“Construimus, Batuimus” “We Build, We Fight”

5th Naval Construction Brigade

Historical Information

----_ . 'l1li' .. ..,.. ___.

-16 5 - 5th :Brl;. consists of the 26th. 37th, 28th. c..nd 40th iU:gimcnts. Cll it] 515, Det.

1046. 105", 1059 shown attflch~d to Br. (5th Brg i&.r Diary of 1 Apr11,.5) 5th Erg

Staff locntea at Adc1up Point, Gunm.

10-45 - !otor Pool is loc~ted nt A~-n Point & Orote. GUAm. (5th Brg ~(ar Diar,y of 1 pr 145)>- 9-45 - h OOM Gurun is hereby tluthorized to detech om·fiJ 515 from tho 5th BTP, end. order t

to rep~rt to IaCom Gunm. (Oomservpac S c ltr SOT 001903 dtd ~8 Apr to IsCom Guam) -l~ ~ Cons~rvp c ordera trRnsfor of tho !?th OB to C~am--to repo=t to the 6th Bre.

(OoLLSerVpl\c 5t:>c Spdltr ~el' 0019D3 dtd 3 May l 45 t o Oomsopac) 5-15-45 - 1 May' 45 BllP625 for ~"L (Sp) CD sha 810 t1 n frOll the 5th Brl« otor Pool are

being carried a supernumeraries. -15-45 - 1 Aprl45 report of thP 5th Brg. - loc~tad nt Guam. Dots 1071 ~nd 1073 con3ist1ng

of 1 off. and 4 men arrived during March and were assigned to Det 1046 to duties in connect with the install of islRnd over nll po",p.r system. The l44th 013 reported to the 5th Bre. on 18 Mar'45. 3 off. Rnd 123 mon from the lOth OB to be trfd to 5th Brg for assimilDtion into un~t8 under the 5th Brg.

-~-45 - IsOom G1~am is hereby given the authority to aoUvate the l34th 013 (Truck Oper) from personnel presently working in the ~lotor Pool at Gurun. AuthorIty is granted to transfer all enl pArsonnel of the 5th Brg and other activities on GU80 who are aotually orking in the motor pool on date this Itr is recd into the 134th CB. (Comservpac conf ltr eer 02251 dtd 7 MAy'45 to IsCom Guam)

-25-45 - 1 Nsy'45 report of the 5th :argo - locllteci atGurun. 1690 men retd to Parks for rohab. The first draft of 1450 men left 15 April and the 2nd draft of 240 .men left 16 April. Approx 830 replacements were reed during month.

'- 2-45 - 1 Jun l 45 report of t he 5th Brg - located at Guam.

5th 'Erg. -8-45 - According to Dirpacdocka San Fran 15 Feb '45 report no CBMU's or Detachments a~e

listed under the 5th Brg. 3-10-45 - 1 Feb'45 report of the 5th :erg. - As of 31 Jan, Brg. consisted ot the t011ow1nc'

26th Reg, ~_Reg. 28th Re~. 40th Reg, ~ Not att. to Reg, 4th C:e 25th CB 2nd (spy 23rd CB · Det. 1059 Cl3MU 516

59th OB . 48th Cl3 13th (Sp) 41st 0::5 AO~D Dot. 1046 56th O:a 53rd OB 16th (Sp) . 49th OB' PAD 45 Det. 1064 76th CB 72nd CB 29th (Sp) . 94th C:a Det. 1070

109th 013 136th 013 103rd OB ' Dat. 1072 Det. 1053

Adv. Echelon of the 36th Reg. (70th and 128th 013s) attached to Brg. tor adm. control only. !1'he foUo\d.!lg units repurted to the 5th Brg. in Jan~

Adv. Detachment s of the 70th OB (approx 250 men)

Adv. Detachments of the128th OB (appro% 290 men)

(These adv. detachments haw been ~laced under the 6th :erg. for adm. control only - for operational control they report to Adm. Oom Amph. Force USPacll'lt)

Det. 1053 and 1056 (combined into Det. 1053)

PAD '5 (approl: 412 lIlen)

Brg. ree' a. a draft ot 30 seamen in Jan.

