The Spaniards first discovered this place and considered it as a strategic area of defense in order to maintain the Philippines as one of its empires. Then, the Americans arrived and defeated the Spaniards in 1898. They established a naval repair and supply base. During the Japanese invasion, the Japanese airplanes bombed the site in 1941 and took over. The Americans regained the site in 1945. The Battle between the Americans and the Japanese resulted in many bombed naval ships in the bay. As a result, Subic Bay is also famous for its dive sites, which include many shipwrecks. Though the Philippines has achieved independence, the Americans still controlled the base. Subic Bay turned into a strategic site for the Americans during the Vietnam War.