During the Japanese colonial era, the Allied bombing of Taiwan during the Second World War was the key reason for the colonial government to actively construct air-raid shelters in Taiwan. At the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the Governor's Office in Taiwan began to set up Taiwan's air defense facilities; in 1941-1944, after the Pearl Harbor Incident, the US military joined the Pacific War and air defense facilities, especially the important construction of the Governor's Office in Taiwan. According to relevant academic reports, Keelung is the city with the highest density of air-raid shelters in Taiwan, and it is also the city that still retains the most air-raid shelters during World War II. This is a reasonable inference.
The west bank of Keelung Port was the area subjected to fierce air strikes at the end of World War II
Keelung Port is an important military port and a key city inhabited by the Japanese. Therefore, it is one of the most bombed cities during World War II. The graphic description in the US military Taiwan’s internal report "FORMOSA INTERIM REPORT" marked the important military installations and Japanese residential areas of Keelung Port, including the West Bank Niuchou Port, West Bank Wharf, East Bank Wharf, East Bank and the fishing port and shipbuilding area of Heping Island Wait.
The whole area of Keelung suffered more than 50 air strikes during the war. Keelung was first bombed by the US military on October 12, 1944. It was carried out by seven F6F carrier-based aircraft dispatched by the USS Bunker Hill aircraft carrier. From June 16 to June 19, 1945, a total of four days of the "Keelung Air Strike", centered on the port of Keelung, carried out continuous large-scale bombing of the port and auxiliary facilities.
According to Taiwan’s internal reports, Keelung’s main attack area has 7 locations, of which 5 are located on the West Bank and 2 are located on the East Bank. The five attack zones on the West Bank are mainly related to port operations such as docks, railways and warehouses.
Built by the mountain city as a feature of Keelung air-raid shelter
Under the special geographical conditions of the mountain city harbor (95% of which is mountainous), Keelung is different from other cities in Taiwan using semi-underground air defense facilities or building other bunkers. Instead, caves are dug along the mountain for refuge, which is less likely to be caused by war. Destroyed, or rebuilt or disappeared due to changes in the times, the density of air-raid shelters in Keelung City is still the highest in Taiwan.
Keelung's special historical space assets. The beginning of the air-raid shelter
According to the Keelung City Yearbook (1970), the existing public and private (dedicated) air-raid shelters in Keelung City were mostly dug at the end of World War II in response to the demand for air-raid shelter. In the early stage of the restoration, due to lack of management, most of them were already dilapidated, and due to the age of construction, part of the stone was weathered, and its resistance and drainage channels need to be strengthened and improved.
In 1955, the former Civil Defense Command and the Provincial Construction Department sent personnel to join the census. As a result of the inspection, in addition to meeting the conditions and being able to continue to be used, there are 85 places that are alone or weathered and do not meet the evacuation requirements, all of which will be temporarily closed and stop signs will be set up at the entrance of the cave. In 1956, the Feng Provincial Government subsidized the construction funds to refurbish 13 air-raid shelters and build 2 new ones. In 1962, 25 air-raid shelters were added (renovated) again. In 1965, 4 air-raid shelters were built with the aid of refuge equipment in lieu of money.
Air-raid shelters, as an air-defense refuge facility, have no other active use after the end of the mobilization period. Nowadays, with the exception of a few used as passages, private businesses, or storage of goods, many others have erected iron gates and fences, which have been abandoned until now.
Initiate inventory assessment and evaluation of opportunities for preservation and reuse of war legacy
In January 2020, the Keelung Urban Development Office handled the investigation and study of the air-raid shelter in the Baimiweng area on the west bank with the support of the project funding of the "Greater Keelung Historical Scene Reproduction Integration Project." There are 38 air-raid shelters, all of which are located on state-owned land (1 is managed by a port company, 37 are managed by the Port Bureau of the Ministry of Communications). Of the 38, 24 openings are not closed, and 14 openings cannot be closed with bricks. enter. In the future, this research report will complete the surveying and mapping and structural safety assessment of the air-raid shelter on the west bank; and there will be proposals for the reuse concept.
During the Japanese colonial era, the Allied bombing of Taiwan during the Second World War was the key reason for the colonial government to actively construct air-raid shelters in Taiwan. At the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the Governor's Office in Taiwan began to set up Taiwan's air defense facilities; in 1941-1944, after the Pearl Harbor Incident, the US military joined the Pacific War and air defense facilities, especially the important construction of the Governor's Office in Taiwan. According to relevant academic reports, Keelung is the city with the highest density of air-raid shelters in Taiwan, and it is also the city that still retains the most air-raid shelters during World War II. This is a reasonable inference.
The west bank of Keelung Port was the area subjected to fierce air strikes at the end of World War II
Keelung Port is an important military port and a key city inhabited by the Japanese. Therefore, it is one of the most bombed cities during World War II. The graphic description in the US military Taiwan’s internal report "FORMOSA INTERIM REPORT" marked the important military installations and Japanese residential areas of Keelung Port, including the West Bank Niuchou Port, West Bank Wharf, East Bank Wharf, East Bank and the fishing port and shipbuilding area of Heping Island Wait.
The whole area of Keelung suffered more than 50 air strikes during the war. Keelung was first bombed by the US military on October 12, 1944. It was carried out by seven F6F carrier-based aircraft dispatched by the USS Bunker Hill aircraft carrier. From June 16 to June 19, 1945, a total of four days of the "Keelung Air Strike", centered on the port of Keelung, carried out continuous large-scale bombing of the port and auxiliary facilities.
According to Taiwan’s internal reports, Keelung’s main attack area has 7 locations, of which 5 are located on the West Bank and 2 are located on the East Bank. The five attack zones on the West Bank are mainly related to port operations such as docks, railways and warehouses.
Built by the mountain city as a feature of Keelung air-raid shelter
Under the special geographical conditions of the mountain city harbor (95% of which is mountainous), Keelung is different from other cities in Taiwan using semi-underground air defense facilities or building other bunkers. Instead, caves are dug along the mountain for refuge, which is less likely to be caused by war. Destroyed, or rebuilt or disappeared due to changes in the times, the density of air-raid shelters in Keelung City is still the highest in Taiwan.
Keelung's special historical space assets. The beginning of the air-raid shelter
According to the Keelung City Yearbook (1970), the existing public and private (dedicated) air-raid shelters in Keelung City were mostly dug at the end of World War II in response to the demand for air-raid shelter. In the early stage of the restoration, due to lack of management, most of them were already dilapidated, and due to the age of construction, part of the stone was weathered, and its resistance and drainage channels need to be strengthened and improved.
In 1955, the former Civil Defense Command and the Provincial Construction Department sent personnel to join the census. As a result of the inspection, in addition to meeting the conditions and being able to continue to be used, there are 85 places that are alone or weathered and do not meet the evacuation requirements, all of which will be temporarily closed and stop signs will be set up at the entrance of the cave. In 1956, the Feng Provincial Government subsidized the construction funds to refurbish 13 air-raid shelters and build 2 new ones. In 1962, 25 air-raid shelters were added (renovated) again. In 1965, 4 air-raid shelters were built with the aid of refuge equipment in lieu of money.
Air-raid shelters, as an air-defense refuge facility, have no other active use after the end of the mobilization period. Nowadays, with the exception of a few used as passages, private businesses, or storage of goods, many others have erected iron gates and fences, which have been abandoned until now.
Initiate inventory assessment and evaluation of opportunities for preservation and reuse of war legacy
In January 2020, the Keelung Urban Development Office handled the investigation and study of the air-raid shelter in the Baimiweng area on the west bank with the support of the project funding of the "Greater Keelung Historical Scene Reproduction Integration Project." There are 38 air-raid shelters, all of which are located on state-owned land (1 is managed by a port company, 37 are managed by the Port Bureau of the Ministry of Communications). Of the 38, 24 openings are not closed, and 14 openings cannot be closed with bricks. enter. In the future, this research report will complete the surveying and mapping and structural safety assessment of the air-raid shelter on the west bank; and there will be proposals for the reuse concept.
