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United States Submariners MemorialPrint Page 
The monument commemorates the United States Submariners who died in service or were killed in action in World War Two.
Before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the United States Navy`s Asiatic Submarine fleet (29 submarines) had been based in Manila in the Philippines along with 3 cruisers, 14 destroyers and a numbers of smaller vessels. When the war started the Japanese bombed the Navy Base at Cavite quite extensively. The submarines were operating near the Philippines at that time. Captain John Fife was ordered to proceed to Darwin to establish a new Submarine Headquarters and a repair base where the submarine Tender USS Holland (AS3) would be based.
It was soon realised that Darwin, with its high tides was unsuitable for Submarine operations and was too open and hence could be easily mined. USS Holland (AS3) was then relocated to Tjilaljap in Java, which also proved unsuitable. All three locations were often bombed by the Japanese, and Java was then eventually taken by the Japanese leaving the Asiatic Submarine Force without a base. Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia was also considered for a while as a likely contender for a new Submarine Base. Finally on the 3 March 1942, the USS Holland (AS3) arrived in Fremantle to establish the new Fremantle Submarine Base as home for eight submarines of the Asiatic Fleet.
Location
| Address: | High Street, Monument Hill Memorial Reserve , Fremantle, 6160 |
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| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -32.051944 Long: 115.756667 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 03-September-1939 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 15-August-1945 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 16th September, 1967 |
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To honour the memory of those gallant men lost on United States Submarines during World War II.
Dedicated by the US Submarine Veterans of World War II and the City of Fremantle, Australia to those 52 US Submarines still on their eternal patrol.
US Submarine Veterans World War II
This memorial was erected by the citizens of the city of Fremantle and dedicated to the gallant submarine personnel of the United States Navy who lost their lives whilst operating from the port of Fremantle during the 1939 - 1945 war.
Sir Frederick Samson - Mayor
S.W. Parks - Town Clerk
16th September 1967.
