Pacific Islands Forts

American Forts: West

PACIFIC ISLAND TERRITORIES

American WWII defenses that were established in the Southwest Pacific after May 1942
(Australasia and Melanesia) are not listed here, and are beyond the scope of this website.

The Japanese Outer Islands (Bonin Is., Volcano Is., Daito Is., Ryukyu Is., and Parece Vela I.)
occupied by the U.S. Navy after WWII (1945 - 1972) are also not included on this website.

Last Update: 09/MARCH/2025

Compiled by Pete Payette - Š2025 American Forts Network

WAKE ISLAND (U.S. Military Reservation) (United States)
(1898, 1939 - 1945/present)
The atoll was first claimed by the U.S. in 1840, and reclaimed in 1898 by U.S. Marines on their way to the Philippines. It was formally annexed by the U.S. in 1899. A commercial seaplane base was established in 1935 on Peale Islet. The U.S. Navy built an airstrip on Wake Islet in 1939. Total land area of Wake Atoll (Wake, Peale, Wilkes Islets) is three square miles. The island is currently a subpost of the U.S. Army Strategic and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands (see link below). Restricted access is by USAF military aircraft only. See also 1975 Vietnam Refugee Camp.
History and Info from Jane Resture.com

The U.S. Marine 1st Defense Battalion hastily defended the atoll in August 1941 with six 5-inch naval guns, twelve 3-inch anti-aircraft guns, eighteen .50-cal. AA machine guns, thirty .30-cal. AA machine guns, and five searchlights. There were no sound locators available. Two planned radar sets (SCR-268 and SCR-270) never arrived from Hawaii before the war started, and a relief ship with reinforcements and spare parts and other equipment was turned back in late December 1941. The 5-inch naval guns were emplaced in pairs, one on Wilkes Islet at Kuku Point (Battery C), one on Peale Islet at Toki Point (Battery B), and the other on Wake Islet at Peacock Point (Battery A). The 3-inch AA guns were emplaced in quads, one set on each islet (Batteries F, D, E respectively). A single 3-inch AMTB gun was emplaced on Wake Islet at the end of the runway on the southern shore. The Marines were encamped at Camp One on the western tip of Wake Islet. The civilian contractors were encamped at Camp Two on the northern tip of Wake Islet. The Wake Island Marine defenders have the distinction of being the only coastal defense force, among all combatants, ever to have held off an enemy amphibious landing during WWII. The Japanese were, however, successful on their second attempt two weeks later.
To Hell and Back: Wake During and After WWII by Dirk H.R. Spennemann

The Japanese defended the atoll (captured in December 1941 after an intense 16-day campaign, and renamed Otori Shima) with four 203mm (British 8-inch) and four 150mm coast defense guns, eight 127mm twin-mount dual-purpose (coast and AA) guns, one 80mm dual-purpose gun, nine 75mm anti-aircraft guns, twelve 37mm anti-tank guns, twenty-four 25mm twin-mount anti-aircraft guns, and other assorted smaller guns. The four 203mm guns were left abandoned in situ for decades, two at Toki Point, and two at Peacock Point (now since removed as of December 2009). All the large American guns were evidently removed and scrapped by the Japanese. Two American 3-inch AA guns still exist - one displayed outside the air terminal and one displayed beside the road from the terminal to the site of the bridge to Peale Islet. The atoll was not reclaimed by the United States until after Japan's surrender in 1945. The island is claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands as Eneen Kio.
Pacific Wrecks.com

(some info provided by Philip Sims and Dirk H.R. Spennemann of the Coast Defense Study Group)
(thanks also to John Eckersley of the CDSG for additional info)

JOHNSTON ATOLL (United States)
(Johnston Island National Wildlife Refuge)
(1934 - 1949/2002)
Johnston Atoll was formally claimed by the U.S. in 1858. The U.S. Navy established an air station (seaplanes) in 1934, and was defended by the U.S. Marine 1st Defense Battalion beginning in March 1941 (renamed the 16th Defense Battalion in November 1942). The atoll, originally known as Kalama Island, was ommitted from the Hawaii Statehood bill in 1959, and thus became a separate U.S. territory. Johnston Atoll (originally only two islets: Johnston and Sand) had a combined land area of less than one square mile. Akau and Hakina Islets were man-made in the 1960's, and have increased the total atoll land area to about 1.7 square miles.
The Navy built a 5700-foot runway on Johnston Islet in 1941. In December 1941 the Marines emplaced two 5-inch naval guns (Battery Devereux) on concrete mounts, four 3-inch AA guns (Battery Godbold), eight .50-cal. AA MG, and eight .30-cal. AA MG on Johnston Islet. There were numerous Japanese air attacks on the atoll that month, but none thereafter. A Japanese submarine shelled the island on December 15 and 22. In 1942 another two-gun 5-inch gun battery (Battery Potter), and a four-gun 3-inch AA battery (Battery Seabee), was emplaced on Johnston. In 1943 Battery Godbold was rearmed with four 90mm guns, Battery Seabee was reduced to two guns, and Battery Lewis (four 90mm) was built on Sand Islet. There were also four 40mm AA, eight 20mm AA, nine .50-cal. AA MG, and twenty-one .30-cal. AA MG emplaced in various positions in 1944. An SCR-268 (later an SCR-584) radar was located on Sand Islet. An SCR-270 (later an SCR-271) early warning AA radar was on Johnston. The Naval base was closed in 1949 and turned over to the Air Force as a nuclear weapons support facility. Later the DOD established a chemical weapons incinerator here. A Coast Guard LORAN station was here in 1957 - 1992. Military operations ceased in 2002, and the island is currently managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a National Wildlife Refuge. No public access.
Pacific Wrecks.com
(info provided by John Bennett of the Coast Defense Study Group)

