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Location
Ulithi Atoll (also know as Urushi, or
Mackenzie Island) is a coral atoll in the Federated States of
Micronesia, in the western Pacific Ocean. It is 106 miles east of Yap. Its islets have a total
land area of 1.75 sq miles. Its huge lagoon is the world's fourth
largest (209 sq. miles)
American & Japanese Missions Against Ulithi
March 30, 1944 - March 11, 1945
American Occupation
US forces on September 20, 1944, there was no ground opposition.
The area became a massive US Naval base for the rest of the
war, including battles of Leyte Gulf, Okinawa, and the planned
landings on the Japanese mainland. It was used by the US Navy 3rd and 5th Fleets after raids on Japanese home islands. It was abandoned by the
USN in 1947.
Units on Ulithi
The 18th Special Battalion arrived on October
1, 1944. This unit, consisting of 17 officers and 514 men, was
quartered on a barracks barge. The battalion was to stevedore
for the fleet rather than to handle straight shore-to-shore stevedoring
operations. This type of work was then highly essential at Ulithi,
where all supplies, fuel, ammunition, and spare parts were stored
afloat. The 18th Special worked at this task until May 25, 1945,
when it was detached and ordered to Leyte Gulf. During that period,
the battalion handled an average of 20,000 tons of cargo monthly.
On October 10, 1944, a detachment of the 6th Special Battalion
arried at Ulithi to operate as a ship-to-shore stevedoring unit.
During ist service there, the 6th handled a monthly average of
12,000 tons of cargo. This battalion was detached in June 1945
and returned to Pearl Harbor, where
it was inactivated.
Loran
A small Coast Guard station named
Loran was built, but was later also closed after the war.
Falalop
Located at the eastern edge of the Ulithi Atoll American built airfield (Ulithi Airfield)
Urushi
Anchorage
Anchorage off Ulithi.
Mogmog
Island located on the northern edge of Ulithi Atoll.
Sorlen
Island in Ulithi Atoll, fleet recreation area.
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Last Updated
November 27, 2009
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