Editing Johnston Atoll (section)

===Sand Island seaplane base===
[[File:Aerial view of Johnston Atoll and Sand Island.jpg|thumb|Aerial approach to the former base on Johnston Island (top). The ship channel is visible as a darker blue area starting at left and continuing up around the right side of Johnston Island, with Sand Island on the near side (bottom).]]

In 1935, personnel from the US Navy's [[Patrol Wing Two]] carried out some minor construction to develop the atoll for seaplane operation. In 1936, the Navy began the first of many changes to enlarge the atoll's land area. They erected some buildings and a boat landing on Sand Island and blasted coral to clear a {{convert|3600|ft}} seaplane landing.<ref name=Bases>{{citation-attribution|1={{Cite book|title=Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940–1946|publisher=US Government Printing Office|year=1947|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/building-the-navys-bases.html|pages=158–159|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228142150/https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/building-the-navys-bases.html|url-status=live}}}}</ref> Several seaplanes made flights from Hawaii to Johnston, such as that of a squadron of six aircraft in November 1935.

In November 1939, civilian contractors commenced further work on Sand Island to allow the operation of one squadron of patrol planes with tender support. Part of the lagoon was dredged, and the excavated material was used to make a parking area connected by a {{convert|2000|ft|adj=on}} causeway to Sand Island. Three seaplane landings were cleared, one {{convert|11000|ft}} by {{convert|1000|ft}} and two cross-landings each {{convert|7000|ft}} by {{convert|800|ft}} and dredged to a depth of {{convert|8|ft}}. Sand Island had barracks built for 400 men, a mess hall, an underground hospital, a radio station, water tanks, and a {{convert|100|ft}} steel control tower.<ref name=Bases/> In December 1943 an additional {{convert|10|acre|abbr=off}} of parking was added to the seaplane base.<ref name=Bases/>

On May 26, 1942, a [[United States Navy]] [[Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina]] wrecked at Johnston Atoll. The Catalina pilot made a normal power landing and immediately applied the throttle for take-off. At about 50 knots, the plane swerved to the left and continued into a violent waterloop. The plane's hull was broken open, and the Catalina sank immediately.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19420526-0|title=Aviation Safety Network Accident description 19420526|date=May 26, 1942|access-date=September 17, 2014|archive-date=May 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508191133/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19420526-0|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the war, on March 27, 1949, a [[Consolidated PBY Catalina|PBY-6A Catalina]] had to make a forced landing during a flight from [[Kwajalein]] to Johnston Island. The plane was damaged beyond repair, and the crew of 11 was rescued nine hours later by a Navy ship, which sank the plane using gunfire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19490327-0|title=Aviation Safety Network Accident description 19490327|date=March 27, 1949|access-date=September 17, 2014|archive-date=March 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321130531/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19490327-0|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1958, a proposed support agreement for Navy Seaplane operations at Johnston Island was under discussion, though it was never completed because a requirement for the operation failed to materialize.<ref name="Baseline">{{cite web|title=Phase II Environmental Baseline Survey, Johnston Atoll, Appendix B|url=http://www.guamagentorange.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Johnston_Atoll_History.261114404.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421032235/http://www.guamagentorange.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Johnston_Atoll_History.261114404.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 21, 2013|access-date=August 19, 2012}}</ref>