PALMYRA ATOLL & KINGMAN REEF (United States)
(Palmyra Island National Wildlife Refuge)
(1940 - 1947)
Palmyra, part of the Line Islands, was once a part of the Kingdom of Hawaii after 1862. It was annexed by the United Kingdom in 1889, but this was not recognized by the United States. It came under jurisdiction of the U.S. in 1898, and formally became an incorporated territory of the U.S. in 1912. A U.S. Naval Air Station was established in 1940 on Cooper Islet with a 6100-foot runway (named Lowe Field in 1943). A second strip was built on Menge Islet, and a third strip was built on Sand Islet. Land area of Palmyra Atoll (a group of 52 islets) is two square miles.
Beginning in March 1941 Palmyra was defended by the U.S. Marine 1st Defense Battalion, which initially had only four 5-inch naval guns emplaced in pairs, four 3-inch AA guns, eight .50-cal. AA MG, and eight .30-cal. AA MG. By the beginning of 1942 there were also twelve 20mm AA, twenty 40mm AA, sixteen more .50-cal. AA MG, thirty more .30-cal. AA MG, and other various weapons. Two additional 5-inch guns were added, as well as four 3-inch naval guns, and four additional 3-inch AA guns. The 5-inch guns were emplaced on Janey Islet (Battery A), Home Islet (Battery B), and Eastern Islet (Battery C). The 3-inch guns were emplaced on Janey, Home, Eastern, Bird (Battery D), and other islets. Twelve 90mm AA guns were later emplaced in four triplets to replace all the 3-inch guns. A Japanese submarine shelled the island on December 22 and 24, 1941, but there was never any further action. The 5-inch guns of Battery C returned fire during the Dec. 22 attack. The Marine garrison left in 1944. The Naval base was closed in 1947, and the island reverted back to private ownership. The Nature Conservancy obtained the island in 2003 and cleared the overgrown Cooper Islet runway. The concrete gun emplacements and other runways are overgrown and eroding away. The island is today managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a National Wildlife Refuge. Public access is allowed only by Special Use Permit.
Pacific Wrecks.com
(info provided by John Bennett and Al Grobmeier of the Coast Defense Study Group)

Kingman Reef, the northern-most of the Line Islands, was claimed by the U.S. in 1860, formally annexed in 1922, and had no military use. Used as a commercial seaplane stopover in 1937-38. Mostly submerged, total land area is less than one-half square mile. Public access by Special Use Permit. Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge

JARVIS ISLAND (United States)
(Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge)
Another of the Line Islands group, also known as Bunker Island, claimed by the U.S. in 1857, annexed by the U.K. in 1889, and reclaimed as a U.S. territory in 1935 (by Hawaiian settlement). A pre-war airstrip was built by the colonists on the northeast side of the island, but was never used. The island was abandoned on February 7, 1942, and had no military use or further activity for the remainder of the war. A Japanese submarine shelled the island in December 1941 and again sometime after the February evacuation in 1942. Land area is 1.6 square miles. Public access by Special Use Permit.
Pacific Wrecks.com

BAKER & HOWLAND ISLANDS (United States)
(Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge)
(1943 - 1944)
Baker Island, in the Phoenix Islands group, was claimed by the U.S. in 1857, settled by Hawaiians in 1935 (Camp Meyerton), and a U.S. territory since 1936. The undefended island was bombed by the Japanese on December 8, 1941. Abandoned by the U.S. in January 1942. Not known to have been occupied by any Japanese ground forces. Re-occupied by the U.S. Army in September 1943, and defended with one battery of four 90mm guns, eight 37mm guns, eleven .50 cal. AA MG, three 60-inch searchlights, an SCR-268 radar, and an SCR-270 early warning AA radar. A 3000-foot fighter runway was also constructed by the Army Air Force. By June 1944 the defenses were withdrawn and the island became a Coast Guard LORAN station until 1946. Land area is 0.6 square mile. Public access by Special Use Permit.
Pacific Wrecks.com
(info provided by John Bennett of the Coast Defense Study Group)

Howland Island, also claimed by the U.S. in 1857, was settled by Hawaiians in 1935 (Itascatown). It became a commercial seaplane stopover in the late 1930's. An unpaved civilian airstrip was built in 1937 (Kamakaiwi Field), but was only rarely used. It has since been fully overgrown. The island was bombed by the Japanese on December 8, 1941, and shelled by three Japanese submarines on December 10. Another air attack occurred later in December. All remaining settlers were evacuated in January 1942. The island was not occupied by any Japanese ground forces. The U.S. Navy and Marines occupied the island from September 1943 to May 1944 (Howland Naval Air Facility). Land area is one square mile. Public access by Special Use Permit. Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge
Pacific Wrecks.com

CANTON & ENDERBURY ISLANDS (formerly of the UK and US)
(1941 - 1946/1976)
Two small islands in the Phoenix Islands group originally claimed by the United States in 1856. Both were formally claimed by the United Kingdom in 1936, and by the U.S. in 1938. Administered jointly by the U.S. and the U.K. after 1939 as the Anglo-American Condominium. In 1980 these two islands officially became part of the Republic of Kiribati.

