Tulagi
Encyclopedia
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island
(5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands
, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island (pop. 1,750) was the capital of the Solomon Islands Protectorate
from 1896 to 1942, and is today the capital of the Central Province.
The island was originally chosen by the British as a comparatively isolated and healthier alternative to the disease-ridden larger islands of the Solomons.
ese occupied Tulagi on May 3, 1942, with the intention of setting up a seaplane
base nearby (see Japanese Tulagi landing
). The ships in Tulagi harbor were raided by planes from USS Yorktown
the following day in a prelude to the Battle of the Coral Sea
.
U.S.
forces, primarily the 1st Marine Raiders
, landed on August 7 and captured Tulagi as part of Operation Watchtower after a day of hard fighting.
After its capture by Naval
and Marine forces
, the island hosted a fleet of PT boat
s for a year which included John F. Kennedy
's PT-109
, as well as other ancillary facilities.
A small 20-bed dispensary was operated on Tulagi until its closure in 1946. The island also formed part of Purvis Bay
, which hosted many U.S. Navy ships during 1942 and 1943.
. The wrecks of USS Aaron Ward
, USS Kanawha
, and HMNZS Moa
are close by, and the wrecks of Ironbottom Sound
are not much further off. The Ward
is considered to be one of the world's great wreck dives; the hull lies on a sandy bottom at 70 metres, which is about 20 metres deeper than one can safely dive on compressed air
. The Ward lies upright and intact, the deck replete with artifacts.
Tulagi is developing a tourism industry based on scuba; however, due to ongoing civil unrest
, the industry in the Solomons
is in a perilous state.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
(5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island (pop. 1,750) was the capital of the Solomon Islands Protectorate
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
from 1896 to 1942, and is today the capital of the Central Province.
The island was originally chosen by the British as a comparatively isolated and healthier alternative to the disease-ridden larger islands of the Solomons.
World War II
The JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese occupied Tulagi on May 3, 1942, with the intention of setting up a seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
base nearby (see Japanese Tulagi landing
Japanese Tulagi landing (1942)
The invasion of Tulagi, on 3–4 May 1942, was part of Operation Mo, the Empire of Japan's strategy in the South Pacific and South West Pacific Area in 1942. The plan called for Imperial Japanese Navy troops to capture Tulagi and nearby islands in the Solomon Islands Protectorate...
). The ships in Tulagi harbor were raided by planes from USS Yorktown
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. She was named after the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and the lead ship of the Yorktown class which was designed after lessons learned from operations with the large...
the following day in a prelude to the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
.
U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
forces, primarily the 1st Marine Raiders
Marine Raiders
The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines...
, landed on August 7 and captured Tulagi as part of Operation Watchtower after a day of hard fighting.
After its capture by Naval
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and Marine forces
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, the island hosted a fleet of PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
s for a year which included John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's PT-109
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
PT-109 was a PT boat last commanded by Lieutenant, junior grade John F. Kennedy in the Pacific Theater during World War II...
, as well as other ancillary facilities.
A small 20-bed dispensary was operated on Tulagi until its closure in 1946. The island also formed part of Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay is located in the Florida Islands, which are part of the Solomon Islands. The bay was used by the US Navy during World War Two....
, which hosted many U.S. Navy ships during 1942 and 1943.
Scuba diving
Tulagi offers some excellent scuba divingScuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. The wrecks of USS Aaron Ward
USS Aaron Ward (DD-483)
USS Aaron Ward was a in the service of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named in honor of Rear Admiral Aaron Ward. She sank on 7 April 1943 in a shoal near Tinete Point of Florida Island during Operation I-Go...
, USS Kanawha
USS Kanawha (AO-1)
The third USS Kanawha was a replenishment oiler of the US Navy. She was laid down 8 December 1913 by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California; launched 11 July 1914; sponsored by Miss Dorothy Bennett; and commissioned 5 June 1915, Lt. Comdr...
, and HMNZS Moa
HMNZS Moa (T233)
HMNZS Moa was a Bird class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy.On 29 January 1943, with her sister ship Kiwi, Moa helped ram and wreck the Japanese submarine I-1...
are close by, and the wrecks of Ironbottom Sound
Ironbottom Sound
"Ironbottom Sound" is the name given by Allied sailors to Savo Sound, the stretch of water at the southern end of The Slot between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Florida Island of the Solomon Islands, because of the dozens of ships and planes that sank there during the Battle of Guadalcanal in...
are not much further off. The Ward
USS Aaron Ward (DD-483)
USS Aaron Ward was a in the service of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named in honor of Rear Admiral Aaron Ward. She sank on 7 April 1943 in a shoal near Tinete Point of Florida Island during Operation I-Go...
is considered to be one of the world's great wreck dives; the hull lies on a sandy bottom at 70 metres, which is about 20 metres deeper than one can safely dive on compressed air
Breathing gas
Breathing gas is a mixture of gaseous chemical elements and compounds used for respiration.Air is the most common and only natural breathing gas...
. The Ward lies upright and intact, the deck replete with artifacts.
Tulagi is developing a tourism industry based on scuba; however, due to ongoing civil unrest
Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands
The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands , also known as Operation Helpem Fren, was created in 2003 in response to a request for international aid by the Governor-General of the Solomon Islands...
, the industry in the Solomons
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
is in a perilous state.