Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado
(Amphibious Training Base, Coronado;
Prisoner of War Camp)
Amphibious Training
Base, Coronado circa 1944
Naval Amphibious
Base Coronado
by GlobalSecurity.org
The Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coronado
is located just across the bay from San Diego, CA. The base is
situated on the Silver Strand, between the San Diego Bay and
the Pacific Ocean. NAB Coronado is a major shore command, supporting
27 tenant commands, and is the West Coast focal point for special
and expeditionary warfare training and operations. The amphibious
base houses Commander Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet,
responsible for the training, maintenance and crews of the approximately
90 ships of the Pacific Fleet and Commander Naval Special Warfare
Command, US Pacific Fleet. Also located there are most of the
Naval Expeditionary and Naval Special Warfare units of the Pacific
Fleet as well as the famed Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs.
The Naval Amphibious Base was renamed in
1946, although it had been in operation as the Amphibious Training
Base since 1943. It is host to thirty commands including the headquarters
for the Naval Special Warfare Command, a second echelon command
which is headquarters for America's elite maritime special operations
forces - the U.S. Navy SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant Craft
Crewmen.
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and its adjacent
beaches provide training for Navy SEALs, amphibious insertion
and other small units. The beach was recently designated a critical
habitat pursuant to the Endangered Species Act for the Western
Snowy Plover and the California Least Tern. To support the recovery
of these species, the Navy now physically marks nesting areas
and reschedule training to other areas during nesting season.
The Navy also conducts an active predator control program on Coronado’s
beaches to protect nesting birds. Population counts are increasing
for both species to the extent that in the year 2000 about 40-50%
of the beach area normally available for training was lost to
nesting.
Formally commissioned in January 1944, Naval
Amphibious Base (NAB), Coronado provides a shore base for the
operations, training, and support of naval amphibious units on
the West Coast. It is one of only two Navy amphibious training
bases in the United States. NAB is approximately 1,000 acres in
size and is composed of the Main Base, training beaches, California
least tern preserve, recreational marina, enlisted family housing,
and state park. State Highway 75 separates NAB into surfside (ocean)
and bayside portions. The majority of the bayside is composed
of fill materials dredged from San Diego Bay in the early 1940s.
Amphibious training is conducted on both surfside and bayside
beaches. To the south of the Main Base, the majority of amphibious
training activities take place on about 257 acres of ocean beachfront
property, leased from the State of California. A least tern nesting
preserve is located on North and South Delta Beach between the
NAB Marina and Main Base. NAB is located within the city of Coronado,
California, a community of approximately 30,000. The city of Coronado
covers nearly 9 square miles of land, and NAB lies south of the
main residential and commercial portions of the city. Another
naval facility, Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, is located
northwest of the city of Coronado. South of NAB is the Silver
Strand State Beach.
In June of 1943, the Secretary of the Navy
authorized the establishment of the Amphibious Training Base in
the San Diego area to meet wartimes demands for trained landing
craft crews. These crews were deployed to the South Pacific area
of operations, where their successful and historical efforts were
contributory to the conclusion of World War II. The streets of
the base bear the names of those famous battles which led to the
defeat of the Japanese Empire: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Tulagi, and
Bougainville, to name a few.
In 1946, the base was renamed Naval Amphibious
Base (NAB) Coronado and its primary mission was changed to that
of providing major administrative and logistical support to the
amphibious units which are located on the base. The base also
conducts research and tests of newly developed amphibious equipment.
The property itself was formed by land-fill,
dredged from the bottom of the San Diego Bay. Even today the water
table is but a few feet below the surface. The base has remained
in an active, operational status since its initial establishment.
In 1952, a military construction program was begun to replace
some of the World War II "temporary" buildings and,
in 1989, a comprehensive master plan outlined the future development
of the base.
Today, the Base is a major shore command
supporting 27 tenant commands and units. The average on base count
of all personnel, military and civilian, at any one time is 5000
permanent and 7000 students, reservists, and transients.
Located on the Silver Strand between San
Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, Naval Base Coronado is the West
Coast hub for naval amphibious operations, including training
and special warfare. At present, 27 tenant commands include mainly
amphibious organizations but other important commands such as
Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Naval Special
Warfare Command; and Commander, Expeditionary Warfare indicative
of the increased emphasis in this area of operations.
Coronado has been attracting visitors for
over a century. The only access to Coronado is by a two-mile bridge
or an hourly ferry. That is because Coronado is connected to the
mainland by only a narrow stretch of sand known as the "Silver
Strand." When the famous Hotel del Coronado opened in 1888,
people began coming to Coronado to stay in this luxurious hotel,
and the tradition has continued ever since. Coronado is also occupied
by the North Island Naval Air Station. There are many shops and
restaurants to keep tourists amused while relaxing on this beautiful
stretch of land.
US Army Corps
Engineers History (1997)
The Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) at Coronado,
California was established 12 June 1943. This site is located
on a narrow strip of land that joins North Island and Coronado
with the mainland. A review of available naval records shows
a steady increase in acreage: 148 acres, 1951; 202 acres, 1952;
273 acres, 1954; 304 acres, 1956; 1006 acres, 1969; and 1171.357
acres, 1982. According to the below-listed representatives of
the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest Division,
Real Estate Division, the 1171.357 acres figure is still current.
