View source for Ulithi

{{Short description|Atoll in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia}}
{{Coord|9.97|N|139.67|E|region:FM-YAP_type:isle|display=title}}
{{Location map
 |Federated States of Micronesia
 |label=Ulithi
 |lon_dir=E
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 |lat_deg=9|lat_min=58
 |lon_deg=139|lon_min=40
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 |width=300
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 |mark=Cercle rouge 100%.svg
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 |caption=Location of Ulithi Atoll in Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia
}}
[[File:Ulithi-atoll.gif|thumb|250px|Ulithi atoll]]
[[File:Ulithi.jpg|thumb|250px|Map of Ulithi Atoll]]

'''Ulithi''' ({{langx|yap|Wulthiy}}, {{lang|yap|Yulthiy}}, or {{lang|yap|Wugöy}};<ref>[http://www.trussel2.com/yap/yap-eng-u.htm "Ulithi".] ''Yapese Dictionary: English Finderlist''. Updated 27 July 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2013.</ref> pronounced roughly as YOU-li-thee<ref>William A. Lessa, ''Ulithi: A Micronesian Design for Living'' (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966).</ref>{{needs IPA}}) is an [[atoll]] in the [[Caroline Islands]] of the western [[Pacific Ocean]], about {{convert|191|km|nmi|abbr=on|0}} east of [[Yap]], within [[Yap State]].

==Name==
The name of the island goes back to [[Chuukic languages|Proto-Chuukic]] ''*úlú-diwo''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bender |first1=Byron W. |s2cid=201778237 |title=Proto-Micronesian Reconstructions: 2 |journal=Oceanic Linguistics |date=2003 |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=271–281 |doi=10.1353/ol.2003.0014}}</ref>

== Overview ==
Ulithi consists of 40 [[islet]]s totaling {{convert|4.5|km2|sqmi|frac=4|abbr=on}}, surrounding a [[lagoon]] about {{convert|36|km|abbr=on|0}} long and up to {{convert|24|km|abbr=on|0}} wide—at {{convert|548|km2|abbr=on}} one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the [[Yap State|state of Yap]] in the [[Federated States of Micronesia]]. Ulithi's population was 773 in 2000. There are four inhabited islands on Ulithi Atoll. They are [[Falalop]] ({{langx|uli|Fl'aalop}}), Asor ''(Yasor)'', Mogmog ''(Mwagmwog)'', and Fedarai ''(Fedraey or Fassarai)''. Falalop is the most accessible with [[Ulithi Airport]], a small resort hotel, store and one of three public high schools in Yap state. Mogmog is the seat of the high chief of Ulithi Atoll though each island has its own chief.  Other important islands are Losiap ({{langx|uli|L'oosiyep}}), Sorlen ''(Sohl'oay)'', and Potangeras ''(Potoangroas)''.

The atoll is in the westernmost of the Caroline Islands, {{convert|360|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} southwest of [[Guam]], {{convert|850|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} east of the Philippines and {{convert|1300|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} south of [[Tokyo]]. It is a typical volcanic atoll, with a coral reef, white sand beaches and palm trees. Ulithi's forty small islands barely rise above the sea, with the largest being only {{convert|1/2|sqmi|km2|1|abbr=off|order=flip|sp=us}} in area. However the reef runs roughly {{convert|20|mi|km|spell=in|abbr=off|order=flip|-1|sp=us}} north and south, by {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in|abbr=off|round=5|order=flip|sp=us}} across, enclosing a vast anchorage with an average depth of {{convert|80|to(-)|100|ft|m|order=flip|-1|sp=us}}.

==History==
The [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] navigator [[Diogo da Rocha]] is credited as the first European to find Ulithi in 1525.<ref>{{cite book | last = Quanchi | first = Max| year = 2005 | title = Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Pacific Islands | publisher = The Scarecrow Press  |pages=215–216| isbn = 0810853957}}</ref> The [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] navigator [[Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón|Álvaro de Saavedra]] arrived on the ship ''Florida'' on 1 January 1528, claiming the islands for [[Philip II of Spain|King{{nbsp}}Philip{{nbsp}}II]] under the name '''Islands of the Kings''' ({{langx|es|Islas de los Reyes}}; {{langx|fr|Îles des Rois}})<!--common on period maps--> after his patron and the [[Three Wise Men]] honored in the approaching [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]] [[feast day|feast]] of [[Epiphany (Christian)|Epiphany]]. It was later charted by other Spaniards as the '''Chickpea Islands''' ({{langx|es|Islas de los Garbanzos}}).<ref>{{cite book |last=Langdon |first=Robert |title=The Lost Caravel |publisher=Pacific Publications |location=Sidney |date=1975 |page=268 |isbn=978-0-85807-021-9}}</ref> It was also visited by the Spanish expedition of [[Ruy López de Villalobos]] on 26 January 1543.<ref>Sharp, Andrew ''The discovery of the Pacific Islands'' Oxford, 1960, p.32.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Brand |first=Donald D. |title=The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical Explorations |publisher=The American Geographical Society |location=New York |date=1967 |page=123}}</ref>