Canton Island, also known as Kanton, Abariringa or Mary Island, the largest island in the group at 9 square km, was garrisoned and defended by the U.S. Army during WWII. Commercial seaplane facilities were built by the Americans in 1939. Three crushed-coral landing strips were built by the Army from October 1941 to January 1942 to provide an alternate air supply route to Australia bypassing Midway and Wake Islands. Island defense was initially provided by two 75mm field guns and 12 .50-cal. AA machine guns in January 1942, to be manned by the Army engineers, then augmented in February 1942 by the arrival of Battery C, 55th Coast Artillery Regiment with two 155mm guns, two additional 75mm field guns, and eight more .50-cal. AA MG. The two 155mm guns were emplaced on concrete Panama mounts in 1943. Two 7-inch naval guns were emplaced in 1942 on concrete mounts on the northwest point near the bomber airstrip. A 50-foot tall wooden tower provided fire-control. An SCR-270 early warning AA radar was emplaced on the other side of the runway in 1942. In August 1942, enhanced anti-aircraft protection was provided by the 428th Separate Coast Artillery Battalion (AA) (Composite) (redesignated 428th CA Regiment in May 1943), with several .50-cal. AA machine guns and several 37mm guns (later 40mm guns), and four 4-inch naval AA guns (returned to Hawaii in 1943 and replaced with four batteries of 90mm AA guns). The island was attacked from air and sea by the Japanese on several occasions through 1942 and 1943, although it was never assaulted by ground troops. The coastal defenses were withdrawn in 1944. The U.S Naval Air Facility operated from 1943 to 1946. The Army Air Transport Command also left in 1946. A U.S. Coast Guard LORAN station was here in 1944-46. Commercial stopover flights resumed in November 1946. NASA later used the island as a tracking station from 1960 until 1968. The U.S. Air Force operated a remote station for the Space and Missile Test Center here from 1970 to 1976. The island's airfield was last used commercially in 1975. The British left for good in 1979. A small native civilian community (Tebaronga) was established after 1980 by resettled Gilbert Islanders, and still remains.
Pacific Wrecks.com
(info provided by John Bennett and Glen Williford of the Coast Defense Study Group)

Enderbury Island (4 sq. miles) had a small civilian airstrip built in the late 1930's, but had no good anchorage or seaplane facilities. No known defenses. Abandoned since 1979.

BRITISH POLYNESIA (formerly of the UK)
The following island groups were once administered by the United Kingdom, but had been claimed by the United States at one time per the provisions of the 1856 Guano Islands Act.
Formerly Disputed Islands

LINE ISLANDS:
Washington (Teraina), Fanning (Tabuaeran) (15 sq. miles), Christmas (Kiritimati) (94 sq. miles), Malden (35 sq. miles), Starbuck, Filippo Reef (submerged), Caroline (6 sq. miles), Vostok (Staver), and Flint. No known American military use, except for Christmas Island. These islands became part of Kiribati upon independence in 1979.

Christmas Island, the largest atoll in the world, was claimed by the U.S. in 1857, and again in 1871. It was annexed by the U.K. in 1888 over American protest. The U.S. Army occupied the island beginning in November 1941 and built an airstrip (Cassidy Field) and emplaced coastal and anti-aircraft defenses, including two 75mm field guns, four 155mm guns, four 3-inch AA guns, and 12 .50-cal. AA machine guns. In February 1942 an additional two 155mm guns, two 75mm field guns, and eight .50-cal. AA MG were delivered. In May 1943 the 429th Separate Coast Artillery Battalion (AA) was activated here, redesignated 429th AAA Battalion (Composite) (Semimobile) in December 1943. They returned to Hawaii in May 1944. After WWII the island used by the British for atomic bomb testing in 1957-58 and again in 1962 (also by the U.S.). British forces left the island in 1964.
Pacific Wrecks.com
(info provided by Glen Williford of the Coast Defense Study Group)

PHOENIX ISLANDS:
Birnie (1 sq. mile), Phoenix (Rawaki) (3 sq. miles), Sydney (Manra), Hull (Orona), Gardner (Nikumaroro), McKean (1 sq. mile), and Winslow Reef (submerged). No known military use. A U.S. Coast Guard LORAN station was located on Gardner Island in 1944-46. NASA tracking station annexes were located on Birnie and Hull Islands in the early 1960's, later used by the U.S. Air Force after 1970 as annexes for the Space and Missile Test Center on Canton Island. These islands became part of Kiribati upon independence in 1979.
Phoenix Islands Protected Area

SOUTHERN ELLICE ISLANDS:
Nukufetau, Funafuti (17 sq. miles), Nukulaelae, and Nurakita (Niulakita) (or Sophia). The U.S. Navy and Marines occupied these islands from October 1942 to December 1943 to support the invasion of the Japanese-held Gilbert Islands. Funafuti Atoll was garrisoned by the U.S. Marine 5th Defense Battalion (mobile 155mm guns and 90mm AA guns) in October 1942, with an airfield and seaplane base. Nukufetau Atoll was occupied by the U.S. Marine 2nd Airdrome Battalion (mobile 90mm AA guns) in August 1943, with an airfield built in October 1943. Nanumea Atoll (not previously claimed by the U.S.) was occupied by the U.S. Marine 7th Defense Battalion (mobile 155mm guns and 90mm guns) in August 1943, with a 5000-foot airfield built in October 1943. The U.S. Marine 51st Defense Battalion arrived at Funafuti in February 1944 to relieve the 5th, 7th, and 2nd Battalions. These islands became part of Tuvalu upon independence in 1978. All U.S. claims to these islands were withdrawn in 1979.
Tuvalu Tourism - History and Archaeology
Pacific Wrecks.com

