Why The US Sank Millions of Dollars of Equipment In The Pacific Ocean

An obscure Vanuatu beach became a graveyard of American wealth

(By U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo №1996.253.7185.001, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29157506)

During World War II, dozens of small islands in the Pacific Ocean saw the tide of war rise and then fall, sometimes in quick succession. In 1942, the New Hebrides Islands (Vanuatu today) were occupied by the United States as a staging ground and supply base for further actions against the Japanese. Tens of thousands of American soldiers, including pilots, planes, and tanks, were poured onto the islands. Espiritu Santo in particular saw a rapid military buildup.

But the swell of American forces didn’t last long. When the United States won its campaign for the Solomon Islands, many of the forces left for positions closer to the front. Even with the withdrawal of most of the forces, the United States remained in control of the New Hebrides, much to the chagrin of France and Britain, who had ruled the islands before the outbreak of World War II

With the Fall of France in 1940, the British assumed nominal control of the islands, but then their influence was shelved in favor of the Americans.

By 1945, the strategic importance of the New Hebrides had dropped to near zero. Britain and France were clamoring to have their territories restored to them. After…