a post aboard ships, both naval and commercial, responsible for the maintenance and repair of the ship's wooden parts, as well as its water stocks. In the late 19th century, typical activities for a ship's carpenter included c ...
. On each wrist he placed the CEC insignia. For the border he used a letter Q for Quonset Point. He gave the design to the lieutenant. The lieutenant showed it to his captain, who sent it off to Adm. Moreell. The only change the Admiral requested was that the border be changed to a hawser rope in keeping with Naval tradition for Naval insignia.


Flame throwing tanks, CWS: Flame Tank Group

During WWII
Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Forces (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Dependi ...
s modified/created all of the main armament flame throwing tanks that the USMC put in the field on
Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
,
Tinian Tinian () is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern ...
,
Iwo Jima is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands, which lie south of the Bonin Islands and together with them make up the Ogasawara Subprefecture, Ogasawara Archipelago. Together with the Izu Islands, they make up Japan's Nanpō Islands. Although sout ...
, and the U.S. Army on
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
. They were a weapon Japanese troops feared and the Marine Corps said was the best weapon they had in the taking of Iwo Jima. After Okinawa the Army stated that the tanks had a
psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
presence on the battlefield. U.S. troops preferred to follow them over standard armor for the fear they put in the enemy. Pacific field commanders had tried field modified mechanized flame throwers early on, with the Marine Corps deciding to leave further development to the Army. The Navy had an interest in flame throwing and five Navy Mark I flamethrowers arrived in Hawaii in April 1944. The Navy deemed them "unsuitable" due to their weight and turned them over to the Army's Chemical Warfare Service. In May a top secret composite unit was assembled at Schofield Barracks. It was led by Colonel Unmacht of the US Army
Chemical Warfare Service The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against and using chemical weapon, chemical, biological agent, biological, radiological weapon, radiological, and nuclear weapon, nuclear (Chemical, biological, r ...
, Central Pacific Area (CENPAC) Col. Unmacht began the project with only the 43rd Chemical Laboratory Company. They modified the first M3 Stuart light tank designating it a "Satan". The flame tank group was expanded with men from the 5th Marine tank battalion and 25 from the 117th CB. The newly attached Seabees went over what the Army had created and concluded it was a little over engineered. They recommended reducing the number of moving parts from over a hundred to a half dozen. V Amphibious Corps (VAC) wanted mechanized flamethrowing capabilities for the Marianas operations. VAC had ordered and received two shipments of Canadian Ronson F.U.L. Mk IV flamethrowers (30 flamethrowers in total) to field modify tanks. With a war to wage field modification was much quicker than going through official military procurement channels. The 117th CB was assigned to the upcoming Saipan operation. Col Unmacht worked out an arrangement to not only keep the 117th Seabees he had, but get more. Augmented by the additional Seabees, the group worked sun up to sundown and, with Seabee Can-do twenty-four M3s were modified to start the campaign. The very first, made by the 43rd Co, was christened "Hells Afire". The installation configuration of the flamethrower components limited the turret's traverse to 180°. As Satans were produced Colonel Unmacht had the Seabees conduct a comprehensive series of 40-hour classes on flame tank operation with first and second echelon maintenance. First, for officers and enlisted of the Marine Corps and then later for the Army. The Satans had a range of and were the first tanks to have the main armament swapped for flame throwers. They were divided between the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions and made D Company of the tank battalions. They saw combat on Siapan and Tinian with Tinian being more favorable to their use. *Four Seabees received Navy/Marine Corps commendations for their work from Lt. Gen. Holland M. Smith Commanding General(USMC) FMF Pacific. *At least 7 were awarded the Bronze Star. Mid-September the Army decided to officially form a CWS "Flame Thrower Group" with Col Unmacht requesting 56 additional Seabees. The group included more Army CWS and 81st Ordnance men as well. It was apparent that a larger flamethrower on a bigger tank would be more desirable, but very few tanks were available for conversion. Operation Detachment was next and Col Unmacht's group located eight M4A3 Sherman medium tanks for it. The Seabees worked to combine the best elements from three different flame units: the Ronson, the Navy model I and those Navy Mk-1s the Navy gave up. MMS1c A.A. Reiche and EM2c Joseph Kissel are credited with designing the CB-H1. Installation required of welding rod, 1100 electrical connections, and cost between $20,000-25,000 per tank(adj. for inflation $288,000-$360,000 in 2019). The CB-H1 flamethrower operated at which gave it a range of and could transverse 270°. This model was quickly superseded by the CB-H2 that was far better. EM2c Kissel and SF1c J.T. Patterson accompanied the tanks to oversee maintenance during the battle. Kissel filled in as an assistant driver/gunner with tank crews on 20 days of the operation. In November 1944 the Fleet Marine Force had requested 54 mechanized flame throwers, nine for each of the Marine Corps Divisions On Iwo the tanks all landed D-day and went into action on D+2, sparingly at first. As the battle progressed, portable flame units sustained casualty rates up to 92%, leaving few troops trained to use the weapon. More and more calls came for the Mark-1s to the point that the Marines became dependent upon the tanks and would hold up their assault until a flame tank was available. Since each tank battalion had only four they were not assigned. Rather, they were "pooled" and would dispatch from their respective refueling locations as the battle progressed. For Okinawa the 10th Army decided that the entire 713th Tank Battalion would provisionally convert to flame. The Battalion was tasked to support both the Army and the Marine Corps assault. It was ordered to Schofield Barracks on Nov 10. There the Seabees supervised three officers and 60 enlisted of the 713th convert all 54 of their tanks to Ronsons. The Ronsons did not have the range of either the CB-H1 or CB-H2.