TOKELAU ISLANDS:
Atafu (Duke of York) (1 sq. mile), Nukunono, Fakaofu, and Swains (Quiros) (1 sq. mile). No known military use. A U.S. Coast Guard LORAN station was located on Atafu Island in 1944-46. Once known as the Union Islands, administration was transferred by the United Kingdom to New Zealand in 1925, formally becoming the Tokelau Islands Territory in 1948. All U.S. claims to these islands were withdrawn in 1979, except for Swains Island, which was formally annexed by the United States in 1925 and attached to American Samoa (see also).
Fakaofu - Chiefly Island of Tokelau

NORTHERN COOK ISLANDS:
Penrhyn (Tongareva) (4 sq. miles), Rakahanga (Grand Duke Alexander) (1.5 sq. miles), Manihiki (Humphrey) (2 sq. miles), and Pukapuka Atoll (Danger Islands) (2 sq. miles). Administration was transferred by the United Kingdom to New Zealand in 1901, becoming part of the Cook Islands Territory. Penrhyn Island was occupied by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Air Force after July 1942, establishing Camp Durant. An airfield (Robinson Field) was completed in November 1942. An airfield was also located on Aitutaki Island (no U.S. claim) during the war, jointly operated by New Zealand and American forces. The U.S. Navy left Penrhyn Island in September 1946. All U.S. claims to these islands were withdrawn in 1980.
About the Northern Cook Islands
Pacific Wrecks.com

WESTERN SAMOA (former NZ Trust Territory)
(1942 - 1946)
The Samoan Islands were jointly administered by Germany, Great Britain, and the United States from 1889 to 1899, then by only Germany and the U.S. to 1900. New Zealand captured German Samoa in 1914, and was administered by a League of Nations mandate after 1920. Independence was granted in 1962. "Western" was dropped from the official name in 1997. The U.S. Navy and Marines (3rd Marine Brigade) occupied Western Samoa in May 1942 for the greater defense of American Samoa. The Marine 7th Defense Battalion (mobile 155mm guns and 90mm AA guns) actually arrived earlier in March 1942 and provided coastal and anti-aircraft defense on Upolu Island. An airfield was built at Faleolo in June/July 1942 (still used today). A Marine rifle company defended Savai'i Island in May 1942. The U.S. Army's 147th Infantry Regiment (1st and 3rd Battalions) was attached to the 3rd Marine Brigade in May 1943, which also provided elements for the defense of Wallis Island about 250 miles to the west. The U.S. Army 281st Coast Artillery (Battery B) and Battery 4, Provisional AAA Gun Battalion arrived in October 1943. The Marine garrison (and the Army's 147th Infantry) left in November 1943. The Coast Artillery left in February 1944. The last U.S. Navy unit left in 1946.
Pacific Wrecks.com

WALLIS & FUTUNA ISLANDS (France)
(1942 - 1946)
Wallis Island, also known as Uvéa, was occupied by the U.S. Navy and Marines in May 1942 as an outpost for the defense of American Samoa. A small token Free French naval and marine force occupied the island one day before the Americans arrived, as the island was then controlled by a pro-Vichy France regime. A 6000-foot airfield (bombers) was built in June 1942 at Hihifo on the north-end of the island, completed in October 1942 (lengthened in 1967, still in use for commercial flights). A 5000-foot airstrip (fighters) was built in the south near Halalo (abandoned since 1946). Port facilities were built at Gahi Harbor in the southeast. A seaplane base was also built near Halalo. The Marine 8th Defense Battalion (mobile 155mm guns and 90mm AA guns) and the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines (Infantry) served as the island's garrison defense force. The 7th Marines left in June 1942 for Guadalcanal, replaced by the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Marines (Reinforced) (Infantry). The 22nd Marines left in November 1943. The 8th Defense Battalion also left in November 1943 for Tarawa. The U.S. Army Provisional AAA Gun Battalion (less Battery 4) had arrived in October 1943, staying until June 1944. The Navy left in April 1946. A bunker and gun emplacement still remains in Afala, and another gun emplacement still remains at Matala'a at the southeast tip of the island. The island's WWII history is interpreted at the U.S. Occupation Museum in Hihifo.
Pacific Wrecks.com

Futuna Island had no military use. Wallis and Futuna Islands were a dependency of the French colony of New Caledonia from 1888 until 1961. The territory is now a French Overseas Collectivity.
Wallis and Futuna Tourism

