Port Chicago

Port Chicago. . For more than a half-century Port Chicago has been a major port for the shipment of munitions to U.S. forces serving overseas. The Navy created the munitions-loading complex at Port Chicago as an annex to the Mare Island Navy Yard in 1942., This old factory town and World War I port possessed three essential qualities: deep water, a railroad, and isolation , the latter to protect civilians from potential disaster. The first ship pulled up to the new 1,260-foot-fong dock (the remains of which are in front of you) in May 1944, and the job of loading munitions for the Pacific campaigns began., Following World War II, Port Chicago became the major ordnance-shipping center on the West Coast. Through here passed much of the ordnance used in Korea and Vietnam, and thirty percent of the munitions used in the 1991 Persian Gulf War., Captions , (Aerial photo) Port Chicago in 1944. The town is at top left. Pier One is at bottom. The pilings for the pier are visible today. , (Left inset) The docks here could , and still can , accommodate the largest ammunition carriers in the world. , (Right inset) The most common ships seen here during World War II were Liberty ships like this one, SS Samlossie.