Earle Naval Ammunition Depot

Type   238 Navy Base
Historical Name of Location   Colts Neck, New Jersey, United States
Coordinates   40.250000000, -74.150000000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseIn Apr 1943, cargo ship El Estero was in the process of loading munitions at the long finger pier of the New York Port of Embarkation's Caven Point Terminal off Jersey City, New Jersey, United States when she suffered a boiler flashback. At that point, she had taken on 1,365 tons of munitions. In addition to the explosives on board, there were also a great quantity of explosives on the dock. Although the fire grew out of control, she was able to be pushed away from the docks and sunk near Robbins Reef Light. To the relief of all nearby, including the population of the city of New York, the explosives aboard and dockside were not detonated.

ww2dbaseTo avoid such an incident from occurring again, it was decided that munitions for the New York Port of Embarkation were to be handled further from the population center. The selection board chose Sandy Hook Bay to the south, in a rural area on the coast of New Jersey. It was decided to name the new ammunition depot after WW1-era Bureau of Ordnance chief Rear Admiral Ralph Earle. Construction for Naval Ammunition Depot Earle began in Aug 1943, and it was commissioned into service in Dec 1943, although work continued on the the road and railway network, which connected the 10,000-acre (40-square-kilometer) main ammunition depot area situated 15 miles inland and the waterfront and pier areas. The depot's 2-mile (3-kilometer) finger pier was considered one of the world's longest; a concrete platform in the middle of the pier housed several buildings. This naval depot continued to develop after WW2. It was renamed Naval Weapons Station Earle in 1974.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Update: Feb 2020



Earle Naval Ammunition Depot Interactive Map

Photographs

Pier under construction, Naval Ammunition Depot Earle, Middletown, New Jersey, United States, 1943The pier of Naval Ammunition Depot Earle under construction, Middletown, New Jersey, United States, 1943Administrative buildings under construction, Naval Ammunition Depot Earle, Colts Neck, New Jersey, United States, early 1944Mess hall and barracks under construction, Naval Ammunition Depot Earle, Colts Neck, New Jersey, United States, May 1944

Earle Naval Ammunition Depot Timeline

2 Aug 1943 Construction for Naval Ammunition Depot Earle began in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.
13 Dec 1943 Naval Ammunition Depot Earle in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States was commissioned into service.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds


Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB


Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Colts Neck, New Jersey, United States
Lat/Long 40.2500, -74.1500
Earle Naval Ammunition Depot Photo Gallery
Pier under construction, Naval Ammunition Depot Earle, Middletown, New Jersey, United States, 1943
See all 4 photographs of Earle Naval Ammunition Depot


Famous WW2 Quote
"The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years."

James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, 23 Feb 1945


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!