Section 50 

 WAKE ISLAHD — U. S. MVAL AIR BASE 



A5O.OI Location of Test Stations and Test Boarda 



Test "boards of the panel type vere operated "by the 85th Naveil 

 Construction Battalion at tvo locations on Wake Atoll from January 10, 

 19^6 to June 10, 19^7^ when their operation was texminated "because of 

 the inactiTation of this Base. The Pan-American Railways, which is 

 now controlling operations on WaJce Island, hare "been requested to 

 continue the operation of the test "boards, "but no further panels have 

 "been received. 



Wake Atoll consists of three islands: Wake, Wilkes, and Feale. 

 Infonnation was given on January I6, 19^6, that the channel "between 

 Wake and Wilkes Islands had "been closed recently "by a causeway, forming 

 a "boat hasin. Prior to this, the current caused "by tide and wind 

 had varied from to 7 knots. Since then, only a moderate current is 

 caused "by the inflow and outflow of the tides. On the Wilkes side 

 of this channel, opposite the location of Test Board No. 1 (designated 

 as USMWI-l), there is an old dock made of wood cri"b"bing, which was "built 

 at least 5 years prior to the ahove date. The action of marine "borers 

 was reported to "be very noticeahle in this cri"b'blng. 



The islands of Wake eind Peale are connected "by a "bridge on 

 steel piling, and "below the "bridge there is a water-level concrete 

 causeway. The current in the channel ""^^ies with tide and wind from 

 to 5 koDts, the causeway acting something like a weir* ^Fest Board 

 No. 2, designated as USHWI-2, is located near this point. 



In the lagoon, which is not naviga"ble and has coral formations 

 aJjaost awash at low tide, there is a sunken dredge at the location 

 of this test "board. The wooden wales of this dredge also showed con- 

 sidera"ble marine "borer activity. 



It was not possi"ble to comply with the request that the test 

 "boards prefera"bly "be installed adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, 

 tmtreated piling, as all the piling in the "boat "basin is, and will 

 continue to "be, of steel. However, close to Test Board No. 1 there 

 were camels made of untreated wood in front of a hulkhead of steel sheet 

 piling. 



A50.02 gydrographio Ifeta 



The depth of water where the test "boards were installed was 

 18 ft at location No. 1 and 11 ft at location No. 2. The range of 



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