- 4-45 - 1 Me.r 145 report of the 5th Brg. - located at Guam. 26th, 27th. 28th. Md 40th

Regiments attached. 4 off. and 175 men reported e.board to form the advance dut. of ABCD. The 144th CB will be the opAretional force tor ABCD--batt 1s expected in March and a tentative date of activation has been et tor 1 Apr'45 for both ABOl)' end AClllPD.

-10-45 - The 5th Brg. 1& located at Adelup P01nt.(5thBrg. War DIar,r for 1 Feb to 28 Feb'45).

5th 3 ... 1 •

:tit. Hil b1dle ssign d from Cincp e( udock 1tr to Buper dtd 27 Apr t 44). - Comdr. 01 rk a signed fro 1st r ..\mP. Corp (16th REG.?) (Budock 1 tr to Bupo •

dtd 25 Apr' ). 22- . - Lt .O • Ste1nbru h B 19ned from P (~udock 1t to Dupers dtd 26 'pr'44).

5-22-44 - ~t . Smith assigued from ABD DaviGv.(EudQcks ltr t o :SUper dated 12 M3y1 4). 5-22-44 - Ens . Abplanalp aD 19ned from Peary(13udocke ltr to 13upers dtd 27 .p 1«). 5-22-44 - 5th Brigade cons! t. of 26th, 27th and 28th Reg1~.ll.t • ( - 5-15- ~). )-.9-44 _ Lt. rirunllton, lackey nnd Lt.{jg) !>Iayer assigned from Navy Yard, P.H.(14th 1m 1tre

eubj. off. nome and fUe over Serial lio. 13387, 13386, 13421(resp.) to subJ. officers dtd 20 t.1ay'44). .

6-21-44 -Lt. ·'~a.rgoles assigned from DirpE'.cdocks to 5th Brig.(Dl.rpacdocka 1tr Sere 2439 dtd 21 Hav r44 to Intbj. officer).

6-21-44 -Lt. Gro\ofer sasipned from Dlrpacdocks 128(Dirp~cdocks HI' Sera .g:2438 JJD:pfo to aubj. officer - no date). /

6-21-44 -l:-' t!J. (9,.,) detached from 20th R~g. and ordered to 5th Brg.(2nd Brg. 1tr 21H2r-Q6-HCB hc ovp.r·Plp-3 Sere 6691 to Oine 13th (Sp) dtd 31 May l 44).

7-12-44 -Lt. Smith's ord~rs to 5th Brg. cance11ed(Eudocks ltr to Buoers dtd 17 Jun'44). 7-28-44 -nt.(jg) Ohv..udler e.sbigned from 29th (Sp)li'iA(Jludocks 1tr to-1;upers dtd 12 Jul'44). 7-29-44 56th OB order d to report to 5th Brig for duty (OinO 5th Brig 1tr 5NOBr/RJD:&jn,

Ser 161 dtd 22 JUll'44 to 01nO 66th CB). . 8-1-44 - Lt. Fox assigned from 39th as to 5th Brg. according to 2nd Drg. report for L Jul'44. 8-15-44- Officare and men of 4th 013 ordered detached from 7th Reg. ald ordered to report to

5th Brig. for duty (OInC 2nd Brig 1tr 2N0l3r-06-HOB/lk over Pl6-3 of no date to Comdr. Rowe).

9-5-44 - 2R9 Sera 8240 cont. 1trdtd 11 Aug'44 2nd Erg. to 39th CB orders the 39th CB detac~ ed from 3rd Reg. and a8signed to 6th Br1gade.

5th Brigade

3-29-44 - 16th Special ordered dota ched from 20th Ree . and 2nd Erig. and ordered to report . for duty to 5th Erig. (OinC 2nd ]r1g Itr 2N013r-06-HC13/kb over Pl6-3 8139 dtd

. 7 A~'44 to OinC 16th Sp.). lO-17-44 - Th~ 48th CB reported to the 5th Brie. 16 Aug-44. (Gnd end. by 5th B~i~. on 1 Jul

report of 48th CB) LQ-l8-44 -94th CD detached fro~ the 8th Re~. and ordered to re~ort to the 5th Erg. for duty.