TONGA (former British Protectorate)
(1942 - 1945)
Tongatabu Island, the largest and most populous island of Tonga, was occupied by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army for the outer defense of American Samoa. The Army's 20th Coast Artillery Regiment (Battery C) (four mobile 155mm guns) arrived in March 1942, and established gun positions at Ha'atafu Point at the Western Passage, and near the village of Manuka at the Eastern Passage, with their base camp and command post at West Point. The 20th CA (Battery C) was renamed 812th Coast Artillery Battery in September 1942. Additional American troops arrived in May 1942, consisting of the 147th Infantry Regiment (1st and 3rd Battalions); 134th Field Artillery Battalion (Batteries A and C) (75mm guns); 246th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm howitzers); Battery A, 50th Coast Artillery Regiment (Harbor Defense) (6-inch naval guns); 1st Platoon, Battery G, 50th Coast Artillery (searchlights); 77th Coast Artillery Regiment (Colored) (Anti-Aircraft) (3-inch AA guns); and various other support units. The island's garrison force also included the native 700-man Tongan Defence Force (with New Zealand officers). The U.S. Navy Seabees built Tongatabu Airfield (present-day Fua'amotu Airport), which was jointly used by the Navy, Army Air Force, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. A single 3-inch AA gun still remains near the end of the runway. An auxiliary field was also built nearby. Port facilities, three concrete wharves, fuel storage tanks, and a seaplane base were built at Nuku'alofa Harbor. Concrete emplacements were built for six 6-inch naval guns (in three two-gun batteries) that were brought from the States, two of the gun positions were at Utalau and Fua'amotu along the south coast. At least one of the concrete emplacements still exists, probably the others as well. No guns remain. The 77th CA base camp was set up near Vaini. Troop withdrawals and drawdowns began in October 1942 as the American forces were soon replaced with New Zealand forces by February 1943. This became the first of the new South Pacific bases to be closed down, as the Japanese threat to this region became non-existant after their losses at Midway and Coral Sea, and at Guadalcanal. Most of the 147th Infantry and attached Field Artillery units departed for Guadalcanal in November 1942, the remainder in January 1943. The 825th CA left in January 1943 for New Caledonia. The 77th CA left in April 1943 for the New Hebrides. The last U.S. Navy unit departed in 1945. The Kingdom of Tonga was independent since 1845, but became a British Protectorate in 1900. Independence was regained in 1970.
Pacific Wrecks.com

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (Ecuador)
WWII Photo Album - 6th US Air Force
(1942 - 1946), Baltra Island *MAP*
The U.S. Army Air Force constructed two airfields on South Seymour (Baltra) Island (aka "the Rock") for medium-range bombers and fighter escorts to protect the southern and western approaches to the Panama Canal. The U.S. Army 4th Coast Artillery Battalion (Battery C) emplaced a four-gun 155mm gun battery and several 37mm AA batteries to protect the base. The 4th CA Battalion remained until January 1946. Three SCR-271 early warning radar stations were built on Isabela (Albemarle) Island (at Albemarle Point, Webb Cove near St. John's Point, and Villamil near Tortuga Cove); a fourth was located on North Seymour Island; and one was briefly located on Espańola (Hood) Island. (NOTE: A sixth radar station was located on mainland Ecuador at La Puntilla at Salinas (west of Guayaquil).) The U.S. Navy established naval and seaplane bases at Aeolian Cove on Baltra Island, Wreck Bay on San Cristóbal (Chatham) Island, and Post Office Bay on Santa Maria (Charles) Island (site was surveyed but never constructed (?)). Another U.S. Navy seaplane base was located at Salinas on the mainland.

Baltra Island, just north of Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) Island, is today an Ecuadorian Naval Base, and the major airport used by tourists to visit the archipelago. Santa Cruz Island is the main population center, and the location of the Galapagos Islands National Park visitors center.
Galapagos Islands.com || Discover Galapagos || Human History of the Galapagos

COCOS ISLAND (Costa Rica)
(1942 - 1945)
The U.S. Army emplaced an SCR-271 early warning radar here during WWII as part of the Panama Canal's outer defenses, a subpost of the U.S. Army's Signal Corps AWS unit on the Galapagos Islands. An air base was planned but never built. There were no other known defenses. The uninhabited island, about 18 square miles in area, is located about 340 miles southwest of the Costa Rica mainland (5° 31' 8" N, 87° 4' 18" W). The entire island became a Costa Rican National Park in 1978. An American B-24 bomber wreck from WWII is located on the slope of Mt. Yglesias (2092 feet elevation) on the western end of the island. The National Park's staff cabins are located at Wafer Bay on the north side. Public access by permission only.
Cocos Island National Park

NICARAGUA
(1942 - 1946), Corinto
The U.S. Navy established a seaplane and patrol boat base here during WWII as part of the Panama Canal's outer defenses. The U.S. Army emplaced anti-aircraft guns on nearby Isla El Cardón in 1943, removed in 1944, probably located near the old lighthouse (1876) at the northern tip of the island. The naval base was transferred to Nicaragua in 1946. Corinto is Nicaragua's only deep-water Pacific port.

CLIPPERTON ISLAND (France)
(1897 - 1917, 1944 - 1945)
A small uninhabited atoll, about two square miles in total land area, about 2-3 miles in diameter enclosing an 95-foot high barren rock, located about 670 miles off the southwestern coast of Mexico (10° 17' 32" N, 109° 12' 26" W). It was first discovered and used as a base (?) by English pirate John Clipperton sometime between 1704 - 1708. The island was next visited by the French in 1711, known as Île de la Passion, but was not formally claimed by them until 1858. Occupied by Mexican troops from 1897 until abandoned in 1917. A lighthouse was built in 1906. Arbitration by the King of Italy awarded the island back to France in 1931. French naval troops were posted here from 1935 - 1939. The U.S. Navy briefly occupied the island in 1944-45, building a small airstrip (never completed) and a weather station (no other known defenses). Abandoned since 1945 except for the occasional science expedition. Administered by France as an Overseas Territory (part of French Polynesia before February 2007).
Clipperton Island Pictures and History

FRENCH POLYNESIA (France)
(1813 - 1814, 1942 - 1946)