This acreage was acquired as follows: 831.957 in' fee (830.95
by condemnation and 1.007 by exchange), 2.41 in easements, 336.87
in leases, 0.11 in permits, and 0.01 in licenses.
NAB Coronado is an active installation. Representatives of the
Naval Facilities Engineering Corrunand, Southwest Division, Real
Estate Division, are not aware of any formerly used properties
associated with this base. To their knowledge, no property at
this site has been disposed of. This site includes a complex
series of lease and other property transfer agreements of varying
duration. Information available to date has not identified any
portions of the site that have been disposed of by DOD. If additional
information becomes available in the future, this conclusion
may require appropriate modification.
NAB Coronado has undergone significant development since its
inception. Improvements include several underground storage tanks.
Assessment of potential environmental problems associated with
these tanks is being conducted under the Comprehensive Long-Term
Environmental Action Navy (Navy CLEAN) program. The Navy has
also conducted assessments of potential hazards associated with
the following onsite areas: a disposal pit, a refuse disposal
and burn area, a paint shop site, a sandblast grit disposal area,
and an unexploded ordnance site.
Naval Base
Coronado History (2014)
Public Affairs Office, NAB Coronado
The Naval
Amphibious Base (NAB), Coronado was established in 1943 after
the land was literally created from the dredging of San Diego
Bay done to allow large ships used in World War II to steam into
Naval Station San Diego. It is the only Naval amphibious base
on the West Coast. The amphibious base includes 5,500 yards of
Pacific Ocean and bayside beachfront that is used for training.
This area, along with 2,000 yards of Pacific Ocean beachfront
on the Silver Strand, provide operators with 7,500 yards of expansive
beaches, unique topography, and on-base facilities that encompass
a critical area for amphibious and clandestine training in support
of littoral, unconventional, and special warfare operations.
NAB is the home to over 30 tenant commands with a population
of approximately 5,000 personnel, including major commands such
as Commander, Naval Surface Force Pacific (COMNAVSURFPAC), Commander
Naval Special Warfare (SPECWAR) Command and the Commander Expeditionary
Warfare Training Group (EWTG) Pacific. NAB is also the home of
the Navy's Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) Team.
The amphibious base houses Commander Naval
Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, responsible for the training,
maintenance and crews of the approximately 90 ships of the Pacific
Fleet and Commander Naval Special Warfare Command, U.S. Pacific
Fleet. Also located there are most of the Naval Expeditionary
and Naval Special Warfare units of the Pacific Fleet as well
as the famed Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs.
The Naval Amphibious Base was renamed
in 1946, although it had been in operation as the Amphibious
Training Base since 1943. It is host to thirty commands including
the headquarters for the Naval Special Warfare Command, a second
echelon command which is headquarters for America's elite maritime
special operations forces - the U.S. Navy SEALs and Special Warfare
Combatant Craft Crewmen.
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and its
adjacent beaches provide training for Navy SEALs, amphibious
insertion and other small units. The beach was recently designated
a critical habitat pursuant to the Endangered Species Act for
the Western Snowy Plover and the California Least Tern. To support
the recovery of these species, the Navy now physically marks
nesting areas and reschedule training to other areas during nesting
season. The Navy also conducts an active predator control program
on Coronado’s beaches to protect nesting birds. Population
counts are increasing for both species to the extent that in
the year 2000 about 40-50% of the beach area normally available
for training was lost to nesting.
Formally commissioned in January 1944,
Naval Amphibious Base (NAB), Coronado provides a shore base for
the operations, training, and support of naval amphibious units
on the West Coast. It is one of only two Navy amphibious training
bases in the United States. NAB is approximately 1,000 acres
in size and is composed of the Main Base, training beaches, California
least tern preserve, recreational marina, enlisted family housing,
and state park. State Highway 75 separates NAB into surfside
(ocean) and bayside portions. The majority of the bayside is
composed of fill materials dredged from San Diego Bay in the
early 1940s. Amphibious training is conducted on both surfside
and bayside beaches. To the south of the Main Base, the majority
of amphibious training activities take place on about 257 acres
of ocean beachfront property, leased from the State of California.
A least tern nesting preserve is located on North and South Delta
Beach between the NAB Marina and Main Base. NAB is located within
the city of Coronado, California, a community of approximately
30,000. The city of Coronado covers nearly 9 square miles of
land, and NAB lies south of the main residential and commercial
portions of the city. Another naval facility, Naval Air Station
(NAS) North Island, is located northwest of the city of Coronado.
South of NAB is the Silver Strand State Beach.
In June of 1943, the Secretary of the
Navy authorized the establishment of the Amphibious Training
Base in the San Diego area to meet wartimes demands for trained
landing craft crews. These crews were deployed to the South Pacific
area of operations, where their successful and historical efforts
were contributory to the conclusion of World War II. The streets
of the base bear the names of those famous battles which led
to the defeat of the Japanese Empire: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Tulagi,
and Bougainville, to name a few.
In 1946, the base was renamed Naval Amphibious
Base (NAB) Coronado and its primary mission was changed to that
of providing major administrative and logistical support to the
amphibious units which are located on the base. The base also
conducts research and tests of newly developed amphibious equipment.
Army Prisoner
of War Camp
A short lived Prisoner of War base camp
that held German Prisoners of War. This site operated under the
Army Service Forces' 9th Service Command