Seabee Awards in the NCF

During WWII Seabees would be awarded 5 Navy Crosses, 33 Silver Stars, and over 2000
Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
s. Many would receive citations and commendations from the Marine Corps. The most decorated officer was Lt. Jerry Steward (CEC): Navy Cross, Purple Heart with 3 Gold Stars, Army Distinguished Unit Badge with Oak leaf and the Philippine Distinguished Service Star. Another CEC with an unusual set of awards was Capt. Wilfred L. Painter: Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and 4 Gold Stars.    Presidential Unit Citation USN/USMC : *75 men 3rd CB, Guadalcanal, USS ''Enterprise'' *6th CB, Guadalcanal, 1st Marine Division Naval History and Heritage Command website, Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual [Rev. 1953] Part 2 – Unit Awards, 31 Aug 2015
/ref> *202 men 33rd CB, Peleliu, 1st Marine Pioneers *241 men, 73rd CB, Peleliu, 1st Marine Pioneers    U.S. Army Distinguished Unit Citation : *40th CB Los Negros, 1st Cavalry Division *12 men 78th CB Los Negros, 1st Cavalry Division    Navy Unit Commendation *3rd Naval Construction Detachment- Espiritu Santo *11th Special CB, Okinawa *31st CB, Iwo Jima, 5th Marine Shore party Regiment *33rd CB, Peleliu 1st Marine Pioneers *58th CB, Vella Lavella *62nd CB, Iwo Jima, V Amphibious Corps *71st CB, Okinawa *53 men 113th CB, PT boat Advance Base Construction Detachment, Balikpapan Borneo/Philippines *133rd CB, Iwo Jima, 23rd Marine Regiment *301st CB, Siapan, Tinian, Guam, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Okinawa *CBMU 515, Guam, 22nd Marine Regiment *CBMU 617, Okinawa *CBMU 624, Okinawa *CBD 1006, Sicily    U.S.Army Meritorious Unit Commendation *60th CB, Los Negros, 1st Cavalry Division


Seabee Awards outside the NCF

Seabees serving outside the NCF received numerous awards as well. The Navy does not make a distinction for awards given inside or outside the NCF nor does it identify Seabees in the NCDUs or UDTs awards. Admiral Turner recommended over 60 Silver Stars and over 300
Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...
s with Combat "Vs" for the Seabees and other service members of UDTs 1-7 That was unpresendented in USN/USMC history. At Guam and Tinian all UDT officers received silver stars and all enlisted received bronze stars with Combat "Vs".''Naked Warriors'', Cdt. Francis Douglas Fane USNR (Ret.), St. Martin's Press, New York, 1996, pp. 122, 131    Presidential Unit Citation USN/USMC *3rd Battalion 18th Marines (18th CB) Tarawa, 2nd Marine Division *14 men of 3rd Battalion 20th Marines (121st CB) Saipan and Tinian 4th Marine Division *Naval Combat Demolition Units assault force O Normandy **NCDU 11, NCDU 22, NCDU 23, NCDU 27, NCDU 41, NCDU 42, NCDU 43, NCDU 44, NCDU 45, NCDU 46, NCDU 128, NCDU 129, NCDU 130, NCDU 131, NCDU 133, NCDU 137 *UDT 11 Bruni Bay, Borneo *UDT 11 Balikpapan, Borneo    Navy Unit Commendation *3rd Battalion 22nd Marines st Naval Construction Detachment(Bobcats), & A Company 3rd CBEniwetok *ACORN 14, Tarawa, 2nd Marine Division *Naval Combat Demolition Units force U Normandy **NCDU 25, NCDU 26, NCDU 28, NCDU 29, NCDU 30, NCDU 127, NCDU 132, NCDU 134, NCDU 135, NCDU 136, NCDU 139 * UDT 4, Guam * UDT 4, Leyte * UDT 4, Okinawa * UDT 7, Marianas * UDT 7, Western Carolina's The Seabee Record