It remained isolated until visited and explored in detail by Captain Don Bernardo de Egoy in 1712, and later visited by Spanish [[Jesuit missionaries]] led by Juan Antonio Cantova together with a group of 12 Spanish soldiers in 1731.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Burney |first=James |year=2009 |orig-year=1817 |title=A Chronological History of the Discoveries of the South Sea or Pacific Ocean: to the Year 1764 |url={{Google books|uNI-AAAAYAAJ|plainurl=yes}} |edition=Digitized first |location=London |publisher=Luke Hansard & Sons |isbn=978-1-108-02411-2}}</ref>

In 1885, Jesuit missionaries encouraged Germany to extend "protection" over the Carolina Islands to protect their profitable trade.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Reclus|first=Elisée|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vmM_AAAAYAAJ&dq=yap&pg=PR7|title=The Earth and Its Inhabitants, Oceanica|date=1890|publisher=D. Appleton|language=en}}</ref> However, the Spanish made similar claims and later that year [[Pope Leo XIII]] decreed Spain as the ruling power over the islands, granting Germany and the [[United Kingdom]] trading rights.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Quinn|first=Pearle E.|date=1945|title=The Diplomatic Struggle for the Carolines, 1898|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3635892|journal=Pacific Historical Review|volume=14|issue=3|pages=290–302|doi=10.2307/3635892|jstor=3635892|issn=0030-8684|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lorente|first=Marta|date=2018-12-11|title=Historical Titles v. Effective Occupation: Spanish Jurists on the Caroline Islands Affair (1885)|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/jhil/20/3/article-p303_2.xml|journal=Journal of the History of International Law / Revue d'histoire du droit international|volume=20|issue=3|pages=303–344|doi=10.1163/15718050-12340089|s2cid=231020261|issn=1388-199X|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In 1889, a significant earthquake hit Yap (and Ulithi),<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Catholic Church in Micronesia: Yap|url=http://micronesianseminar.org/pubs/books/catholic/yap/index.htm|access-date=2022-01-10|website=micronesianseminar.org|archive-date=2022-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107065130/http://micronesianseminar.org/pubs/books/catholic/yap/index.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> leading the residents to believe that their engagement with outsiders had angered their traditional spirits.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yap: Ulithi -- Memories: Chronology|url=http://www.pacificworlds.com/yap/memories/chronol.cfm|access-date=2022-01-10|website=www.pacificworlds.com}}</ref>

[[German Empire|Germany]] purchased the islands from Spain in 1899 for $4,500,000, conscripting residents as laborers and soldiers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sueo|first=Kuwahara|date=2003|title=TRADITIONAL CULTURE, TOURISM, AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN MOGMOG ISLAND, ULITHI ATOLL|url=http://cpi.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/publications/occasionalpapers/occasional/vol-39/39-01.pdf|access-date=2022-01-06}}</ref>  By the early 1900s, Germany had established a police force, post offices, and hospitals on Yap.

During this time, German [[Order of Friars Minor Capuchin|Capuchin]] friars began to replace the Jesuits. The friars struggled to convert the citizens to Catholicism.<ref name=":1" /> According to a history of the Catholic Church in Micronesia:

<blockquote>Yap had been known as "the child of sorrow" of the Caroline mission right from the start. The people were very slow to accept the new faith and slower still to practice it, the missionaries remarked again and again. There were none of the mass conversions there that had occurred in Pohnpei and other parts of the mission. Converts were made laboriously one by one, with baptisms rarely exceeding 20 or 30 a year throughout the German period. Even those who did receive baptism were all too susceptible to the pagan influences of the social environment, the missionaries thought. The number receiving the sacraments was quite small, even for the modest-sized congregations that the priests had. A pastor would report for a typical year perhaps a single Christian marriage, one or two Christian burials and a few anointing.<ref name=":1"/></blockquote>

=== Good Friday Typhoon ===
The "Good Friday Typhoon" [[1902–1919 Pacific typhoon seasons#1907|hit the atoll in 1907]], which killed 473 throughout the Caroline Islands. [[SMS Planet (1905)|SMS ''Planet'']] was dispatched by the Germans to Ulithi for emergency food and relief, and eventually evacuated 114 residents to Yap. German authorities were caught unaware of how to respond to the disaster, and received much criticism for handling of the evacuation.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Spennemann|first=Dirk R.|title=Melimel : the Good Friday typhoon of 1907 and its aftermath in the Mortlocks, Caroline Islands|date=2007|publisher=retro spect|isbn=978-1-921220-07-4|location=Albury, N.S.W.|oclc=192106802}}</ref>