SOCIETY ISLANDS:
Bora Bora Island was occupied by the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy in February 1942 as a rear area supply base and naval refueling depot on the route to Australia, well away from any Japanese action. This became the first new overseas U.S. naval base authorized in WWII. A 6000-foot runway was built on Motu Mute Islet (now the present airport). A 3000-foot airstrip was also built. A seaplane base was built at Vairupe Bay. The naval base was by defended by the 2nd Battalion, 102nd Infantry Regiment, and the 3rd Battalion, 13th Coast Artillery Regiment (Harbor Defense) (Batteries F and H), with four two-gun 7-inch MKII naval gun batteries on concrete mounts, each battery with its own command post and two magazines, and one island harbor defense command post. Battery North was located at Tereia Point, Battery West was located at Pahua Point near the present-day Club Med Resort, Battery South was located on the ridge above Matira Point and the present-day Matira Hotel, and Battery East was located on Fitiiu Point. The 198th Coast Artillery Regiment (AA) manned sixteen 90mm AA guns and thirty-two 37mm AA guns emplaced in various positions, along with two SCR-270 early warning AA radar sets. The 198th CA (AA) was relocated to the New Hebrides in February 1943. The base was fully operational by April 1943. The 3rd Battalion, 13th CA was renamed the 276th CA Battalion in December 1942, and was also relocated to the New Hebrides in February 1943. Briefly replaced by the 281st CA Battalion in June 1943 before they relocated to New Caledonia. The remaining Army garrison was withdrawn in 1944. The Naval base was discontinued in June 1946, with the French military acquiring all assets left behind. All 7-inch guns (tubes and carriages) still remain today in the original locations, except one gun tube of Battery North, which was relocated in 1982 to a museum in the village of Povai.
Pacific Wrecks.com
Bora Bora Information from Tahiti Guide.com || The Tahiti Traveler.com
(info provided by John Bennett and Al Grobmeier of the Coast Defense Study Group)

MARQUESAS ISLANDS:
Nuku Hiva Island (aka Madison Island) was occupied in October 1813 by American Sailors and Marines from the U.S.S. Essex, under Capt. David Porter, as a temporary base to attack British whalers in the region. This became the United States' first overseas naval base. The Marines, under Lt. John Gamble, built Fort Madison at Taioha'e Bay to hold the island. Three captured British whalers, the Greenwich, Seringapatam, and the Sir Andrew Hammond, remained in port while the Essex left in pursuit of more action in December 1813, leaving behind a holding force of only 22 men. In May 1814, natives attacked the fort, were put down with help from the British POWs, the POWs then mutinied, the Marines regained control, then left for Hawai'i in the Hammond, only to be then captured by the H.M.S. Cherub. The island was later claimed by the French in 1842. The fort became Fort Collette under the French. Traces of a lava-rock wall still remain, as well as a rock-cut magazine. The site is currently a public park. The mountainous island is about 127 square miles, the largest of the group.
History of the Seabees from US Naval History and Heritage Command
Nuku Hiva Information from Tahiti Guide.com || The Tahiti Traveler.com

MARCUS ISLAND (Japan)
(1945 - 1968/1993)
Also known as Minami Torishima by the Japanese. Originally claimed by the U.S. in 1889, formally annexed by Japan in 1898. The Japanese built the island's airfield in 1935. Garrisoned by 4000 Japanese troops during WWII, and defended with several light and heavy anti-aircraft guns, as well as beach defenses, it was attacked by the U.S. Navy several times in 1942 and 1943 but was never assaulted or occupied by American ground troops until after Japan's surrender. The 1951 Treaty of San Francisco awarded the island to the United States, but it was returned to Japan in 1968. A U.S. Coast Guard LORAN station was in operation here from 1963 - 1993.
Pacific Wrecks.com

REPUBLIC of the MARSHALL ISLANDS (former US Trust Territory)
(1936 - 1946/present)
Minor Japanese naval and air bases were located on Ebon, Majuro, Utirik, Bokak, Kwajalein, Bikini, and Enewetak Atolls. Major bases and garrisons were on Jaluit, Wotje, Mili, and Maloelap Atolls. Several Japanese gun types still exist on all the islands, in various stages of condition, along with numerous concrete bunkers and pillboxes and other wartime structures.
Digital Micronesia - Marshall Islands in World War II by Dirk H.R. Spennemann
Pacific Wrecks.com

Jaluit: originally emplaced by the Japanese for defense were three 150mm coast defense guns, six 127mm twin-mount dual-purpose guns, four 80mm dual-purpose guns, twenty-four 75mm anti-tank guns, three 25mm twin-mount anti-aircraft guns, and other assorted smaller guns. None seem to have been presently surveyed, although some anti-aircraft guns are said to still exist on Imiej Island. A major Japanese naval base and seaplane base was on Imiej Island, not no airfield. Jabur Island was the Japanese administrative center of the Marshall Islands. Jaluit Atoll was not assaulted by American ground troops. Occupied by the U.S. Navy only after Japan's surrender.

Wotje: originally emplaced by the Japanese were four 160mm howitzers, six 150mm coast defense guns, five 150mm field guns, six 127mm twin-mount dual-purpose guns, two 120mm guns, two 100mm mortars, six 37mm anti-tank guns, three 25mm twin-mount anti-aircraft guns, two 20mm anti-aircraft guns, and other assorted smaller guns. All six 127mm guns still exist, and one 120mm gun still exists. A Japanese airfield and seaplane base was located here. Wotje Atoll was not assaulted by American ground troops. Occupied by the U.S. Navy only after Japan's surrender.

Mili: originally emplaced by the Japanese were seven 150mm and three 140mm coast defense guns, four 127mm twin-mount dual-purpose guns, four 80mm dual-purpose guns, nine 75mm anti-aircraft guns, two 37mm anti-tank guns, six 25mm twin-mount anti-aircraft guns, twenty-six 20mm anti-aircraft guns, and other assorted smaller guns. One 150mm gun still exists and one 127mm gun still exists. A Japanese airfield was located here. Mili Atoll was not assaulted by American ground troops. Occupied by the U.S. Navy only after Japan's surrender.

