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 USN prewar  U.S. Army Nov 1, 1943   M Claringbould 2008 |
Location Nouméa Harbor borders Nouméa in South Province (Province Sud) on New Caledonia (Nouvelle-Calédonie). Also spelled Noumea Harbor (without accent) in English sources. Wartime History On April 18, 1941 a PBY Catalina took off from Sydney Harbor on the first seaplane flight and lands in Nouméa Harbor to delivered the first air mail letter to Nouméa. During World War II, Nouméa Harbor was used by Allied warships and transports including the U.S. Navy (USN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN). On February 24, 1942 Panamanian motor freighter Snark is damaged by a sea mine in Nouméa Harbor attempting to reach Nouméa without a pilot. USS Worden (DD-352) tows the crippled ship out of the channel but has to abandon further salvage when the damaged vessel drifts and grounds hard and fast atop a reef. In early August 1942, the Allied invasion force departed Nouméa Harbor bound for the Solomon Islands. Nickel Docks The prewar Nickel Docks were located at the southern end of Nouméa Harbor and included a private wharf, cranes and a smelter at Point Doniamo. Early in the Pacific War, an Australian commando squadron set demolition charges to blow up the works in the event the Japanese landed. During the American occupation, the prewar dock was lengthened and expanded for use in addition to the the main dock at Nouméa. During World War II, Nickel production was allowed to continue, provided it did not interfere with military needs and operations. Nickel Dock Explosion On November 1, 1943, four ships SS Juan Cabrillo, USS Cassiopeia, SS James Buchanan and SS Cape Breton were unloading at two finger piers built by U.S. Navy (USN) Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) "Seabees". The handling of munitions caused an accidental explosion later dubbed the "Nickel Dock Explosion" with roughly 100 men killed and missing plus another 100 wounded, The blasted moved the ships off their moorings, but did not cause serious damage to the vessels. Ben Glusing adds: "I was an officer of the 208th Military Police Company, which furnished guard duty of the docks. I arrived at the scene 8-10 minutes after the first blast. Explosion was followed by fires, all lasting about four and a half hours. We suffered seven men injured; no fatalities. The explosion was, for some years, classified, and now declassified." Nouméa Harbor Seaplane Base Harbor used as a seaplane landing area during the Pacific War. Contribute Information Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated March 9, 2026 |
 USN 1943 Map Fallingrain  View in Google Earth |
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