Naval Air Station Port Lyautey
Encyclopedia
Naval Air Station Port Lyautey is a former United States Navy
Naval Air Station in Morocco
, about 5 km north-northwest of Kenitra
(Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen); about 120 km northeast of Casablanca
. The Naval Air Station was turned over to the Royal Moroccan Air Force
and the last of US military personnel departed the base in 1977. The airport was later reopened as Kenitra Airport
after it was closed.
The facility was established as an Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG) shortly after the Operation Torch
landing at the former Vichy France airfield at Mehdiya-Port Lyautey. The facility was captured by one American destroyer and an U.S. Army Raider team. The destroyer USS Dallas (DD-199)
came up the Sebou River, silenced the shore batteries with its guns and landed the Raider team which in turn captured the airfield.
After being secured, the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force 33d Fighter Group, Flying in P-40 Warhawks. The group took part in initial landings in French Morocco, arriving with the invasion force on 8 November. Remaining aircraft and ground echelon arrived shortly afterward. Moved to: Casablanca Airfield on 13 November. Other Air Force units stationed at the airfield were:
Later, the facility was used by the 2037th Antisubmarine Wing (Provisional), later being redesignated as the 480th Antisubmarine Group of Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
. The US Army Air Force units used the airfield to patrol the Atlantic Ocean approaches to the Straits of Gibraltar for German
U-Boats along with two United States Navy PBY Catalina
patrol squadrons. The units were assigned to the Northwest African Coastal Air Force
for administration and placed under the operational control of the United States Navy Fleet Air Wing 15, which answered to the commander of the Moroccan Sea Frontier.
Two USN K-class blimps completed the first transatlantic crossing by non-rigid airships when they landed at Craw Field, Port Lyautey on the evening of June 1, 1944. Blimp Squadron 14 airships K-123 and K-130 were followed by K-109 and K-134 on June 15 and K-101 and K-112 on July 1, 1944. The K-ships flew nighttime antisubmarine patrols using magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) while the PBY Catalinas from Fleet Air Wing 15 flew the dayshift, creating a 24/7 magnetic fence across the Straits of Gibraltar.
In addition, the airfield was used by Air Transport Command
. It functioned as a stopover en-route to Tafarquay Airport, near Oran, Algeria or to Casablanca Airfield, on the North African Cairo
-Dakar
transport route for cargo, transiting aircraft and personnel. After the end of the war in Europe, Air Transport Command was assigned several heavy bombardment squadrons by XII Tactical Air Command
to transport key personnel back to the United States. Known units assigned were:
in the 1950s, the P-2 Neptune
in the 1950s and 1960s, and the P-3 Orion
, EP-3 Aries and EA-3 Skywarrior
in the 1960s and 1970s until the installation's closure as a USN facility and transfer to the Royal Moroccan Air Force in 1977.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Naval Air Station in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, about 5 km north-northwest of Kenitra
Kenitra
Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S...
(Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen); about 120 km northeast of Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. The Naval Air Station was turned over to the Royal Moroccan Air Force
Royal Moroccan Air Force
The Royal Moroccan Air Force is the air force branch of the Moroccan Armed Forces.-History:...
and the last of US military personnel departed the base in 1977. The airport was later reopened as Kenitra Airport
Kenitra Airport
Kenitra Air Base is a military airport in Kenitra, the capital city of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region in Morocco. It is also known as the Third Royal Air Force Base, operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.-History:...
after it was closed.
World War II
- See also: Battle of Port LyauteyBattle of Port LyauteyThe Battle of Port Lyautey began on 8 November 1942 for the city of Port Lyautey, today known as Kenitra, in French Morocco. The battle ended with the United States seizure of the port.-Objectives:...
The facility was established as an Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
(ALG) shortly after the Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
landing at the former Vichy France airfield at Mehdiya-Port Lyautey. The facility was captured by one American destroyer and an U.S. Army Raider team. The destroyer USS Dallas (DD-199)
USS Dallas (DD-199)
USS Dallas was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Captain Alexander J. Dallas, and was later renamed Alexander Dallas....
came up the Sebou River, silenced the shore batteries with its guns and landed the Raider team which in turn captured the airfield.
