U.S. Naval Air Station Lough Foyle Ireland

U.S. Naval Air Station Lough Foyle was a seaplane station at Lough Foyle, Northern Ireland, which was operated by the United States Navy (USN) and commissioned on July 1, 1918 with Henry D. Cooke, USNRF as the commanding officer.[1]

NAS Lough Foyle
US NAS Lough Foyle (UA 557.05 Marian Shippey Cote Collection)
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorUnited States Navy
LocationLough Foyle, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Built1918 (1918)
In use1918–1919 (1919)
Elevation AMSL3 ft 3 in ft / 1 m
Coordinates55°06′15″N 007°12′47″W
Map
NAS Lough Foyle
Location in Northern Ireland

History

At the start of United States of America's involvement in the First World War, five sites in Ireland (Queenstown, Wexford, Lough Foyle, Whiddy Island and Berehaven[2]) were identified to be operated by the United States Navy in support of allied operations against enemy submarines.

Local Irish labor and American construction teams worked on the site, building a control tower that still stands, accommodation and workshops, and a concrete slipway for beaching the aircraft – this is still in existence.[3]

Aircraft

In July 1918, the first Curtiss H-16 flying boats arrived in Londonderry. These had been stripped down and had to be re-assembled, a task completed by August 22, when training began. On September 1, 2018, the base became operational. Between September 3 and November 6, the flying boats completed 27 patrols – flying was possible only on 31 days. The longest patrol, on October 24, was over six hours.[3]

Operations

On October 19, 1918, while escorting a 32-ship convoy in the Lough Foyle sector off Northern Ireland, ENS George S. Montgomery sighted and successfully attacked an enemy submarine stalking the convoy. His bombs hit within 30 feet of the periscope and brought heavy turbulence and oil to the surface. For “probably damaging” the submarine and saving the convoy from attack, he was officially commended.[4]

End of hostilities and closure

With the end of the war, the U.S. Naval Air Stations in Ireland were no longer required.[5] The Anti-submarine warfare patrols were discontinued and the aircraft were grounded and disarmed as NAS Lough Foyle closed on 22 February 1919.[6]

See also

References
  1. Evans, Mark; Grossnick, Roy (November 2015). "US Naval Aviation 1910-2010 Vol 1, Chapter 2, Page 46" (PDF). Naval History & Heritage Command, Department of the Navy. Retrieved 21 Apr 2018.
  2. Sitz, W.H. (1930). A History of U.S. Naval Aviation (PDF). Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 27.
  3. Doherty, Richard (11 Nov 2015). "Over Here!". Londonderry Sentinel. Retrieved 5 Dec 2016.
  4. Van Wyen, Adrian O. (1969). Naval Aviation News NAVAL AVIATION IN WORLD WAR I (PDF). Washington DC: THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS. p. 88. Retrieved 3 Mar 2013.
  5. Tillotson, C.B. (1 January 1919). U.S. Naval Air Station Wexford, Ireland. United States Navy.
  6. "World War I Era Naval Aviation Stations". BlueJacket.com. BlueJacket.com. Retrieved 1 Apr 2018.
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