(2ud :Brg. Conf. 1 tr 2UCBr-06-HCB/fnf over Pl6-4/00/J.'J1. to DinC of 94t l Cb dtd 18 Sep 144).

LQ-IB-:M -The"I5th Brg. is in the area 0-[ Stapan and Guam ,dth t e 3rd }..mph. Corps Task GrOU"D ~~.~~!~~)~emo from F-48(U.S . Fleet. Nfl.v~r Dept. , ''i~_sh. DC) to Sec. Ha.il Room dtd •

10-25-44 - 1 Se~IL14 report of 5th Brig . - Consists of the 26th, 27th, and 28th Reeimp.nts; 2n~. 13th, 16th Speoials, ~th, 25th. 48th. 53rd, 56th, 59th, 72nd. 76th 013'8, Det. 1010. and CBl.ro 515. ForWArd eohelon of Brigade Staff disembarked on 23 Jul' (D plus 2).

LO-G7-44 - 5th Brie. is compo~p.d of the following Regimonts and ~atts: 26th Reg.:

4th. 56th, 59th, and 76th 03'6 27th 3.ee:.":

i-J5th. 48th, 531·d. 7.2nd OEI s end (2nd Separate Harino Engr. 3"ttal1on) ~etb. Reg.: .

2ncl. (S~) , 13th (sr.), 16th (Sp) CB'a Miscellaneo'ts Unit3:

CBI·~:...515 and Det. 1010

Int"Provioiona1 m5r • Group (5th :art~. Sec. '·iar Diary 51iCBr/A:J over ;1AL:b£lW

IaOom,

- iliL l03rd C no.in t to be leDscd ~rom tho ~th rg to I£Com GUElI. Thic batt i in n di~ion t CB.ru 53~ ~nd

0-:'7' (Cont.) over .3 r G15 to !Blend Comdr ritd 2 Oot'4-A r port for 16 ._,crp to ::0 :';O'pI~ ) )-Za.::.44 - The Oine of the 2.1rd C;i i~ to r port to the 5th lire;. l\I1til the 23rd CB rey)orh

(re~t 0:6 b~tt) for (111ty.(H.~:CD's H.AD-O')-Hm,/fnf over PIG-a/OO over Sera 6302 coni'. 1 t·r d tel. 5 Oct 144 to the UinC of the 23rd c:B).

1- 1-' - 1 Oot',~~ roport of 5th Brir;. - LocG.tcd nt C-lWlll. Is corJ,osed of the 26th. 27th. and 28th Rc,,impnts m1l(!.~ up '01' the 4th , a~th. 48th, 53rd. 56th, 59th, 72nd. 76th, .Gad (.,):'1), 13th(S:r) r 1~th(3r>>" C:m·ro 515, !)etfl. 1010 nnd 1046. The 40th R'"~1::1Ant had not b en AstnbliRhcd yet on the islpnd ~s of 1 Oct'44. .

11-8-44 - 136th CR detached from thA 7th RPC. e.nd 8 th Brig. ano. ordered tv t"f'port 'to the 5th 3ri.!!. fo r duty. (H!.NCB conf. Itr HAB-06-HCB/fnf over P16-3(18)/OO/1.'...~ over ~pr fi~96 to OinC of 136th CB c1.td 11 Oct 144)

11-t1-44 --T'le 5th Brj~de is loceted at Guam(Is.Com Soc. airmall~m to CliO on?!)1 nCR 14731 dtrl 6 Nov'44).

1.2-2-44 - 1 Nov'44 report of 5th Brigade - Composed of the 26th. 27th. 8m 28th Regiments. 1-3-45 - 1 Dec'44 report of 5th Brigade - located at Guam. AR of 30 Nov'44, consisted of

the 20th. 27th. 28th. and 40th Regimenta. also OBMU 516. Dets. 1010, 1046, 1059,

1070 l".nd 10 72.

