| Tuvalu (Ellice Islands) |
Tuvalu is composed of 9 coral atolls along a 360 mile chain in Polynesia. They gained independence in 1978. The former Ellice Islands is home to a population of 9,700.
| Wartime airfield Northwestern most island & SBD Wreck | |
| Wartime airfield and Tuvalu's modern capital | |
| Operation loss of 22 aircraft due to weather in January 1944 | |
| Wartime airfield on Motulalo |
History
Part of the former Gilbert and Ellice Island Group Colony. Japanese forces hoped to move from present day Kiribati to occupy Tuvalu, but losses at Midway delayed them. This enabled the Americans to get to Tuvalu, first arriving on October 2, 1942. Secrecy was so well maintained that the Japanese did not learn of the occupation of Funafuti until March 1943 when they flew over the islands. The area was an important 7th AF airbases and Navy based in the area, with over 6,000 American personnel at its height in 1943. By the middle of 1944, as the war moved further to the north, American forces began withdrawing. By the end of WWII, nearly all of the American presence and their equipment left.
Today
The government of Tuvalu was established in January, 1976, ending its status as a colony and part of the Gilbert and Ellice Colony.
