Orote Peninsula

The peninsula historically was the site of the important Chamorro village of Sumay, as well as Fort Santiago of the Spanish colonial period.

In modern times, the peninsula is politically in the village of Santa Rita, but it is controlled in its entirety by Naval Base Guam.

Orote Peninsula, like the eastern Guam, is a raised limestone plateau reaching heights of 190 ft (58m).

The job of this Jesuit was to conduct baptisms and marriages in the effort to solidify Spanish control of the island.

[7] This was aggravated by an attack in 1721 by the English privateer John Clipperton upon a supply ship from Cavite anchored at Merizo.

[8] In 1734, Governor Francisco de Cárdenas Pacheco opened up new anchorage in Apra Harbor, which offered greater protection from attack.

[5] On March 17, 1921, a U.S. Marine Squadron of 10 pilots and 90 enlisted men arrived and set up a base at Sumay for their amphibious aircraft, including a hangar.

In 1926, the squadron built administration offices, but the next year was deployed to China to protect American lives in the Nanking incident of 1927.

The U.S. initial U.S. invasion of Guam in July 1944 was designed to attack either sides of the heavily fortified Orote Peninsula, cutting it off from inland support.