=== Japanese administration ===
The atoll was peacefully occupied in 1914 by [[Empire of Japan|Japan]] at the outset of the [[World War I|First World War]]. Japan was given a mandate to oversee the territory in 1920 by the [[League of Nations]].<ref name="Mississinewa">{{cite web|last=Fulleman|first=Bob|date=November 2009|title=AO-59 USS ''Mississinewa''|url=http://navy.memorieshop.com/Mississinewa/WWII.html|access-date=2011-03-19|archive-date=2018-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615041450/http://navy.memorieshop.com/Mississinewa/WWII.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Under the Japanese occupation, businessmen and soldiers eroded the traditional political system in Ulithi, with the authority of local chiefs ignored. This began a steady decline in the customs and individual culture of the people of Ulithi.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Figirliyong |first=Josede |date=1976 |title=The Contemporary Political System of Ulithi Atoll |url= |degree=Master of Arts |location=Fullerton, Calif. |publisher=Department of Anthropology, California State University, Fullerton |oclc=663474526 |access-date=}}</ref> The presence of the Catholic church was reinforced by the Japanese, who allowed the continued efforts of conversion to go on, further eroding the indigenous culture. By 1941, 2,000 (out of 3,000) residents had been converted to Christianity.<ref name=":1"/>

=== World War II ===
[[File:Sketch by Walter Allan Finlayson Officer’s Hut on Mog Mog Island, ULITHI, May 1945.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Sketch by Walter Allan Finlayson: ''Officer's Hut on Mog Mog Island, ULITHI, May 1945 WWII''<ref>{{Cite web|title = Finlayson Files|url = http://finlaysonfiles.com|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140517095007/http://finlaysonfiles.com/|url-status = usurped|archive-date = May 17, 2014|website = Finlayson Files|access-date = 2015-09-07}}</ref>]]
[[File:Ulithi north anchorage and Sorlen Island.jpg|thumb|right|Sorlen Island and the north anchorage of Ulithi atoll, late 1944.]]

Early in the [[Second World War]], the Japanese had established a [[weather station|radio and weather station]] on Ulithi and had occasionally used the lagoon as an anchorage, but had abandoned it by 1944. As the operations of the [[United States Navy]] (USN) moved west across the Pacific, the USN required a more forward base for its operations.

Ulithi was ideally positioned to act as a staging area for the USN's western Pacific operations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mighty90.com/Reporting_for_Duty.html |title=Chapter 8: Reporting For Duty |first=Brent |last=Jones |website=Mighty Ninety, The Homepage of USS Astoria CL-90 |date=December 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Building_Bases/bases-27.html |title=Building the Navy's Bases in World War II: History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineering Corps, 1940-1946, Volume II |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington, DC |page=332 |date=1947 |access-date=18 May 2015}}</ref>  The anchorage was large and well situated for a [[US Naval Base Carolines|base]], but there were no port facilities to repair ships or resupply the fleet. The US Navy built the very large [[Naval Base Ulithi]] that operated in 1944 and 1945.<ref name=spangler>{{cite web |url=http://www.laffey.org/Ulithi/Page%201/Ulithi.htm |title=Ulithi |first=George |last=Spangler |website=USS Laffey |date=March 1998}}</ref>

[[File:USS Shannon (DM-25) underway in Ulithi Atoll, circa in March 1945 (80-G-K-3816).jpg|thumb|left|U.S. naval forces including carriers in the distance at anchor in Ulithi, March 1945]]

On 23 September 1944, a [[regiment]] of the [[United States Army]]'s [[81st Infantry Division (United States)|81st Division]] landed unopposed, followed a few days later by a [[battalion]] of [[Seabee (US Navy)|Seabees]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Antill |first=Peter |date=28 February 2003 |url=http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_angaur.html |title=Battle for Anguar and Ulithi (Operation Stalemate II) September 1944 |encyclopedia=Military History Encyclopedia on the Web}}</ref> The [[survey ship]] {{USS|Sumner|AGS-5|6}} examined the lagoon and reported it capable of holding 700 vessels—a capacity greater than either [[Majuro]] or [[Pearl Harbor]].

On 1 October 1944, the minesweeper USS ''YMS-385'' was sunk by a mine while clearing Zowariau [Zowatabu] Channel.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9804.html | title = USS YMS-385 | work = uboat.net | access-date = 2022-08-12 }})</ref>

==== Native Relocation ====
The United States Navy transferred the local islanders to the island of Fedarai (Fassarai) for the duration of the hostilities. 