1-4-45 - l03rd aa ordered detached froo the 3rd Reg. to proceed and report to the Oine 5th :argo for duty. (1WWJ3 conf. 1tr RAB-06-HCB/mv over Pl6-4/00/l,fl~ over Sere 7782 to UinC l03rd CB dtd 7 Dec'44).

1-4-45 - l09th CD ordered detacned from the 33rd Reg. to proceed and report to the OinC of the 5th Brg. for nuty.(HANCB 000£. Itr HJJ3-06-H®/mv over Pl6-4/00/Ml:~ over Sere 7783 dtd 7 Dec '44). " .

1-29-45 - The 5th Bri~d4 is located at Adelup POint. Guam. (5th Brg. War Di~ry 1 D e'44 t~ 31 Dec'44).

5th Br1gnd.e

2- 8-45 - The 5th Bri&ade officers and men directed. to report to the CG 10th Army for duty on the staff of ComConstTroolB and Senior Drg. Commader. The 4th Brg. v1l1 move staff equipment when they move at a later date. (Comseronsopac See. ltr eo85 to OinO 5th Reg. dtd 22 Jan'45)

2- 9-45 - 1 J en '45 report of the 5th :erg. - As of 31 Dec '44. the Brg. included 4 Regiment s. composition as 11 sted below: 26th Reg. 27th Reg. ~ RAP, 40th Reg~ Not attached to Regl 4th OB 25th CB 2nd (Sp) 23rd C.ll. CBMU 515

56th CB 48th CB 13th (Sp) 41st C.B. Det. 1046 59th CB 53rd CD 16th (Sp) 49th CB Det. 1059 76t:c. CB 72nd OD 29th (Sp) 94th OR Det. 1070

109th CD 136th Cll l03rd CD Det. 1072 Dat. 1064 10th CB Adv. Det.

Det. 1064 arrived 13 Dec'~4; 10th c:e Adv. Det. arrived 26 Nov'44. The :erg. was informed that the ABeD scheduled for Guam and the ACEPD are to be activated as units of the 5tb Brg. Each of these activities have a fe,'f men end officers aboard but neither will be prepared nor mAnned to operate as designed for aometine yet. ACEPD is opemtlng in a minor capacity at present as a. Sub Spare Parts De90t

2-14-45 - Casual Draft 2493 2no ~ch. vith 1 of'i'ic~r and 59 men departed Parks 6 Feb '45 for tho 5th Brg.(P~trks Sec. ('!.is"O to BU"OftTR 072030 Ft'tb'45).

2-l5-45 - Comncrforpacflt conf. 5th JihCl.(on OinC 38th :Ht'g. ltr d.td 30 Uov'44) Sere 0397 dtd 26 Jan ' 45 - requ sts that all enlisted personnel of t he 33rd as vith l~s~ than 20 months contin~~us overseas duty be transferred to the 5th Brg. for reas31gnm-nt

http:Guam(Is.Comhttp:Za.::.44

"rtlpur ,I hy Completed I

Chronology of the

Fifth United States Naval Construction BriGage

7 May 4h

27 May 44

30 ¥ap: 41l

1 Jun 44

4Jun44

8 Jun 44 12 Jun 44

15-25 Jun

25 Jun 44

The Chief of Naval Operations approved establishment of the

5th United States Naval Construction Brigade.

Captain vTilliam 0 .. Hi.ltabidle, cr;c, USN, appointed as otficeri!ln charge, departed wi~h his brigade staff from Pearl Harbor and re

ported to Guadalcanal. There they were attached to the 3rd Amph1b- '

ious Corps for the assault on Guam, Marianas Islands, to assist in

beach unloading, water supply, sanitat;t-on, waterfront.;.construction,

transportation, road and bridge lo{o..tt(,r~connaissance and any other I

engineering services they could render.

The Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet and PaCific Ocean Areas,

directed that the brigade be activated at Pearl Harbor and that

it would consist of the 26th U. S. Naval Construction Regiment

(4th, 56th, 59th and 76th battalions); the 27th Regiment (25th,

39th, 48th, S3rd and 72nd battalions); and the 28th Regiment (Spec

ial) with the 2nd, 13th and 16th Special battalions.

