| Naval Base Banika Island | |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Pushpin Map: | Solomon Islands |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Solomon Islands |
| Coordinates: | -9.098°N 159.194°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Russell Islands in Solomon Islands |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Central Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | Naval Base |
| Established Title: | Established Closed |
| Established Date: | May 15, 1943 June 1945 |
Naval Base Banika Island was a United States Navy base built during World War II on Mbanika Island in the Russell Islands, part of the Solomon Islands. A larger supply depot was built to support the ships fighting in the Pacific War. Also built were a repair base for landing craft, PT boats, and other boats. Banika Island offered excellent fleet anchorage. Banika Island was taken during the Solomon Islands campaign. Also at the base was built the Renard Sound Seaplane Base.[1] [2]
US Navy Seabee Construction Battalions built the base starting in February 1943. Seabee 33rd Battalion, 35th Battalion and other Construction Battalions built the Naval Base and much of the airfields on Banika Island. Enemy planes bombed one of the Naval Base Banika Island's tank farms on June 25, 1943. One 1,000-barrel tank was destroyed by fire. Three had shrapnel damage. The pipelines to the port and airfields were damaged. It took the Seabees five days to repair the damages. The airfields remain open during the repair work. In all air attacks, four Seabees were killed. A pontoon bridge was built from Banika Island's Renard Sound to Pavuvu Island. On Pavuvu Island a barge landing dock was built and a small rest and relaxation base. The complete base was completed by November 1943. In the fall of 1943, the port was turned over for operation to the 6th Seabee Battalion and 9th Special Battalion. Operations were turned over to the 11th Battalion and the 12th Special Battalion in February 1944. The 93rd Battalion built Naval Mobile Hospital - MOB 10 with 1300-beds. A pontoon assembly depot was built, it took a lot less space in the ships to transport the pontoons in flat parts. The pontoon assembly depot was run by the 20th Battalion - PAD 2. Seabee built two airfields on the island Banika Field, used by US Navy, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and United States Marine Corps and Renard Field. By February 1945 Naval Base Banika Island was no longer in the front line of action and parts of the base were packed up and sent to move Advance Bases. Naval Mobile Hospital - MOB 10 was one of the first units to be shipped out. Much of the base was shipped over a four-month span. The base was closed and abandoned after the war. [2] [3] [4]
The airfields were used to attack the Empire of Japan on New Georgia and Munda.
Near Banika Field, in the channel to the east of the runway, the US Navy operated the Renard Sound Seaplane Base. The Base was at -9.0811°N 159.2078°W [5] [6]
Seabee units that spent time at Naval Base Banika Island: