US Naval Ordinance Facility-Azuma Island, Yokosuka, Japan

AZUMA: The Island

Azuma Island - Home of Naval Ordnance Facility-MinePac

[HV-06 - Photo courtesy of Henry Villwock]
Mine Office-Welcome to Azuma Island

Photo courtesy of John Hughes, descriptions by Phil Beckwith
Taken from atop the dock crane, from fwd to back: Butler 3 Component test, Butler 2 Submarine Torpedo Shop, Mine Assembly, battery reefers on the left and Butler 1 the Mk 27 shop on the right, Magazine 1 back left. In the distance is the base for the Japanese whaling fleet.

[HV-01 - Photo courtesy of Henry Villwock]
Taken from hill above mine office, looking east.

Photo courtesy of John Hughes
Taken from the observation tower on Azuma Island, where our base was.
Our barracks were on the mainland and we took a "Mike" boat to the island for duty.

And now, 50 years later, here's a satellite photo of Azuma.
Lower right (covered by the letters "Techn") is the USS Kitty Hawk.
Check it out at: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.300+139.650+(Azuma-shima)&ll=35.300,139.650&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en

This is the main base, Fleet Activities-Yokosuka, looking from the top of Azuma Island. Close by is the Hakozaki Army fuel depot. Far right is Oppama, the town where water taxies carried sailors back to their ships. The two Liberty ships on the right are influence mine sweepers (YAG-37 & 38). They were filled with empty steel drums and the helm was lined with mattresses to prevent injury to the crew of six during influence mine sweeping.

Just beyond the YAGs, slightly to the left are the shipbuilding docks that built at least three ships that took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor (battleship Hiei, carriers Shokaku and Hiryu)

Center is the USS Dixie (AD-14) with her brood. At dockside, on the main base is the USS Yorktown (CV-10), now a museum at Charleston, SC. The repair yard is just to the left. Tokyo Bay is on the left.

Photo courtesy of John Hughes
Leaving Fleet Activities Yokosuka (FAY). Campbell piloting the LCM and Porky Rogers "on deck."

Photo courtesy of John Hughes
This is the first sight you see when arriving at Azuma Island aboard a "Mike" boat.

[HV-09 - Photo courtesy of Henry Villwock]
Boat dock at Azuma.

Flip the page to meet our buddies.

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