Pacific Wrecks
Pacific Wrecks    
  Missing In Action (MIA) Prisoners Of War (POW) Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)  
Chronology Locations Aircraft Ships Submit Info How You Can Help Donate
 
    Lombrum (Lombrum Point) Manus Province Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Location
Lat 2° 2' 12S Long 147° 22' 8E  Lombrum village and Lombrum Point are located at sea level on the northeast coast of Manus Island in the Admiralty Island Group (Admiralty Islands). Prewar and during the Pacific War part of the Territory of New Guinea. Spelled "Lombrun" in some wartime sources. Today located in Manus Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Prewar
Lombrun plantation was established at this location planted with coconut palm trees harvesting copra.

Wartime History
On April 8, 1942 Japanese forces landed at nearby Lorengau and established a relatively small base. During March 1944 U.S. Navy established a massive base at Lombrum bordering Seeadler Harbor. Thousands of buildings, shops and sheds were erected. At Lorengau, supply and repair facilities were created. Wharves and floating dockswere constructed in the harbor.

Lombrum Seaplane Base
After the American liberation of Los Negros in March 1944, a seaplane base seaplane ramp and repair dock were constructed with seaplane anchorage.

Lombrum Naval Base (HMPNGS Tarangau)
Located at Lombrum on Manus Island. Built during early 1944 by U.S. Navy (USN) Naval Construction Battalion 11 (NCB 11) "Seabees" plus Naval Construction Battalion 58 (NCB 58) and Naval Construction Battalion 71 (NCB 71). Used as a naval base area for the remainder of the Pacific War.

During 1946, the U.S. withdrew and turned the base area over to Australia and was redeveloped by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). On January 1, 1950 recommissioned as HMAS Seeadler but was soon renamed HMAS Tarangau the name of the base it replaced at Dreger Harbor off Finschafen. Afterwards, used as a refueling point and stores area for warships steaming between Australia and South East Asia and the Pacific. By the 1960s, the base was gradually phased ut and turned over to Papua New Guinea (PNG) after independence. On November 14, 1974 the base was turned over to Papua New Guinea (PNG) and reactivated as PNG Defence Force Base Lombrum and later returned to the prior name as HMPNGS Tarangau. During 2001, the Manus Regional Processing Centre was established within the base. In 2018, surveys began to explore the possibility of expanding the base again to service Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and U.S. Navy (USN) vessels.

Salami
After the initial stages of operations, signal communications between Army, Air Corps, and Naval forces were greatly improved by the arrival of the 99th Signal Battalion at Salami on March 16. This unit took over the switchboards and was responsible for all wire communications on Los Negros until April 20. On 9 April a radio station and message center was set up at Salami Plantation by a section from the 832d Signal Service Company.

Naval Facilities
Construction begun soon after the landings, were finished by the end of the official campaign. A floating Liberty dock, a fixed Liberty dock, and a pile dock at Mokerang were ready for use. An LST pile dock was almost complete and a pipeline jetty had been built at Porlaka. Channels into the harbor were also improved and buoyed and a crib dock constructed.

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
May 11, 2023

 

Map
Map Fallingrain
  Discussion Forum Daily Updates Reviews Museums Interviews & Oral Histories  
 
Pacific Wrecks Inc. All rights reserved.
Donate Now Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram