Chuuk 1999 & 2004 (Truk)

Chuuk (formerly known as 'Truk') is a coral atoll located in the the Caroline Islands in the Western Pacific. The island chain was mandated to Japan by the League of Nations at the conclusion of World War I. Although the terms of the mandate prohibited the construction of military facilities, the large lagoon at Truk was ideal for a naval base and the Japanese secretly constructed one in the late 1930's. Sometimes referred to as the 'Japanese Pearl Harbor,' the base was attacked by US fleet carriers late in the war, sinking at least 45 ships in the lagoon.