Maloelap: four Japanese 150mm guns and two 127mm twin guns still exist on Taroa Island. A major Japanese airfield was also located here on Taroa. Maloelap Atoll was not assaulted by American ground troops. Occupied by the U.S. Navy only after Japan's surrender.

Kwajalein: originally emplaced by the Japanese were two 127mm twin guns, two 37mm anti-tank guns, six 20mm anti-aircraft guns, and other assorted smaller guns on Roi Island, along with three 40-foot diameter concrete blockhouses and nine concrete pillboxes. The two 127mm twin guns (Type 89 AA and Type 92 AA) still exist at the northwest tip of the island. The Japanese Air Command Building and three underground air raid shelters still remain, as well as one of the blockhouses. Namur Island originally had two 127mm twin guns, two 37mm anti-tank guns, four 20mm anti-aircraft guns, and other assorted smaller guns, with one 40-foot concrete blockhouse and ten pillboxes. No guns remain on Namur, however the blockhouse and at least one pillbox still remain, as well as the air ordnance storage bunker. Kwajalein Islet originally had four 127mm twin guns, eight 80mm dual-purpose guns, five 70mm infantry guns, two 37mm anti-tank guns, and other assorted smaller guns, with 15 pillboxes and an anti-tank seawall. No guns remain on Kwajalein, but at least one pillbox still remains. Ebeye Island originally had two 80mm guns, one 20mm anti-aircraft gun, and other assorted smaller guns. No guns remain on Ebeye. A Japanese naval base and airfield were located on Kwajalein Islet. A Japanese seaplane base was on Ebeye Island. Another Japanese airfield was located on Roi Island, with most of its support buildings located on Namur Island, which was joined to Roi Island by a natural sand spit and concrete causeway. During 1944 the U.S. Navy Seabees in-filled and greatly expanded the connection between the two islands, and the now one conjoined island today is referred to simply as Roi-Namur Island. Kwajalein Atoll was assaulted by American ground troops in January-February 1944. The U.S. Army's 3rd and 4th Defense Battalions, comprised of the 55th (Battery A) and 57th (Batteries E and F) Coast Artillery Regiments (mobile 155mm guns), as well as the 139th AAA Group (96th, 98th, and 753rd AAA Gun Battalions (mobile 90mm AA guns), and 867th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (40mm AA guns)), served as the garrison defense force on Roi-Namur Island. The 55th and 57th CA batteries here were renamed the 178th CA Battalion in May 1944, then transferred back to Hawaii in August 1944. The 96th AAA stayed on Roi-Namur only a few days before transferred to Ennylabegan Island and then to Enubuj Island, both in the southern part of the atoll, flanking "Carlos" Pass near Kwajalein Islet, then left for Hawaii in October 1944. The 98th AAA was relocated to Hawaii in August 1944. The 753rd AAA stayed until July 1945. The 867th AAA also stayed only a few days before transferred to Engebi Island at Enewetak Atoll. The 139th AAA Group HQ returned to Hawaii in February 1945. The U.S. Marine 15th Defense Battalion (mobile 155mm guns and 90mm AA guns) served as the garrison defense force on Kwajalein Islet. The Roi-Namur airfield was renamed Dyess Field, and the Kwajalein airfield was renamed Bucholz Field. The U.S. Navy's Naval Station Kwajalein became the U.S. Army's Pacific Missile Range Facility Kwajalein in 1959, with full Army control by 1964. The base was renamed Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in 2001, and is operated by the U.S. Army's Space and Missile Defense Command. The American War Memorial (dedicated 1987) and a Japanese War Cemetery are on Kwajalein Islet near the north-east end of the airfield runway. Another Japanese War Cemetery is located on Roi Island. Public access to Kwajalein Atoll is restricted for non-military and non-government (U.S. Dept. of Defense) personnel. Ebeye Island is presently home to native Marshall Island nationals employed by the U.S. military on Kwajalein Atoll. There are numerous WWII-era shipwrecks found in the Kwajalein lagoon. Kwajalein and Roi-Namur Islands were declared U.S. National Historic Landmarks in 1985.

Enewetak: was not fortified by the Japanese until 1942. Originally emplaced by the Japanese were two 120mm coast defense guns and other assorted smaller guns. Three 75mm anti-aircraft guns and 28 20mm anti-aircraft guns were delivered but never emplaced before the American invasion. Enewetak Atoll (formerly spelled Eniwetok) was assaulted by American ground troops in February 1944. A Japanese airfield had been built in December 1942 on Engebi Island as an outpost of the Japanese garrison on Truk (Caroline Islands). It was completed in mid-summer 1943 but was not fully used until November 1943 as a ferrying way-station between the Gilbert and Marshall Islands westward into the Caroline Islands, after the American invasion of the Gilberts. A Japanese seaplane base was located on Parry Island. The U.S. Marine 10th Defense Battalion (mobile 155mm guns and 90mm AA guns), and elements of the U.S. Army 3rd Defense Battalion, served as the garrison defense force. The 867th AAA Battalion (40mm AA) defended Engebi Island. The U.S. Navy rebuilt the Engebi airfield (Wrigley Field), and built a new field on Enewetak Islet (Stickell Field). The seaplane base was also rebuilt by the U.S. Navy. Naval Advance Base Eniwetok closed in September 1946. Enewetak Atoll (primarily the northern islets) became an American nuclear bomb test site from 1948 to 1958. Native resettlement of the southern and western islets of the atoll began in 1980. Public access for non-natives is still currently restricted.