Post-war legacy

During the war many of the bases the Seabees built were disassembled for the materials to be reused in new bases closer to the front. However, the airfields could not be moved and remained post war. The Seabees built or repaired dozens across the Pacific. Today, after upgrades and modernization, many are still in use or remain usable. WWII Airfields in use today: Pacific: * Abemama Atoll Airport (95th CB) * Alexai Point Army Airfield and Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (114th & 138th CBs) * Andersen Air Force Base (5th Construction Brigade) * Awase Airfield (34th, 36th CBs) * Bauerfield International Airport ( 1st CB) * Bonriki International Airport (3rd Bn 18th Marines) *
Bucholz Army Airfield Bucholz Army Airfield is a United States Army airfield located on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. Its position is ideal for refueling during trans-Pacific flights, and the airport is available to civilians through Air Marshall Islands and ...
(109th CB with CBs 74, 107, & 3rd Bn 20th Marines) *
Carney Airfield Carney Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands in the Oceania, South Pacific. It is located near Koli Point about six miles from Henderson Field (Guadalcanal), Henderson Field, close to the Metapona River to t ...
used until the 1970s (CB 14 abandoned) * Central Field (Iwo Jima) (CBs 31,62, 133) *
Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport , also known as Tacloban City Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Tacloban, a highly urbanized city in the Leyte island of the Philippines. It is the main gateway from Manila and Cebu to Eastern Visayas ...
(88th CB) * Dulag Airfield (61st CB) * East Field (Saipan) (51st CB) The airfield is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
as the "Isley Field Historic District", and is part of the
National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...
on Saipan. * Emirau Airport (out of service but remains usable) * Enewetak Auxiliary Airfield (110th CB) * Falalop Airfield (51st CB) * Faleolo International Airport (CB 1) * Finschhafen Airport (60th CB and U.S. Army) * French Frigate Shoals Airport (B Co. CB 5) * Freeflight International Airport (3rd Bn 20th Marines & 109th CB) * Funafuti International Airport (2nd CB detachment) * Fuaʻamotu International Airport (1st CB) * Guasopa Airport/ Woodlark Airfield (60th CB) * Guam International Airport/ NAS Agana (103rd CB, 5th Construction Brigade) * Guiuan Airport (61st & 93RD CBs) * Hawkins Field (3rd Bn 18th Marines, CBs 74 & 98) * Haleiwa Fighter Strip (14th CB) * Henderson Field (Midway Atoll) *
Hihifo Airport Hihifo Airport is an airport in Hihifo serving Wallis Island in Wallis and Futuna. The airport is 5.6 km from Mata-Utu, the capital city. It was constructed by Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as ...
(Seabees) *
Honiara International Airport : Honiara International Airport , formerly known as Henderson Field, is an airport in the province of Guadalcanal in the nation of Solomon Islands. It is the primary international airport in the country, the second being Munda Airport in Wester ...
/ Henderson Field (Guadalcanal) (CBs 6, 14, 18) *
Honolulu International Airport Daniel K. Inouye International Airport , also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main and largest airport in Hawaii.
NAS HonoluluJohn Rodgers Field (5th CB with CBs 13, 64, & 133) * Johnston Island Air Force Base (CBs 5, 10, & 99) * Kornasoren Airport (Yeburro Airfield) 95th CB *
Kukum Field Kukum Field also known as Fighter 2 Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. World War II From the beginning of the Guadalcanal Campaign it was planned that the area would be developed into a major air bas ...
used until 1969 (CBs 6, 26, 46, 61) * La Tontouta International Airport (seabees) * Leo Wattimena Airport * Losuia Airport/Kiriwina Airfield (60th CB) * Luganville Airfield used until the mid-1970s (40th CB) * Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base (54th CB, Cub 51) * Majuro Airfield (100th CB used 20 years postwar) * Marpi Point Field (51st CB & CBMU 614) The airfield is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
as the "Isley Field Historic District", and is part of the
National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...
on Saipan. * Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay (CBs 56, 112, 74) * Momote Airport (40th CB) * Mono Airport (87th CB) * Mopah International Airport (55th CB) * Munda Airport (CBs 24, 47, 63, 7) * Nanumea Airfield (16th CB) *
Nausori International Airport Nausori International Airport , also known as Luvuluvu, is the secondary international airport in Fiji, behind Nadi International Airport. It is situated in Nausori on the southeastern side of Viti Levu, Fiji's main island. Nausori Airport is rou ...
