We had arrived a couple of days early to acclimatise to the time difference between the UK and Chuuk. We were staying at the Blue Lagoon hotel and while waiting for the rest of the divers to arrive and took the opportunity for a trip to the neighbouring island of Dublon.
Also known as Tonowas (or Tonoas), Dublon is its Spanish name and during WWII, it was the location for the Japanese military and civil administration of Chuuk. Tonoas was extensively modified leading up to, and during the war. Land was reclaimed, trees and vegetation were cleared, and traditional historic sites were interfered with.
Dublon was a headquarters for the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during the Second World War. The Japanese name for the island was Natsu Shima (or Natsushima), which means “Summer Island.” An underground bunker housing the IJA’s headquarters facilities is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
During the war Tonoas was a hive of activity. A civilian township comprising all the facilities to expect of a small town, called Dublon Town was located in the southeast section of the island. The Japanese Fourth Fleet was based on Tonoas and they established buildings and facilities, many of them were prefabricated wooden structures, built onto concrete foundations with a tin roof. There was also a submarine base, a seaplane base, a number of very large fuel tanks, and a repair facility for vessels. There was also a number of small and large buildings established as ‘comfort houses’ where women were forced to entertain Japanese men. The island contains numerous guns that were used in its defence, as well as many small and large tunnels to shelter people, equipment and munitions from the bombing.
The gallery is from our visit to Dublon. Jungle trekking in Havaianas was not appropriate foot attire! It was hard to imagine this place in 1944, the noise and smell during Operation Hailstone and comprehend the destruction that occurred during those two February days in 1944.