==== Occupation ====
On 4 October 1944 the vessels of [[Service Squadron#Creation of Service Squadrons|Service Squadron 10]] began leaving Eniwetok for Ulithi; Service Squadron 10 was termed by Admiral [[Chester Nimitz|Nimitz]] as his "secret weapon".<ref name="popular">{{cite journal |title=ServRon 10: Floating Arsenal |journal=Popular Mechanics |url={{google books|p98DAAAAMBAJ|page=59|plainurl=yes}} |page=59 |date=November 1945 |access-date=18 May 2015}}</ref> Its commanding officer, Commodore Worrall R. Carter, devised the mobile service force that made it possible for the Navy to convert Ulithi to the secret distant Pacific base used during the major naval operations undertaken late in the war, including [[Battle of Leyte Gulf|Leyte Gulf]] and the invasion of [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]]. Service Squadron 10 converted the lagoon into a serviceable naval station, creating repair facilities and re-supply facilities thousands of miles away from an actual naval port. Pontoon piers of a new design were built at Ulithi, each consisting of the 4-by-12-pontoon sections, filled with sand and gravel, and then sunk.  The pontoons were anchored in place by guy ropes to deadmen on shore, and by iron rods driven into the coral. Connecting tie pieces ran across the tops of the pontoons to hold them together into a pier. Despite extremely heavy weather on several occasions these pontoon piers stood up remarkably well.  They gave extensive service, with little requirement for repairs. Piers of this type were also installed by the 51st Battalion to be used as aviation-gasoline mooring piers near the main airfield on Falalop.<ref name="spangler" />

[[File:USS Iowa Floating Drydock.jpg|thumb|right|{{USS|Iowa|BB-61|6}} at a floating drydock at Manus Is ]]

Within a month of the occupation of Ulithi, a complete floating base was in operation. Six thousand ship fitters, artificers, welders, carpenters and electricians arrived aboard [[repair ship]]s, [[destroyer tender]]s, and floating [[dry dock]]s. {{USS|Ajax|AR-6|6}} had an air-conditioned optical shop and a metal fabrication shop with a supply of base metals from which she could make any alloy to form any part needed. {{USS|Abatan|AW-4|6}}, which looked like a big tanker, distilled fresh water and baked bread and pies. The [[ice cream barge]] made {{convert|500|usgal|L|order=flip|abbr=on}} a shift.<ref name=spangler/>  The dry docks towed to Ulithi were large enough to lift dry a 45,000-ton [[battleship]].<ref name=popular/>

[[Fleet oiler]]s sortied from Ulithi to meet the task forces at sea, refueling the warships a short distance from their combat operational areas. The result was something never seen before: a vast floating service station enabling the entire Pacific fleet to operate indefinitely at unprecedented distances from its mainland bases. Ulithi was as far away from the US naval base at [[San Francisco]] as San Francisco was from [[London]], England. The Japanese had expected that the vastness of the Pacific Ocean would make it very difficult for the US to sustain operations in the western Pacific. With the Ulithi naval base to refit, repair and resupply, many ships were able to deploy and operate in the western Pacific for a year or more without returning to the naval base at Pearl Harbor.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803663,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221232247/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803663,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 21, 2011 |title=World Battlefronts: Mighty Atoll |magazine=Time |date=August 6, 1945}}</ref>

The Japanese had built an [[Falalop Airfield|airstrip on Falalop]]. It was expanded and resurfaced, the runway running the full width of the island.  The east end of the strip was extended approximately {{convert|20|ft|m|spell=in|abbr=off|0|order=flip|sp=us}} past the natural shoreline.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Building_Bases/bases-27.html |title=Building the Navy's Bases in World War II: History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineering Corps, 1940-1946, Volume II |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |page=334 |date=1947 |access-date=18 May 2015}}</ref>  During the operations, 4,500 sacks of mail, {{convert|262,000|lb|kg}} of air freight and 1,200 passengers would use this airstrip.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ulithi Top Secret|url=https://usselmore.com/pacific_war/pacific_islands/ulithi/ulithi.html|access-date=2022-01-05|website=usselmore.com|language=en}}</ref> A number of small strips for light aircraft were built on several of the smaller islands. The Seabees completed a fleet recreation center at Mog Mog island that could accommodate 8,000 men and 1,000 officers daily. A 1,200-seat theater, including an {{convert|25|by|40|ft|m|order=flip|adj=on|0|sp=us}} stage with a [[Quonset hut]] roof, was completed in 20 days.<ref>{{cite web |last=Slagg |first=John |url=http://www.armed-guard.com/mogmog.html |title=Where Is Mog Mog? |access-date=2013-03-02 |archive-date=2017-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822184217/http://www.armed-guard.com/mogmog.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the same time, a 500-seat chapel was built. A number of the larger islands were used both as bases to support naval vessels and facilities within the lagoon.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Morison |first=Samuel Eliot |author-link=Samuel Eliot Morison |year=2010 |orig-year=1958 |title=History of United States Naval Operations in World War II |title-link=History of United States Naval Operations in World War II |volume=12: Leyte: June 1944 – January 1945 |edition=Digitized first |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofuniteds00mori/page/46/mode/2up 47–50] |isbn=978-0-252-07063-1}}</ref>

The Japanese still held Yap. Early after the US occupation they mounted a number of attacks but caused no damage to the Seabees working on the islands.

