page_title: Seabees in World War II
section_title: The Pacific theater
hierarchical_section_title: Seabees in World War II / The Pacific theater
caption_attribution_description: English: US Navy SeaBees view USAAC B-29 Superfortresses arriving at uncompleted North Field, Tinian, 1944
context_page_description: When World War II broke out the United States Naval Construction Battalions did not exist. The vast oceans between the U.S and the enemy on both sides made the logistics of war a major concern. Rear Admiral Moreell completely understood the issues at hand. What needed to be done was build staging bases and create a military construction force to do build them to take the war to the enemy. The concept of Naval Construction Battalions had been developing at Bureau of Yards and Docks in the 1930s. The onset of war clarified to Radm. Moreell the need to be able to develop advance bases to project American power. The solution was to tap the United States vast pool of skilled labor. Put it in uniform to build anything, anywhere under any conditions and get the Marine Corps to train them. The first volunteers were skilled at enlistment. To obtain these men, military age was modified to take up to 50 years old. It was later found that several past 60 had managed to get in. Men were given advanced rank/pay based upon experience making the Seabees the highest paid group in the U.S. military. The first 60 battalions had an average age of 37.
context_section_description: "Pacific Seabees were appreciated by those who came behind them. Their deeds were historically unparalleled. With 80 percent of the NCF in the Pacific, CBs literally built the road to V-J-day with all the airfields, piers, ammunition bunkers, supply depots, hospitals, fuel tanks, and barracks required to make it happen. They would serve on over 300 islands."
  "From the onset, the entire Pacific, including Alaska and the Aleutians were Japanese targets. Japanese operations of 1942, took the islands of Attu and Kiska.  Seabees sent to the North were there to help forestall what appeared at the time to be a major Japanese offensive.  By late June 1942 they had begun bases on Adak and Amchitka in the Aleutians.  They would serve as a deterrent for the remainder of the war."
  "The first CB projects were on Bora Bora where the 1st CB Detachment arrived February 1942. The det took the name "Bobcats" from the Operation's code name BOBCAT (they had departed the U.S. so quickly that the "Seabee" name did not exist). Their task was to construct a fuel depot for ships and planes en route to Australia. The Bobcats learned of many tropical issues: persistent precipitation, 50 types of dysentery, numerous skin diseases, and the dreaded elephantiasis. These all combined to make conditions miserable and were harbingers of what was awaiting Seabees else-wheres. From the start their task was difficult, despite this there was satisfaction when the island's tank farms supported Task Force 44 for the Battle of the Coral Sea."
  "While the Bobcats were in transit to Bora Bora the 2nd and 3rd CB Dets were formed. The 2nd CB Det was sent to Tongatapu in the Tonga Islands while the 3rd CB Det went to Efate in the New Hebrides.  Both islands were also on routes to Australia. . 
  Bases built on them would support actions in the Coral Sea and the Solomon Islands. Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides became strategic when the Japanese took Guadalcanal, the southernmost point of their expansion.  Destruction of Japanese airfields nearing completion on that island became imperative to stop further expansion.  The 3rd CB Det was rushed from Efate to Espiritu Santo to build a countermanding airfield asap. Within 20 days a 6000ft airstrip had been carved from the jungle.
  CB 3 sent a detachment from A Company to Bora Bora that "merged" with the Bobcats. In the fall of 1943 they had completed their work and had received orders to join CB 3 at Noumea.  Enroute there was a change in orders making the group 3rd Battalion 23rd Marines. At that time the remainder of A Co. (officers and enlisted) was transferred to the 22nd as well.  The Bobcats had not received advanced military training before deploying so the 22nd Marines gave all of the Seabees an intense field version.  When finished the regiment returned to Hawaii for additional amphibious warfare training.  With that completed the men were tasked as shore party, engineers and demolitions men for the landings in the Marshalls.  Third battalion would see extensive combat at the Battle of Eniwetok.  When those operations were over the 22nd Marines were given a Naval Unit Commendation and the Bobcats and A Co 3 CB were released by the Marines.
  On 30 October 1942 the USS Enterprise (CV-6) pulled into Noumea after taking two hits and two near misses in the Battle of Santa Cruz.  She was the only air craft carrier remaining in the Pacific west of Pearl Harbor, but had damage to the flight deck at the bow and just aft of the forward elevator.  One near miss was midships below the waterline while the other was adjacent the elevator hit.  B Co. from CB 3 put a 75-man detail aboard her to assist effect emergency repairs en route to her next engagement in the Solomons.  Underway with the ship ordered to engage the enemy, the Seabees focused on effecting repairs even during the battle. They had worked round-the-clock under the Enterprise's damage control officer.  He wrote that on 11 November: "She made the open sea with her decks... shaking and echoing to air hammers, with welders' arcs sparking... and with her forward eleva
caption: B-29s Landing on Tinian 1944
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