Scenery Object Mystery!

Hiya Ro,

Yes, that first row of what appear to be very dark Quonsets facing head on toward the tower are actually patches of grass just before each side on row of Quonsets begin. I was having a little trouble with that when trying to figure the quonset layout at first too. The light lines in between are just the dirt foot paths that go between the rows of Quonsets.

I think if you look again with that in mind you'll see what I mean.
 
Putting what should be the finishing touches on Marpi Point. Decided to leave those odd structures and their nicely paved apron out of the mix. I am pretty sure they were some sort of post war addition anyway.

Gratuitous screenies follow:
Looking SW
View attachment 19207
Top down
View attachment 19208
Looking NE from top of Mt Marpi.
View attachment 19209

Just a couple of token harbor facilities and the rest of the roads and Saipan will be in the can!

Thanks everyone for the input WRT those weird buildings. I had fun!
MR
 
Getting back to those weird buildings for a moment.

Lets assume that this photo was taken shortly after the war- which I believe that it was. That well paved apron over there all fresh and clean with those weird whatzits next to it have to be put in for a reason.

I was wondering if maybe they might have been related to the task of dismantling/breaking up aircraft. If you look closely around the field there do seem to be other similar structures.

Didn't they used to use something like a giant Guillotine to cut up mothballed AC? Maybe that is what those things are?? Maybe just big chain-fall devices for removing engines?

Would that be a possibility?
 
Hi MR,

Your request for large "Q" Huts got my creative jucies flowing.
I hope to have something for you soon.

Regards,
B24Guy
 
The B24 Guy said:
Hi MR,

Your request for large "Q" Huts got my creative jucies flowing.
I hope to have something for you soon.

Regards,
B24Guy
Click to expand...

That is great! Thanks very much B24Guy!

Check your PMs. I sent a zip with a few extra pictures that might come in handy.

Until later,
MR
 
Parachute Lofts

The structures standing alone are most likely 'parachute lofts'.....every big base has them....where chutes are hung vertically before being repacked.....a process done on long horizontal tables. Hanging in the loft takes all the kinks out. Chutes must be shaken out and repacked periodically. The Air Force was still using these when I was in.
 
You know what Nole, I am going to go with your assessment. No need to get too bizarre or start looking for complicated answers when the simplest is most likely also the the correct one.

It would be nice to see a close up of one, just for comparison purposes, eh? ;)

Thanks,
MR
 
Hi Fibber!

Yes, That photo is of the unfinished Japanese airfield on Marpi Point- before we got our hands on it.

In case anyone is interested: Those cultivated fields around the airfield are sugar cane fields owned and operated by Nanyo Kahatsu Kabushiki Kaisha or Nanyo Kahatsu K.K. for short. It was a strategic development company founded by a guy name Haruji Matsue in 1921 shortly after the Marianas became a mandated territory of Japan. He was the first guy to manufacture cubed sugar in Japan and was the Sugar King! He basically owned the Mariana Islands and had huge sugar refinery located not far from what was to become Kobler field down on the SW shore of Saipan. The entire island was connected via a small gauge sugar cane railway that also served as a public transport system, too. During the war it was also used by the Japanese Army to haul large caliber railway mounted guns. Saipan was a very comfortable and well developed place during the 20s and 30s. In the photo you linked, if you look carefully you can see that the dispersal/taxiway is built along the Sugar Cane railway right of way at that end of the island. What looks like a road comng in at the lower right and continuing along the base of the cliff is the railway. That may also be another spur on the ocean side of the runway. You can see that the Japanese airfield engineers were much more careful looking after the well being of Mr Matsue's sugar cane fields than the Americans were!
 
Closeup of Loft

This is a photo of the parachute loft at Pityilu airfield in the Pacific, along with the attached rigging quonset hut.
 
Palm Island

Here's another chute loft and rigging building from Palm Island Naval Airstation in 1943.
 
That is great, Nole! Thanks!

It certainly seems to fit the bill. But still 4, maybe even 5 on one relatively small airfield?

Check out this detail posted earlier in the thread. The structure on the right certainly seems to fit the bill of a parachute loft with a rigging quoset attached to the rear end, doesn't it?

Those 4 others on the left puzzle me still. There appear to be no rigging quonsets running off of any of them. That back side area between them and the road appears to be a cleared dirt area to me.

You know that road behind is actually also the narrow gauge sugar cane railway. The fields that Marpi Air Station was built on were sugar cane fields and that train ran thru there and probably stopped to collect sugar cane. I wonder, if by any chance those things could be left over from the old sugar cane operations- maybe silos or storage lofts for the cane waiting to be picked up by the train? Maybe even coal skuttles or something similar for the train- water towers even?

Its an interesting photo.

PS I look as closely as posible at the photos posted by Collin and Fibber of the unfinished Japanese airfield at Marpi point. But I can't make out anything resembling these things.
 
CONSIDER THIS.

MR;
A lot of web searching has told me that Marpi was turned into a logistic distribution point during the late war. Before the quiet boys came in and turned it black.
Consider this though, Marpi Point was to be a distribution point for the ammunition to be utilized in the invasion of Japan. In fact so much was stockpiled that when the invasion was deemed unnecessary alot of it was blown up insitu because of the cost and logistic headaches involved in removing it. That is one of the reasons it is listed as a dangerous area to this day as alot of the ammo did not destruct but rather was blown all over.
Large amounts of parachutes would be needed to bring in supplies for any invasion until airfields could be taken. Take a look at the airplanes sitting on the apron. the ones nearest the towers appear to be transports. So those could be extra parachute rigging towers.
Just a little photo interpretation and conclusions on my part.
 
Excellent points fibber.

I am sure that must be what they were. No other explanation really fits.

Thanks for pointing out the importance of keeping the big picture in mind and how Marpi and the rest of the Marianas fit in.

I didn't know about Marpi being a distribution point for ammo used in the aborted invasion of Japan or that the stuff was "disposed of" in such a fashion.

With that context in mind, 5 parachute lofts would make perfect sense.

Cheers,
MR

PS: I hope The B24Guy is paying attention to this part of the thread?:rolleyes:
 
DOES MARPI POINT = MATOISA POINT ORDINANCE DEPOT?

If Marpi later became Matoisa Point Ordinace depot here is a photo for you late war guys.
It is a PPS. so you have to start the presentation to see it. www.phscof.org/events/sym09/Tuesday/A703/Muza.pps
 
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