History
English colony. After the Japanese defeat at Midway, Japan canceled Japan's plan to occupy Fiji to isolate Australia. An American invasion force left Fiji on July 31, 1942 for Guadalcanal. Later, Fiji committed 8,000 of its own troops to fight the Japanese in the Solomon Islands.
Today
Fiji became independent on 10 October 1970.
Viti
Levu
Largest island in
Fiji. Part of the Mamanuca Island group.
Units Based at Fiji
US
Army Americal Division was based in Fiji (echelon) 1 Mar
- 10 April 1943.
Nandi
Lat 17° 48' 0S Long 177° 25' 0E Located on
the western coast of Viti Levu.
Nandi Airfield (Viti Levu)
Wartime airfield used on ferry route, still in use today as Fiji's International Airport
P-39F Airacobra Serial
Number 41-7104
MIA. Failed to return to Nandi April 22, 1942. Wreckage located, JPAC recovery June 2006.
Saweni Bay
Built by US Navy as a seaplane landing area and base.
Trevor Schoenfisch adds:
"The shore ramps with the names of the Engineers, carved in the wet concrete, who built it, is still there. To see the names and rank, sprinkle beach sand on the ramp and then rub the top sand off with your foot."
Spitfire Lagoon
Lat 17.05.840S Long 177.17.920E Lagoon located at Fij at Nanuyabaluv Island (Long Island). Nicknamed Spitfire Lagoon because of a wartime fighter aircraft that ditched there, that is actually an American P-39.
P-39 Airacobra Serial
Number ?
Ditched in shallow lagoon
