By spring 1943, the build up of the US Navy to support the Pacific War had caused overcrowding at the ports on the east coast of Australia.

The Royal Australian Navy already had a small base in Milne Bay: HMAS Ladava.

[1][2] Naval Base Milne Bay started as a small Royal Australian Navy in 1942 as part of the New Guinea campaign.

On May 23, 1943 Seabees of 55th Battalion started construction of a PT boat Advance Base Six on the south side of Milne bay at Kana Kopa, including an engine-overhaul shop.

The Seabees of the 84th Battalion built Naval Base Milne Bay into a major installation.

For land operations, Seabees had to cut into the wet tropical jungle that is the shore of the bay.

[1] Malaria was major problem at Naval Base Milne Bay installations, also tropical skin diseases.

Seabees 91st Battalion began construction on a destroyer repair base at Gohora Bay, Ladava.

Base Milne Bay was one of a number of staging places for the Battle of Arawe on New Britain.

For Ladava headquarters, Seabees built: piers, jetties, roads, an electric power station, a communication center, a supply depot, a hospital unit, and barracks for 1,000 troops at 10°20′00″S 150°21′07″E / 10.333306°S 150.351865°E / -10.333306; 150.351865.

USS ARD-9 a Auxiliary floating drydock for ship repair arrived at Milne Bay on February 6, 1944.

United States Seventh Fleet used the anchorage at 10°20′16″S 150°20′53″E / 10.337860°S 150.348164°E / -10.337860; 150.348164 and used the bases for staging upcoming sland-hopping campaigns.

Kana Kopa had been used as anchorage for the Royal Australian Navy in 1942 and supported the August 1942 Battle of Milne Bay.

Fleet Post Office FPO# 714 SF Kana Kopa, Milne Bay.

[1] The USS Half Moon, a Seaplane tender, was stationed at the base for support from October 1943 to December 1943.

On Sariba Island they built a camp for 270 troops, a small boat pier, communication center, headquarters, mess hall, and aviation-gasoline tank farm, supply depot.

The center had quonset hut camp for 1,500 troops, mess hall, vast supply depot, class rooms, a 2,000 foot waterfront.

At Gamadodo a Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 built a sawmill to supply lumber to the bases in Milne Bay.

As the size of the Naval Base Milne Bay increased more supplies were needed so a cargo pier and a very large depot were built at Gamadodo.