On 20 November 1944 the Ulithi harbor was attacked by Japanese ''[[kaiten#Missions|kaiten]]'' manned [[torpedo]]es launched from two nearby [[submarine]]s. The [[destroyer]] {{USS|Case|DD-370|6}} rammed one in the early morning hours. At 5:47 the fleet oiler {{USS|Mississinewa|AO-59|6}}, at anchor in the harbor, was struck and sunk. Destroyers began dropping [[depth charge]]s throughout the anchorage. After the war Japanese naval officers said that two tender submarines, each carrying four manned torpedoes, had been sent to attack the fleet at Ulithi.  Three of the ''kaiten'' were unable to launch due to mechanical problems and another [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] on the reef. Two did make it into the lagoon, one of which sank USS ''Mississinewa''. A second ''kaiten'' attack in January 1945 was foiled when [[Type C submarine|''I-48'']] was sunk by the [[destroyer escort]] {{USS|Conklin|DE-439|6}}. None of the 122 men aboard the Japanese submarine survived.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~un3k-mn/kai-sen.htm |title=Japanese submarine losses |access-date=16 September 2010}}</ref>

On 11 March 1945, in a mission known as [[Operation Tan No. 2]], several long range aircraft flying from southern Japan attempted a nighttime ''[[kamikaze]]'' attack on the naval base.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Arnold |first=Bruce Makoto |date=August 2007 |title=An Atoll on the Edge of Hell: The U.S. Military's use of Ulithi During World War II |publisher=Sam Houston State University |type=M.A. Thesis |url=http://ulithiwwii.weebly.com/published-materials.html |oclc=173485609}}</ref>  One struck the {{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier}} {{USS|Randolph|CV-15|6}}, which had left a cargo light on despite the blackout. The plane struck over the stern starboard quarter, damaging the [[flight deck]] and killing a number of crewmen.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Potter |first=E. B. |author-link=E. B. Potter |year=2005 |title=Admiral Arliegh Burke |publisher=U.S. Naval Institute Press |isbn=978-1-59114-692-6}}p. 241</ref>  Another crashed on Sorlen Island, having perhaps mistaken a signal tower there for the [[superstructure]] of an aircraft carrier.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/Tan%20No.%202.htm|title=Operation Tan No. 2: The Japanese Attack on Task Force 58's Anchorage at Ulithi|author=Bob Hackett|year=2007}}</ref>

By 13 March there were 647 ships at anchor at Ulithi, and with the arrival of amphibious forces staging for the invasion of Okinawa the number of ships at anchor peaked at 722.

In late June 1945, the Japanese aircraft-launching [[I-400-class submarine|super submarines ''I-400'' and ''I-401'']] were diverted from their planned attack on the [[Panama Canal]] to attack Ulithi Atoll. However, their mission was interrupted by the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|destruction of Nagasaki and Hiroshima]], followed by the [[Surrender of Japan|Japanese surrender]].

After the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf|Leyte Gulf was secured]], the Pacific Fleet moved its forward staging area to Leyte, and Ulithi was all but abandoned. In the end, few US civilians ever heard of Ulithi. By the time naval security cleared release of the name, there were no longer reasons to print stories about it. The war had moved on, but for seven months in late 1944 and early 1945, the large lagoon of the Ulithi atoll was the largest and most active anchorage in the world.<ref name=spangler/>

<gallery widths="200" heights="160">
File:USS Randolph (CV-15) under repair.jpg|USS ''Randolph'' undergoing repairs following a ''kamikaze'' attack at Ulithi
File:Mail Call, Ulithi, 1944 (10170265846).jpg|The first mail call in almost three months for Marine Aircraft Group 45, 1944
File:"Tune Toppers" Perform for Troops, Ulithi, 1944 (10170343113).jpg|The musical group Tune Toppers performs on Ulithi, 1944.
</gallery>

=== Postwar ===
The [[LORAN]] (long-range navigation) station established on Potangeras during the naval occupation on the island continued to be operated by the [[United States Coast Guard]] post-war. The station was moved from Potangeras to Falalop Island in 1952. According to an August 1950 "HQ Party Inspection" memo, the move was predicated on the distance between Falalop and Potangeras, requiring a "four hour [[DUKW]] [amphibious transport] ride...". The memo goes on to state "...the use of DUKW is dangerous and will eventually lead to disaster. In addition considerable maintenance is required to keep the DUKW in an operating condition".<ref>{{Cite web|date=1950-01-08|title=HEADQUARTERS' PARTY INSPECTION - AUGUST 1950|url=https://www.loran-history.info/ulithi/Ulithi-NARA-AUG-1950-HQs-Party-Inspection-Excerpts.pdf|access-date=2022-01-05}}</ref>

