{{short description|Former United States Navy Base}} {{Location map|Western Australia|label=Exmouth Submarine Base |position=top |lat_deg=22|lat_min=10|lat_dir=S |lon_deg=114|lon_min=18|lon_dir=E |caption=Location of Exmouth Submarine Base in Western Australia<br>{{flag|United States Navy}} from 1942 to 1943. }} [[File: USS Pelias (AS-14) at anchor near the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), on 15 November 1941 (19-N-25994).jpg|thumb|[[USS Pelias|USS ''Pelias'']] [[submarine tender]] base at Exmouth Submarine Base]] [[File: USS Salmon (SS-182), 1938.jpg|thumb|[[USS Salmon (SS-182)]] one of many subs serviced at Exmouth Submarine Base]] '''Exmouth Submarine Base''', called '''Operation Potshot''', was a [[United States Navy]] base at [[Exmouth Gulf]], [[Western Australia]] during [[World War II]]. Exmouth Gulf on western [[Australia]] was selected as the site for a US Naval base as it was thought at the time to be out of the reach of [[Empire of Japan]]'s long-range [[bomber]]s. [[Bombing of Darwin]] on February 19, 1942, demonstrated that a more southern port was needed. The submarine operation at Exmouth Gulf and the [[North West Cape]] was called Operation Potshot, named after the [[Potshot airfield]] that provided [[fighter plane]] cover for the base.<ref name="monumentaustralia">{{Cite web|url=https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/ww2/display/60468-potshot-memorial|title=Potshot Memorial | Monument Australia|website=monumentaustralia.org.au}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ozatwar.com/usnavy/exmouth01.htm|title=US Navy Submarine Base, Exmouth Gulf, WA, during WW2|website=www.ozatwar.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://caravan.hemax.com//Destination/12285/The_Town_Built_by_America|title=The Town Built by America|website=HemaX Caravan World}}</ref>
==History == With the loss of [[Naval Base Manila]] in the [[Philippines]], US submarines fled to [[Dutch East Indies]] and then [[Indonesia]] until these ports were taken over. This forced the US Submarine Fleet to Australian ports out of bomber range.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47723722 |title=Fremantle was big submarine base |newspaper=[[Army News]]|location=Darwin, NT |date=25 August 1945 |access-date=8 February 2016 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> A submarine base was set up in Exmouth Gulf. To support the submarines, [[submarine tender]] [[USS Pelias (AS-14)|USS ''Pelias'']] was stationed at Exmouth Gulf at [[Exmouth, Western Australia]]. A 500-ton [[Type B ship|Type B]] [[barge]] was stationed at the base to refuel the subs. [[Oil tanker]]s would refill the barge as needed. A rest camp for the crew was set up at the base. Potshot airfield, near [[Yanrey]], was also called Learmonth Airport of the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF). For added defense, a British GLll [[radar]] station was installed. The base had Australian [[3-inch anti-aircraft gun M3| 3-inch anti-aircraft guns]] and [[QF 3.7-inch AA gun|QF 3.7-inch anti-aircraft guns]] installed. The US installed [[Bofors gun]] anti-aircraft guns. A US Naval Communication Station was built at the site. While it was thought that Exmouth Gulf was far enough south to be out of range for an attack, on May 20 and 21, 1943, that base was attacked. [[Charles A. Lockwood]] was overseeing the bases at [[Fremantle submarine base|Fremantle]] and Exmouth. Exmouth Gulf was too north for a base, as it was hit by [[cyclone]]s.<ref name="auto"/> Exmouth was used as part of the staging for [[Operation Transom]] in May 1944.<ref>Hobbs, David (2011). The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. {{ISBN|9781591140443}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/304241|title=EXMOUTH GULF, WA. 1943. THE LANDING FROM WHICH IT WAS PROPOSED TO CONSTRUCT A LANDING STAGE ...|website=www.awm.gov.au}}</ref>
==1943 raids== On May 20, 1943, two Japanese [[Betty bomber]]s were first spotted by the radar station at [[Onslow, Western Australia|Onslow]], just north of Exmouth Gulf. Then spotted by the radar station at Exmouth Gulf. At about 10.55 pm, the Japanese planes bombed Exmouth Gulf, but hit nothing. Two RAAF [[CAC Boomerang]] planes of [[No. 85 Squadron RAAF]] tried to intercept the bombers, but did not find them. On May 21, 1943, again, the two radar stations spotted two Japanese aircraft. The two planes dropped nine bombs into the Exmouth Gulf at about midnight, again hitting nothing. Again, two Boomerangs were sent up, but by the time one plane found a bomber, it was low on fuel and had to return to base. Other raids hit close to the radar station at Exmouth Gulf.<ref>Air War Against Japan 1943–1945, by George Odgers</ref> On 15 May 1943, Onslow was [[Air raids on Australia, 1942–43|bombed by Japan]] when a single bomber, bombed the [[Onslow Airport|Onslow airfield]] with no damage done.<ref name=OnslowHist1>{{cite web|title=History - Shire of Ashburton|url=http://www.ashburton.wa.gov.au/visit-ashburton/onslow/history|publisher=Shire of Ashburton|access-date=9 May 2014}}</ref>