After being secured, the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force 33d Fighter Group, Flying in P-40 Warhawks. The group took part in initial landings in French Morocco, arriving with the invasion force on 8 November. Remaining aircraft and ground echelon arrived shortly afterward. Moved to: Casablanca Airfield on 13 November. Other Air Force units stationed at the airfield were:
- 1st Troop Carrier Squadron (10th Troop Carrier Group), 11 March-25 November 1943, C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
- Operated from Agadir Airfield, July 1943
Later, the facility was used by the 2037th Antisubmarine Wing (Provisional), later being redesignated as the 480th Antisubmarine Group of Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...
. The US Army Air Force units used the airfield to patrol the Atlantic Ocean approaches to the Straits of Gibraltar for German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
U-Boats along with two United States Navy PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
patrol squadrons. The units were assigned to the Northwest African Coastal Air Force
Northwest African Coastal Air Force
The Northwest African Coastal Air Force was a sub-command of the Northwest African Air Forces which itself was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command...
for administration and placed under the operational control of the United States Navy Fleet Air Wing 15, which answered to the commander of the Moroccan Sea Frontier.
Two USN K-class blimps completed the first transatlantic crossing by non-rigid airships when they landed at Craw Field, Port Lyautey on the evening of June 1, 1944. Blimp Squadron 14 airships K-123 and K-130 were followed by K-109 and K-134 on June 15 and K-101 and K-112 on July 1, 1944. The K-ships flew nighttime antisubmarine patrols using magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) while the PBY Catalinas from Fleet Air Wing 15 flew the dayshift, creating a 24/7 magnetic fence across the Straits of Gibraltar.
In addition, the airfield was used by Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
. It functioned as a stopover en-route to Tafarquay Airport, near Oran, Algeria or to Casablanca Airfield, on the North African Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
-Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
transport route for cargo, transiting aircraft and personnel. After the end of the war in Europe, Air Transport Command was assigned several heavy bombardment squadrons by XII Tactical Air Command
XII Tactical Air Command
The XII Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Bad Kissingen, Germany...
to transport key personnel back to the United States. Known units assigned were:
- 327th Bombardment Squadron (92d Bombardment Group), 13 May-9 September 1945, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 365th Bombardment Squadron (305th Bombardment Group), October-December 1946, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 366th Bombardment Squadron (305th Bombardment Group), September-October 1946, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 368th Bombardment Squadron (306th Bombardment Group), February-15 July 1946, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 423d Bombardment Squadron (306th Bombardment Group), 16 July-September 1946, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 773d Bombardment Squadron (463d Bombardment Group), 15 May-2 September 1945, B-17 Flying Fortress
Cold War
After the war, the airfield was expanded to a major US Naval Air Station in 1951. In this capacity, it primarily supported land-based naval reconnaissance aircraft of the period, such as the P4M MercatorP4M Mercator
|-See also:-References:* Dorr, Robert F. and Richard R. Burgess. "Ferreting Mercators". Air International, October 1993, Vol.45, No. 4. ISSN 0306-5634. pp. 215–222....
in the 1950s, the P-2 Neptune
P-2 Neptune
The Lockheed P-2 Neptune was a Maritime patrol and ASW aircraft. It was developed for the United States Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon, and being replaced in turn with the Lockheed P-3 Orion...
in the 1950s and 1960s, and the P-3 Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
, EP-3 Aries and EA-3 Skywarrior
A-3 Skywarrior
The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was originally designed as a strategic bomber for the United States Navy and was among the longest serving carrier-based jet aircraft in history. It entered service in the mid-1950s and was retired in 1991...
in the 1960s and 1970s until the installation's closure as a USN facility and transfer to the Royal Moroccan Air Force in 1977.
See also
- Kenitra AirportKenitra AirportKenitra Air Base is a military airport in Kenitra, the capital city of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region in Morocco. It is also known as the Third Royal Air Force Base, operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.-History:...