A 1956 USCG survey indicated that the station consisted of a BOQ and office, galley and meeting area, laundry building, barracks, signal-power building, recreation building and a "jumbo Quonset". All of the buildings, with the exception of the signal-power, were Quonset structures. The report discusses the daily life and routine at the station as follows:

<blockquote>General life on the station is relaxed and fairly routine. Life here can be boring, or very interesting, depending upon how much the individual desires to do. There are practically unlimited recreational facilities, but it is easy to neglect these and fall into a rather lethargic rut. The working hours ... are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., six days a week. Afternoons and evenings are free ... Loran watch standers average about four hours on watch, ten off ... their off watch time is their own, and no daywork is expected from them. The uniform to be worn is chosen for coolness and health with shorts and sandals permissible and the rule rather than the exception. Dress blues are not needed here at all.

The Station is completely isolated, and there is no opportunity for liberty or leave. Of course, there is no use for cars here, and dependents are not allowed. All supplies and mail come from Guam ... flights averaging one every week or ten days. Every three months heavy supplies and fuel are delivered ... and once a year, {{USCGC|Kukui|WAK-186|6}} makes a stop here.

The cost of living for personnel here is very cheap, with little opportunity to spend money. Necessary items such as soap, cigarettes, toothpaste are stocked and beer and soda are on sale during non-working hours. Native handicraft is limited to canoe models, small statutes and grass skirts, which seldom run more than five or six dollars. Once a month a shopping list is sent to Guam...men can order anything that can be purchased on Guam...there is always [[Sears and Roebuck]] or [[Montgomery Ward]]. Officers are charged for three meals a day, regardless whether they eat them or not...about $50.00 a month.

As mentioned before, the recreational facilities are numerous and varied, and include: Swimming...spear fishing...fishing...shelling...photography...leather craft...Ham radio...volleyball...tennis...pool...horse shoes...movies...baseball & softball...boat trips...shooting.

In conclusion...this station has many advantages and few disadvantages, as compared with other Loran Stations. The weather and climate are close to ideal, the station and equipment are in excellent repair, recreational facilities are many and varied, supplies and mail are better than average, and the natives are interesting, sincere honest people. The only disadvantage...is the isolation. All in all, this is a pretty wonderful place.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Anthony|first=C.H.|date=1956-05-22|title=Overseas Loran Station Survey|url=https://www.loran-history.info/ulithi/Ulithi-CGHQ-27-JUN-1956-Oversea-Loran_Station-Survey.pdf|access-date=2022-01-05}}</ref></blockquote>

The station remained in operation until 1965, when it was again relocated to Yap.

==== Native Population Returns ====
A detailed census in 1949 reported that there were 421 inhabitants, mostly elderly. A follow-up census in 1960 showed a rise to 514, with the ratio of men to women having shifted to a small preponderance of males.<ref name=":0" />

==== Typhoon Ophelia ====
[[Typhoon Ophelia]] struck the atoll on November 30, 1960, and caused significant damage both physically and socially.

<blockquote>The Coast Guard on the island of Falalop was first notified of a possible tropical disturbance two days prior to the actual typhoon. No action was taken at that time by the personnel other than to observe on a chart of the area the progress of the storm. The next day the station was notified from Guam that it was to take certain safeguarding precautions. While the personnel were engaged in this activity, the winds picked up so noticeably that the local commanding officer notified the Coast Guard section on Guam it was going to move ... equipment, personal gear, and emergency rations to a concrete bunker.</blockquote>

==== Contemporary Ulithi ====
[[File:USS Mississinewa (AO-59) 20 November 1944B.jpg|thumb|{{USS|Mississinewa|AO-59|6}} burns while sinking following an attack by Japanese ''kaiten''.]]

As a major staging area for the [[United States Navy]] in the final year of the [[Second World War]], several sunken warships rest at the bottom of the Ulithi lagoon, including {{USS|Mississinewa|AO-59|6}}, a [[fleet oiler]] which sank fully loaded.<ref>{{cite DANFS|title=Mississinewa (AO-59) I|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/mississinewa-i.html|access-date=18 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="Mississinewa" /> In April 2001, sport divers located the wreckage, and four months later oil was observed leaking from the tanks. Several surveys were completed in 2001 and 2002 to determine the status of the wreckage and the leaks. Between January and February 2003, the Navy and subcontractors successfully emptied the fuel and oil, with 99% that remained in the wreckage removed.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2004-05-01|title=U.S. Navy Salvage Report USS Mississinewa Oil Removal Operations|url=https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Portals/103/Documents/SUPSALV/SalvageReports/Mississinewa%20Oil%20Removal%20Operations.pdf|access-date=2022-01-05}}</ref>