The 5th Brigade was activated at Pearl Harbor as a next subordinate

unit of First Provisional Base Headquarters for purposes of admin

istration. The base head~qarters was tommanded by MaSor General

Henry L; Larsen, USMC, who was to take over as COImnander, Island

Command, Guam, after it had been recaptured from the Japanese. None

of the designated battalions were to report to their regiments un

til they were released by the assault units to which they were as

signed during the ilhitial landing and assault period, and until so

~ordered by the Commanding General, Third Amphibioae Corps, wtlen

they would report t o the Officer in Charge, 5th U. s. Naval Con~ struction Brigade.

The Southern Attack Force {TF 53),to which the 5th Brigade Starf

was assigned during the assault, departed Guada1canal.

Task Force 53 arrived at Kwajalein for refu~lling.

The Southern; attack force departed Kwaaalein with expectations

that the invasion of Guam wouid commence June 18, but unexpected

Japanese strength on Saipan delayed securing of that island and

consequently the invasion of Guam was postponed.

Task Force 53 cruised in open waters east of Saipan.

Transports of TF 53 with the 3rd Marine Division elements of the

3rd Amphibious Corps were sent to Eniwetok.

5th Bricade Chronology----sheet 2-2-2-2

.

30 Jun La.4 Transports ldtb the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade of the 3rd

Amphibious Corps were ordered back to Eniwetok.

15 Jul 44 Task Force 53 transports departed Eniwetok. 21 Jul 44 Marine assault forces landed at Guam, The 3rd Marine DiviSion

landed on beacbes near Asan, some two miles north of Apra Harbor,

accompanied by six officers and 201 enlisted men of B Company,

2nd U. AS. Naval Construction Battalion (Special) who worked the

supply dumps by day and manned ridge deienses at night. Elements

of NCB 25 landed with the Jrd Combat Team to act as the shore party in charge of Red Beaches 1 and 2. These Seabees worked under

fire the first three days and manned beach defenses until the area

was secured.

OneGQ$fip'lh![·ail.Cl,--l,S""'.m.en ·ofi. the£?g3rdt:NC&~prebededtthe·j 22nal.fatine

Regimentl-':'ofcJthe 1st Provisional Marine Brigade when they invaded

at the Southern landing beaches about two miles south of Agat. The

Seabees anchored invasion craft at the r~efs edge, then, marking a

. lane t hrough waist-deep water across several hundred yards of reef

to the beach, tbey led the incoming tanks ashore during more than

nine hours under enemy fire. In this time 50 LOMs and 5 LCTs were unloaded.

Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 515 suffered numerous casualties as t hey participated in the combat for two to three hours.

Then they commenced t heir ~ob of handling all equipment for t he Mar

ines and unloading supplies for the inland assault. Cargo handling

over the reef was perfomed under constant sniper fire. After the

beachhead was established, CBMU 515 put up two hospitais and each night during the first week performed guard duttes.

http:OneGQ$fip'lh![�ail.Cl,--l,S""'.m.en

5th Brig de Chronology---aheet 3-3-3-3

22 Jul 44 The forward echelon compoaep of 18 officers and $20, men of the 53rd battalion landed to assist in landing operations, ha1;tl sup

plies, build combat roads, repair bridGes, establish water points

and set up command posts for the combat troops. This battalion

cleared the beaoh areas of some 23 tons of explosives.

23 Jul 44 The Fifth Brigade staff came ashore at Agat. Operational control of all construction forces remained under Major General Hoy S. Geiger, commander of the assault forces on Guam. General Larson, the Island Commander, also came ashore.

26 Jul 44 Four road repair units of NCB 25 came ashore to repair the road for the advance of Marine combat equipment from Piti to Agana along the

Northern assault beaches. The remainder of the 25th served as ships'

platoons and as stevedores to unload cargo from ships in stream for

the assault troops.

