Mare Island Naval Shipyard Airfield

Mare Island Naval Shipyard Airfield
Vallejo, California
Curtiss JN-4 Jenny taking off from Mare Island Naval Shipyard Airfield, with Mare Island Marine Barracks in background
Type	Military base
Site information
Controlled by	United States Navy
Site history
Built	1922-1937
Events	USS Langley support

Mare Island Naval Shipyard Airfield was a post World War 1 US Navy airfield that opened in 1922 and closed in 1937. The airfield was built to support to USS Langley, the US Navy's first aircraft carrier. The Langley was converted to an aircraft carrier in 1920 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard from the collier USS Jupiter. The airfield was located at 13th Street & Flagship Drive in the City of Vallejo, California just west of the shipyard near San Pablo Bay. The airfield had a single unpaved runway for day use only. Common aircraft at the airfield were Vought FU, Vought VE-7 and Curtiss JN-4 Jenny. USS Langley could hold 36 planes, but need to remove planes to Mare Island Naval Shipyard Airfield when the ship was under repair. The Mare Island Naval Shipyard Airfield was also used for some training. The Mare Island Naval Shipyard Airfield closed as Naval Air Station Alameda was picked to be the Navy's main support base for aircraft carriers in San Francisco Bay.

See also

• California during World War II
• American Theater (1939–1945)
• United States home front during World War II

References

• Alameda Naval Air Museum
• Historic Posts: Naval Air Station, Alameda