Occasional diving and adventure tours visit Ulithi from Yap. Given permission from the local community, the atoll offers good diving.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Scuba Diving on the USS Mississinewa (AO-59) Ulithi Atoll- Micronesia - Review of Ulithi Adventure Lodge, Falalop, Federated States of Micronesia - Tripadvisor|url=https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1748114-d614958-r379483417-Ulithi_Adventure_Lodge-Falalop_Ulithi_Atoll_Yap.html|access-date=2022-01-05|website=www.tripadvisor.com|language=en}}</ref>

[[Census]] records can be misleading because population can fluctuate during the year because it is common for Ulithians to leave for work or school abroad and to return. This is particularly true during festive times like the Outer Island High School graduation ceremony, when the population can increase considerably. Additionally, during events like [[wedding]]s and [[funeral]]s, community populations may double.

In 2009, with funding from the [[European Union]] (EU) and the [[Secretariat of the Pacific Community]] (SPC) partnership installed 215 solar [[Photovoltaics|photovoltaic]] (PV) system in Ulithi, with a 28 [[Nominal power (photovoltaic)|kWp]] (kilowatt peak) solar plant. Inverters with a capacity of 20 [[kW]] supply 240V / 60&nbsp;Hz AC into an underground, ostensibly typhoon-proof grid.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FSM's Largest Solar PV Power Plant Operational in Yap|url=https://www.fsmgov.org/press/pr07200e.htm|access-date=2022-01-05|website=www.fsmgov.org}}</ref>

===== Typhoon Maysak =====
Reef damage from [[Typhoon Maysak]] in 2015 is still visible in places, but the reefs have largely recovered. Maysak also caused significant damage to the PV electrical grid system on the atoll.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Micro-grid Renewable Energy Systems Damage Assessment Report {{!}} PCREEE|url=https://www.pcreee.org/publication/micro-grid-renewable-energy-systems-damage-assessment-report|access-date=2022-01-05|website=www.pcreee.org}}</ref>

== Climate ==
Ulithi has a [[tropical rainforest climate]] (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.

{{Weather box
|collapsed =
|location = Ulithi
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|Jan high F = 87.1
|Feb high F = 87.1
|Mar high F = 87.3
|Apr high F = 88.1
|May high F = 88.4
|Jun high F = 87.8
|Jul high F = 87.3
|Aug high F = 87.4
|Sep high F = 87.9
|Oct high F = 88.9
|Nov high F = 88.4
|Dec high F = 87.5
|year high F=
 
|Jan mean F = 81.4
|Feb mean F = 81.2
|Mar mean F = 81.6
|Apr mean F = 82.3
|May mean F = 82.6
|Jun mean F = 81.8
|Jul mean F = 81.3
|Aug mean F = 81.2
|Sep mean F = 81.5
|Oct mean F = 82.2
|Nov mean F = 82.2
|Dec mean F = 81.8
|year mean F =
 
|Jan low F = 75.7
|Feb low F = 75.3
|Mar low F = 75.9
|Apr low F = 76.6
|May low F = 76.9
|Jun low F = 75.8
|Jul low F = 75.4
|Aug low F = 75.1
|Sep low F = 75.1
|Oct low F = 75.5
|Nov low F = 76.1
|Dec low F = 76.2
|year low F=
 
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain inch = 6.030
|Feb rain inch = 4.460
|Mar rain inch = 5.290
|Apr rain inch = 5.000
|May rain inch = 6.600
|Jun rain inch = 10.140
|Jul rain inch = 12.080
|Aug rain inch = 15.500
|Sep rain inch = 12.600
|Oct rain inch = 9.890
|Nov rain inch = 9.000
|Dec rain inch = 7.720
|year rain inch=
|source 1= <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220318034315/https://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?pi4892 WRCC] </ref>}}

== Conservation ==
Since 2018, the Island Conservation<ref>[https://www.islandconservation.org/mission-and-history/ Island Conservation]{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> group has led an effort with the local community to help stop invasive species from overtaking native [[green sea turtle]]s and seabirds.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ulithi Atoll|url=https://www.islandconservation.org/ulithi-atoll-loosiep/|access-date=2022-01-05|website=Island Conservation|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204225522/https://www.islandconservation.org/ulithi-atoll-loosiep/|url-status=dead}}</ref> One of the non-native species they are attempting to eradicate is the monitor lizard, first introduced during the Japanese occupation to rid the islands of rats.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Lessa|first=William|date=1964-01-06|title=The Social Effects of Typhoon Ophelia (1960) on Ulithi|url=https://micronesica.org/sites/default/files/lessa_w.a.-_the_social_effects_of_typhoon_ophelia_1960_on_ulithi_1964_june_micronesica_vol._1o.pdf|access-date=2022-01-05}}</ref>