27 Jul 44 The second echelon of NCB 53 came ashore. 28 Jul 44 Men and equipment of the 2nd NCB Special were transferred from the

North invasion beach at Asan to the southern beaohes at Agat where

the major part of unloading operations were underw~. They were

joined here by the 13th NCB Special to assist in the stevedoring. The Japanese-built airstrip on Orate Peninsula was captured and

the entire peninsula was in l,merican hands.

30 Jul 44 The 2nd Marine Engineer Battalion put Orate Airstrip into service. On the same date, the first vessels en~ered Apra harbor and Seabee stevedoring seriice began there with unloading in stream, KKK using small landing craft and self -propelled barges as lighters.

1 Aug 44 Seabees and Marine Corps "engineers reopened an~h~mproved the AganaPago Bay ~~oad across the island preparatory to/final drive against

Japanese forces that had witlidrawn to tbetoonthrpaBtof Guam.

3 Aug 44 The main body of the 59th Battalion came ashore. 5-22 Aug Seabees constructed the first of six pontoon piers an eabrast~s~f

land,. This was followed by f i ve others at the rate of one pontoon

pier each twalva days into October.

7 Aug 44 The 72nd Batt alion advance echelon came ashore.

10 Aug 44 The battie at Guam was declared to be ended. However, some 9,000

Japanese troops remained at large and continued disorganized action.

Of these, some 8,500 were ld..lled or captured by 1946. The remaining

men of the 13th NCB (Special) came ashore I as well as small groups from NCBs 12 and 56.

5th Brigade Chronology---sheet 4-4-4-4

11 Aug 44 Elements of NCB 48 came ashore . 14 Aug 44 Elements of NCBs 48 and 76 came ashore. 15 Aug 44 General aieiger, commanding the invasion force s , turned control of

Guam. to General Larsen, Island Command. The $th Br:I.~ade in turn

assumed control of unified Amrry, Navy and l1ar,ine Corps construct;i.on

forces to commence construction of Advance Base facilities for all

services. Captain Hiltabidle was ultimately to command Bome 37,000

construction troops in constructing Advance Base, Guam. Seabees were

credited with actual construction of Bome 75% of the projects. Land

ing on this date loTere elements of the 48th, 56th, 72nd and 76th K

Naval Construction Battalions, who commenced their part of the build

up of Guam as an air base to support offensive operations, the head

quarters for Commander in Chief, PacifiC, and a huge storehouse 01

supply.

16 Aug 44 The 48th NCB reported to the 5th Brigade for duty, as its main body' came ashore. A SIIl8.ll group of NCB 56 also landed.

17 Aug 44 A small party of NCB 76 landed. 18 Aug 44 The main body of NCB 56 landed to complete the assembly of ·that

battalion on Guam. Control of NCBs 25 and 53, CBMU 515 and the 2nd

Separate Marine Engineer Battalion was passed by Headquarters, V

Amphibious Base to the Island Conmander, Guam. Administrative and

operational control were assigned to the 5th Brigade. The Marine

Battalion was ordered to duty under the 26th NCR'.,mc:nt ;

20 Aug 44 Fifth Naval Construction Bri gade headquarters was moved from the ;, 1 temporary site at Agat t o Adelup Point, just sout h _of Agana.

ro l

21 Aug 44 A small group of NCB 53 landed. 23 Aug 44 NCB 59 completed construction of the f irst AK berth on Cabras Island. 25 Aug 44 The 2nd Separate Marine Engineer Battalion was detached from NCR 26

and attached to NCR 21 for operational control.

27 Aug 44 The main body of the 16th Battalion came ashore to comple~e the arrival of that organization at Guam. Island Command assigned oper

ational control of the 2nd Separat e Marine Engineer Battalion to

the 5th Brigade, but retained administrative control.

28 Aug 44 The 1200. NCB completed work on the Sumay-Dadi Beach Roaddand transferred to a new camp site northeast of Agana.

29 Aug 44 NCB 72' completed rehabilitation and expansion of the former Japanese airfield east of Agana.

http:SIIl8.llhttp:construct;i.on

ADPD203.tmpHistoricalInformation