Majuro: no Japanese guns are known to still exist. A Japanese seaplane base was on Darrit Island, but was abandoned earlier in 1943. Majuro Atoll was assaulted by American ground troops in January 1944, and was the first pre-war Japanese territory seized by the United States in WWII. The U.S. Marine 1st Defense Battalion (mobile 155mm guns and 90mm AA guns) served as the garrison defense force. The seaplane base was re-activated, and new airfields were built on Dalap and Uliga Islands. A 35-mile concrete causeway was built connecting Majuro Islet with Dalap, Uliga and Darrit Islands. Support buildings were built on Majuro Islet for the Fleet Anchorage, Naval Base Majuro and Naval Air Facility Majuro. The naval bases were closed in 1946. The Peace Park Memorial to Japanese war dead is located on the west-end of Majuro Islet. The Marshall Islands War Memorial Park is located on Dalap Island.

First discovered by the Spanish in 1525, little western development occurred until the early 19th century. The Marshall Islands were a German colony from 1885 until captured by Japan in 1914. The Japanese governed the islands by a League of Nations mandate from 1918 until 1936 when they withdrew from the League. Military fortifications were built beginning in 1936. The United States captured the islands in stages in 1944. Became part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947. During the Cold War, the U.S. used several islands (primarily Enewetak and Bikini Atolls) for nuclear weapons testing. Independence came in 1986.
Marshall Islands Visitors Authority || History of the Marshall Islands || Nuclear Testing in the Marshall Islands || Welcome to Bikini Atoll
U.S. Army Strategic and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site - Kwajalein Atoll

FEDERATED STATES of MICRONESIA (former US Trust Territory)
(1936 - 1945)
Most of the variety of Japanese guns used in the Marshall Islands were also emplaced in Micronesia, formerly known as the Caroline Islands. The remains of many bunkers and guns still exist here.
Pacific Wrecks.com

Chuuk (Truk): four 203mm (British 8-inch) turretted guns still exist at Sapuk Point on Moen (Weno) Island. Three 150mm guns still exist in Nefu Cave on Moen Island, four 150mm guns in caves on Fefan Island, two 150mm guns in a cave on Eot Island, four 150mm guns in a cave on Tol Island, two 150mm guns on Tonoas (Dublon) Island, two 150mm guns in a cave on Uman Island, and two 150mm guns on Yawata Reef. Two 140mm guns are in caves on Moen Island. Two 127mm twin guns are on Eten Island, and two 127mm twin guns are on Tonoas Island. Four 120mm dual-purpose guns are on Eot Island, two 120mm guns are in caves on Fefan Island, two 120mm guns are in caves on Tonoas Island, five 120mm dual-purpose guns are on Moen Island, and one 120mm gun is in a cave on Moen Island.
Digital Micronesia - Chuuk in WWII by Dirk H.R. Spennemann

Pohnpei (Ponape): two 150mm guns still exist at Sokehs Rock, two 150mm guns are at Mandolenimwh Harbor at Kupwariso, and one 150mm gun on Langer Island. Two 127mm twin guns are at Sokehs Rock.

Yap: four 120mm dual-purpose guns still existed here until recently (?).

Kosrae (Kusaie): unknown or no data.

The Spanish walled the town of Kolonia on Pohnpei in 1887 after a rebellion by the local populace. The wall still exists.

The Caroline Islands were controlled by the Spanish from 1885 to 1899. They then became a German colony from 1899 until captured by Japan in 1914. The Japanese governed the islands by a League of Nations mandate from 1918 to 1936 when they withdrew from the League. Military fortifications were built beginning in 1936. The United States captured the islands in stages from 1944 to 1945. Became a part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947. Independence came in 1986.

REPUBLIC of PALAU (former US Trust Territory)
(1936 - 1945)
The remains of Japanese bunkers and other structures still exist here.
Pacific Wrecks.com

Peleliu: one 200mm gun still exists in a cave above the airfield, and two 120mm dual-purpose guns are in a rock ledge at Ngesbus Island Beach. Of interest is the Peleliu WWII Memorial Museum.

Koror: one 120mm gun exists on Rock Island, one 140mm gun is on the main island, and three 140mm guns are on Ngerekebesang Island.

Babeldaob: one 120mm gun still exists in situ on the southwest coast in Aimelik State, as well as two shielded 150mm rapid-fire naval guns (British Armstrong type, 1902), and a casemated gun (size ?), on the west coast in Ngaremlengui State. Another mounted gun exists in situ on the northern tip of Urukthapel Island near the German-built coral block lighthouse (1903).

Also known as Belau, Palau was once part of the German Caroline Islands from 1899 until captured by Japan in 1914. The Japanese governed the islands by a League of Nations mandate from 1918 until 1936 when they withdrew from the League. Military fortifications were built beginning in 1936. The United States captured the islands in 1945. Became part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947. Independence came in 1994.
Palau Visitors Authority || Palau WWII Sites

Special thanks to Dirk H.R. Spennemann of the Coast Defense Study Group for providing Japanese gun data for the former Pacific Island Trust Territories.

Thanks also to Colt Denfeld and Glen Williford of the CDSG for providing a current inventory of surviving Japanese guns. Thanks to John Eckersley of the CDSG for providing corrections and additional info.

QUESTIONS ? Please send any corrections and/or additions to this list to:
"Updates" at NorthAmericanForts.com