In 2019, the US Navy submarine tender {{USS|Emory S. Land}} visited the atoll, as part of the research for US plans for establishing a logistics network across the Pacific, with a Naval press release noting Ulithi "could again represent a logistical hub capable of supporting the fleet".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Woody|first=Christopher|title=The US Navy's recent visit to a vital WWII hub is another sign it's thinking about how to fight in the Pacific|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-visit-to-ulithi-planning-for-potential-fight-in-pacific-2019-12|access-date=2022-01-05|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Transportation ==
Located on Falalop Island, the [[Ulithi Airport|Ulithi Civil Airfield]] ([[IATA airport code|IATA]] code ULI, FAA Identifier TT02) serves as the main air link with the rest of Federated States of Micronesia. With no regularly scheduled flights, service is provided by [[Pacific Missionary Aviation]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Division of Civil Aviation {{!}} Ulithi Civil Airfield (TT02) (ULI), Ulithi Atoll, Micronesia|url=https://tci.gov.fm/civilaviation/ulithi.html|access-date=2022-01-05|website=tci.gov.fm}}</ref>

Transport between the smaller closely located islands Ulithi is typically undertaken by motorboat. The ship Halipmohol operates as a Field Trip Ship, transiting on a semi-regular basis throughout the Yap outer islands.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-05-24|title=Photo of the Week: Visiting the Yap Outer Islands|url=https://gomadnomad.mystagingwebsite.com/2014/05/24/photo-yap-outer-islands/|access-date=2022-01-06|website=GoMad Nomad|language=en-US}}</ref> According to the Pacific Worlds website, it is customary to request permission from the Chief of Ulithi to visit the atoll.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yap: Ulithi -- Getting Here|url=http://www.pacificworlds.com/yap/home/getting.cfm|access-date=2022-01-06|website=www.pacificworlds.com}}</ref>

== Culture ==
Traditionally, Ulithi culture was based on matriarchal lineages. Each lineage had a male chief by seniority. Each village had a village council to help with everyday issues, as well as questions concerning the entire atoll. Land was owned by the lineages and parceled out for different uses. Women typically handle the agricultural duties, while men fished. Religion was [[Paganism|pagan]]-based, spirits and ancestral ghosts. Magic was also incorporated into the everyday life, prevalent in disease/medicine, navigation, weather and fishing. Sociological studies showed that by 1960, after decades of influence by outsiders, the traditional religion had all but vanished, to be replaced by [[Christianity]].<ref name=":0" />

==Language==
In an annual report released in early 2010, the [[Habele]] charity announced plans to develop and distribute native-language materials for educators and students in the outer islands of Yap State, Micronesia. The first project was a Ulithian-to-English dictionary.<ref>[http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2010/January/01-28-22.htm "Former Micronesia Peace Corps Group Funds Scholarships"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225523/http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2010/January/01-28-22.htm |date=2016-03-03 }}. ''Pacific Island Report'', East-West Center, January 28, 2010.</ref> This was the first rigorous documentation of the [[Ulithian language]], and copies were provided to educators and students throughout Ulithi and [[Fais Island|Fais]].<ref>[http://www.comfsm.fm/news/releases/habele4.html "Charity Publishes Dictionary For Remote Micronesian Islanders"] COM-FSM, May 10, 2010.</ref> The authors' stated aim was to create a consistent and intuitive [[Latin script|Latin alphabet]] useful for both native Ulithian and native English speakers.

==Education==
Public school:<ref name=FSMschools>"[http://www.fsmembassydc.org/schools.html Higher Education in the Federated States of Micronesia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014070540/http://www.fsmembassydc.org/schools.html |date=2017-10-14 }}." Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia Washington DC. Retrieved on February 23, 2018.</ref>
* [[Yap Outer Islands High School]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Ulithi}}
* [http://www.laffey.org/Ulithi/Page%201/Ulithi.htm "Its existence kept secret throughout the war, the US naval base at Ulithi was for a time the world's largest naval facility"], George Spangler, March 1998
* [http://ulithiwwii.weebly.com/ Ulithi in World War II]
* [http://www.combinedfleet.com/Tan%20No.%202.htm "OPERATION TAN NO. 2: The Japanese Attack on Task Force 58's Anchorage at Ulithi"] by Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp (Revision 2) at the Imperial Japanese Navy Page
* [http://www.habele.org Habele Outer Island Education Fund], an educational charity serving Ulithi
* An [http://micronesianseminar.org/pubs/books/catholic/yap/index.htm extensive history] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107065130/http://micronesianseminar.org/pubs/books/catholic/yap/index.htm |date=2022-01-07 }}) of the Catholic Church in Yap and Ulithi

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Atolls of the Federated States of Micronesia]]
[[Category:Closed installations of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Islands of Yap]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Yap]]
[[Category:Pacific Ocean theater of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Navy in World War II]]