==Seaplane Base Exmouth== [[File:USS Childs (AVD-1) underway, circa in late 1944 (19-N-74863).jpg|thumb|[[USS Childs (AVD-1)]] in 1944]] [[File:PBY-5A VP-52 Black Cat Dec 1943.jpg|thumb|[[VPB-52]] [[Consolidated PBY Catalina]] in 1943]] The US Navy set up a seaplane base at Exmouth Gulf, called '''Advance Base D''' that operated two squadrons of [[Consolidated PBY Catalina]] flying boats. US Navy squadrons [[VPB-33]] and [[VPB-52]] operated out of the base. The planes were serviced by the {{USS|Childs|DD-241|6}}), a [[destroyer]] that became a [[seaplane tender]]. [[The Double Sunrise]] airline service also operated from the base. The PBY Catalina did search, combat, rescue, and reconnaissance patrols.<ref name="auto"/> On November 26, 1942, PBY-5A # 2407 aborted a take-off at Exmouth, the plane hit a large [[Swell (ocean)|swell]]. The front bombing window broke, and water poured in. The plane sank in {{convert|18|ft|m}}, the captain was killed, and eight others were injured.<ref name="baaa-acro">{{cite web|url=https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-consolidated-pby-5-catalina-exmouth-1-killed|title=Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Exmouth: 1 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives|website=baaa-acro.com|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref> On April 28, 1943, a PBY crashed at Exmouth, killing three in the plane.<ref name="ozatwar">{{cite web|url=https://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/wa29.htm|title=28 April 1943 - Crash of a Catalina in Exmouth Gulf, near Potshot, WA|website=ozatwar.com|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref> On July 3, 1943, PBY #08294 crashed in Exmouth Gulf, killing four crew members and eight passengers. The plane was not repairable.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19430703-1|title=ASN Aircraft accident Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina 08294 Exmouth Gulf, WA|first=Harro|last=Ranter|website=aviation-safety.net}}</ref>
==Z Special Unit== {{Main|Z Special Unit}} Exmouth submarine base was used as a staging base for [[Z Special Unit]]. Z Special Unit was [[special forces]] use made up of [[British Empire|British]], Australian, [[Dutch East Indies|Dutch]], [[New Zealand]], [[Timor]]ese and [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] and a few American troops that operated in [[Southeast Asia]] behind Japanese lines. The operation was mostly for reconnaissance and sabotage work. From Potshot Z, Special Unit started [[Operation Jaywick]], a successful raid on Japanese shipping in [[Singapore]] Harbour, in September 1943.
[[Operation Rimau]] also used the base for staging, but the operation was unsuccessful, with all team members killed as the Japanese found them before the raid. Six Z Special crew members killed have streets in Exmouth named after them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/PrintSingleRecord/2b7795ca-8cf6-4f55-b22c-3e6a6fd560ea|title=Heritage Council of WA - Places Database|website=inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au}}</ref>
==Post war== *Operation Potshot Memorial Plaque was built in 1963 near the Potshot reconnaissance site.<ref name="monumentaustralia"/>
==See also==
*[[US Naval Advance Bases]] *[[Naval Base Perth]] *[[Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base]] *[[US Naval Base Australia]]
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg29an7cM4o&t=631s youtube World War 2 - Defence of Australia]
{{US Navy navbox}} {{Western Australia during World War II}} {{US Navy navbox|state=collapsed}} {{MARCOMships}} {{WWII US ships}} {{Warship types of the 19th & 20th centuries}} {{USWWII}}
{{coord missing|Western Australia}}
[[Category:Military installations established in 1942]] [[Category:Former installations of the United States Navy]] [[Category:1942 in Australia]] [[Category:South West Pacific theatre of World War II]] [[Category:Western Australia during World War II]]