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Construction of a Training Camp began in 1917, and housing
for 7,500 was completed; the 5th Naval District Headquarters, Naval Operating Base, Air
Station, Hospital and Submarine Station. When land was insufficient, a large part of the
flats on the west and north were filled from dredging, also allowing large ships to dock. 1910 was the birth of naval aviation. Eugene Ely accelerated from a ramp constructed on the bow of a cruiser anchored in the James River, not far from the battle of the Monitor and Merrimack. The plane’s speed didn't provide enough lift, it grazed the water, splashing landing gear and splintering the propeller; but Ely recovered and flew two miles to Willoughby Spit. In 1911, the Navy saw the first successful hydro-aeroplane flight. With World War I, Aviation operations grew-- including Mechanic Training in 1918. Norfolk became an important source of trained aviators, becoming NAS. After the war, manpower fell to less than half of wartime numbers. With the Depression, limited air operations continued. In 1924, civilians of the Assembly and Repair Department (predecessor of Naval Air Depot/NADEP) fought planned suspension of overhauls. By 1927, the Training Station was reduced from wartime status, so it wasn’t until 1939, that there was major growth. World War II changed the Naval Station, doubling size and workload. East Camp was sold by the Army after WWI (1,000 acres near Granby Street). In 1940, expansion and construction reached over $72 million: hangars, a new dispensary, three runways, magazine areas, warehouses, barracks and docking areas. There was reclamation of 353 acres for $2.1 million --two sizable hangars, ramps for seaplanes, barracks, officer quarters and family housing. The construction cut off Mason Creek Road --so the Navy compensated the city by improving Kersloe Road between Hampton Boulevard and Granby. Norfolk renamed the road Admiral Taussig Boulevard for the retiring commander. In 1940, the dredging of Willoughby Bay reclaimed marshlands at Mason Creek. After Pearl Harbor, the receiving station and hospital expanded; indoor/outdoor athletic facilities were added, and a new auditorium. Increased pace necessitated extended runways and more parking, so an additional 400 acres including the old Norfolk airport were acquired. Women, once employed as seamstresses for wing and fuselage fabric, began working in machine shops as labor shortages became acute. In 1942, the apprentice school was opened to provide training in nine trades. NAS contributed in anti-submarine patrols, one of the first American facilities to "go to war." Germany began a U-boat offense, along the Atlantic. To move closer to patrol areas and free up space for the training of new squadrons, NAS transferred some operations from Breezy Point to Chincoteague and Elizabeth City. NAS’ biggest contribution to World War II was the training it provided to diverse allied naval air units.
In 1948 the Atlantic Fleet Command headquartered in an abandoned hospital. It served as operational headquarters for the Fleet Air Command, and with NAS Oceana in the late '50s, formed the biggest air base on the East Coast. In 1968 NAS became Recovery Control Center Atlantic, providing command, control
and communications with all vessels and aircraft involved in recovery operations of Apollo 7. In 1989, the Navy Exchange Mall was built ,and expanded in 1998; that year also saw the opening of Enterprise Hall, a modern bachelor housing building, next to the Naval Station Galley. The Navy began realignment, with a merger of Naval Operations Base and Naval Air Station (adjacent to one another) in 1999. However, Chambers Field continues as one of the busiest airports in the world. We remember crabbing in the creek behind the Chapel in the Woods (which was sadly razed in recent years) when we'd lived at Merrimack Park (now Merrimack Landing) near Gate 4. We also recall the Chief's (CPO) Club for celebrations. It'll always be NAS to us.
See also Norfolk Naval Station & Jamestown Expo for vintage images! |
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In 1974,
nearly 295 acres were acquired from Norfolk & Western Railway for $17.4
million, which began a $60 million construction program, resulting in new piers,
improvements to Hampton Boulevard and the widening of Taussig Boulevard. By 1976, the air
rework plant covered 174 acres and included 175 buildings. In 1996, as part of base
closings, NADEP/Naval Aviation Depot closed its doors (we remember many, including George
Yaekel hoping to preserve the depot).
