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Naval Station and Shipyard Long Beach (California)


walika
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Naval Station and Shipyard Long Beach

 

Painted leather

 

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The former Long Beach Naval Complex was comprised of the Long Beach Naval Station and the adjacent Long Beach Naval Shipyard.

 

Immediately before the start of World War II, it became apparent that a major anchorage and operation area was needed in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-San Pedro area. In 1940, the city of Long Beach ceded 108 acres of land on Terminal Island for Navy use, retaining the mineral rights to the recently discovered oilfield under the site and extending offshore. The shipyard was established in 1940 with an initial funding of $19.8M for land acquisition, a harbor breakwater, and buildings.  Completion of the Moreell Drydock (Drydock No. 1) permitted shipwork to begin on 7 April 1942. The first major ship drydocking was in September 1942.

 

On 25 February 1943, the U.S. Naval Dry Docks activity (later to be renamed Long Beach Naval Shipyard) was established to encompass the existing Terminal Island facilities, with the mission to perform routine and battle-damage repairs to naval ships.  By August 1945, the shipyard's wartime employment level topped out at 16,091.

 

The Naval Station was established on 15 November 1946, as a homeport for Pacific Fleet ships, providing port facilities, fleet support personnel, and recreational facilities.

 

Naval Station Long beach was closed 30 Sep 1994 followed by Naval Shipyard Long beach on 30 Sep 1997.

 

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I received an informative email with additional images shown below. The writer's Uncle joined the Navy as a cadet in mid-1941 and did his primary flight training at Long Beach Naval Reserve Aviation Base, an Elimination Base (E-Base).

 

Cadet George Pressler, left, went on to be a pilot with VF-11 Sun Downers.

 

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More information is available at the California Military Department web page, here.

 

Corsairs and Wildcats, NAAS Long Beach, 10 August 1944

 

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