( Seabees) * Naval Base Guam (5th Naval Construction Brigade) * Naval Air Base Tanapag (39th CB), site of NTTU Saipan (Naval Technical Training Unit – CIA, used postwar until 1962) * Naval Air Station Kaneohe (CBs 56, 74, 112) * Naval Station Sangley Point is now Danilo Atienza Air Base(PAF) and Naval Base Cavite(PN) (77th CB,12th Construction Regiment) * Nissan Island Airport (93rd CB) * North Field (Tinian) The airfield is an element of the Tinian
National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...
. (6th Construction Brigade) (NMCB 28) * Northwest Field (Guam) (53rd and 94th CB semi-abandoned) * Nouméa Magenta Airport (11th CB) * Nukufetau Airfield (Motolalo Airfield) 16th CB * Ondonga Airfield (CBs 37 & 82) * Orote Field (5th Naval Construction Brigade) * Palmyra (Cooper) Airport (Seabees) * Palikulo Bay Airfield ( 7th & 15th CBs) * Penrhyn atoll has the
Tongareva Airport Tongareva Airport is an airport on Penrhyn Island in the Cook Islands. The airport lies a mere 8 feet (3 m) above the mean sea level. History During World War II, Tongareva was of strategic importance. In 1942, 1,000 U.S. servicemen began cons ...
(Seabees) *
Piva Airfield Piva Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Bougainville Island in the Solomon Islands (archipelago), Solomon Islands archipelago. History World War II The 3rd Marine Division (United States), 3rd Marine Division landed on Bougainville o ...
( CBs 25, 53, 71, & 74) * Point Barrow Naval Arctic Research Laboratory Airfield (CBD 1058) Runway and two hangars intact 2014 *
Puerto Princesa International Airport Puerto Princesa International Airport is an airport serving the general area of Puerto Princesa, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is classified as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philipp ...
(CB 84) * Rota International Airport (48th CB) * Santo-Pekoa International Airport ( CBs 3, 7, 15) *
Saipan International Airport Saipan International Airport , also known as Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, is a public airport located on Saipan Island in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The airport is owned by Commonwealth P ...
(3rd Bn 20th Marines/CB 121) The airfield is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
as the "Isley Field Historic District", and is part of the
National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...
on Saipan. * South Field (Iwo Jima) (CBs 31, 64, & 133 abandoned post-war) * Segi Point Airfield (47th CB) * Seghe Airport (47th CB)9 * Tontouta Air Base (53rd CB) * Torokina Airfield (CBs 25, 53, 71, & 75) * Umiat Airport (CBD 1058) *
Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...
(85th CB) * West Field (Tinian) Today is Tinian International Airport. (6th Construction Brigade) * Yandina Airport (CBs 33 & 35) * Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield (71st & 87th CB) * Yonabaru Airfield ( 145th CB) Atlantic: * Naval Air Station Port Lyautey/Kenitra Air Base (120th CB) * United States Naval Communications Station Sidi Yahya El Gharb, Naval Communication Station Sidi Yahya (120th CB) Military installations WWII: * Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (22nd CB) * Lombrum Naval Base (CBs 11, 58, 71) * Naval Base Guam (5th Naval Brigade) * Subic Bay Naval Station now Subic Bay Freeport Zone * Awase Airfield JCC Radio Transmitter Station, 1945; today Comm Station AN/FRT-95(A) program LF transmitters supporting Commander Submarine Group SEVEN (34th CB, MCB 7)


See also

* 17th Marine Regiment (Engineer) 19th CB * 18th Marine Regiment (Engineer) 18th CB * 19th Marine Regiment (Engineer) 25th CB * 20th Marine Regiment (Engineer) 121st CB * Military engineering of the United States * Seabees Memorial * United States Navy Argus Units with Acorn Units


Notes

* On Johnson atoll the 1st Marine Defense Battalion detachment named each of its batteries. One them was made up of four 3" AA guns and called the "Seabee battery".


References


Bibliography

*
via HyperWar
* * *


Further reading



* * * * * "Can Do" William Bradford Huie, E.P Dutton Press, 1944 University of Michigan Library websit

* * * OPNAV Notice 1650, Master List of Unit Awards and Campaign Medals, Dept. of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D


External links

*
U.S. Navy Seabee Museum Online Reading Room




* [http://www.seabeehf.org/ Seabee & CEC Historical Foundation]
''Seabee Online'': official online magazine of the Seabees

Seabees. Department of the Navy. Bureau of Yards and Docks (c. 1944)

Seabees Report: European Operations (1945)




{{US Marine Corps navbox Seabees Seabee units and formations Military engineering of the United States Military units and formations established in 1942