Naval Base Milne Bay

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Naval Base Milne Bay was a major United States Navy sea and air base built during World War II on Milne Bay in southeastern Papua New Guinea. It was created to relieve crowded Australian ports as the Pacific War expanded, with construction by the U.S. Navy’s Seabees (construction battalions) beginning in June 1943. The base’s headquarters were at Ladava, near the existing Royal Australian Navy facility HMAS Ladava.

Milne Bay already had a small Australian base, and Australians helped defend the area in the 1942 Battle of Milne Bay. The U.S. base grew quickly into a large staging, repair, and training complex for ships and aircraft in the Southwest Pacific.

Key facilities included a PT boat base at Kana Kopa with an engine overhaul shop, depots, and a destroyer repair facility in nearby Gohora Bay. Milne Bay became a major destroyer base and could shelter a large number of troops—more than 20,000 at its peak. The Seabees built a 5-mile road along the north shore to link Ladava with other bases, as well as piers, jetties, an electric power plant, a communications center, supply depots, and a hospital.

Other important components were a seaplane base at Jenkins Bay, a Samarai Seaplane Base, and an amphibious training center at Swinger Bay in Alotau. A submarine base was established as well, and a large hospital complex was built at Hilimoi Bay to care for 3,000 sick and wounded before being moved to forward bases.

Milne Bay served as a staging area for operations in the New Guinea region and supported campaigns around Arawe on New Britain. By mid-1945, as fighting moved closer to the Philippines and Okinawa, most of the Milne Bay base was moved forward to other bases.

Australian forces also operated bases in Milne Bay, including Rabi Camp, KB Mission (Koebule Mission), and Waga Waga Camp, with Main Camp at HMAS Ladava.