The photos in this series were taken at NAS Richmond, located southwest of Miami, Florida. After Lakehurst, Richmond was the largest airship base in the US and featured three large wooden hangars each capable of housing 9 K-type airships. The base was largely destroyed by a hurricane on September 15, 1945 three years after its commissioning. All three hangars were destroyed by a massive fire as 125 MPH plus winds whipped the base. NAS Richmond was closed soon thereafter. The Miami/Dade Zoo and the Gold Coast Railroad Museum now occupy the site. |
A blimp' eye view of newly completed NAS Richmond in 1943 - From left to right: Hangar One, Two and stand alone hanger Three |
Stand alone Hangar Three (here with the doors under construction in 1943) was a “standard” timber hangar of which 17 of similar construction were built in the US |
Hangars One (right) and Two (left) differed in their door housings because tests showed soil conditions for Hangar Two would not support the conventional door towers. This photograph is taken from the rear of the hangars. |
NAS Richmond in 1943 - Ground crew awaits as a K-type airship approaches - Hangar One is at right |
LT Joe Lundy, narrator of the video “The Blimp Goes To War…Again” serving at Richmond ; he later flew airships in Brazil |
An L-type airship (used for training) is in the foreground - 4 K-type airships in the background - Air lines are attached to the ships to maintain pressure - A car, minus the bag can be seen at right |
All manner of craft took shelter inside when bad weather was predicted |
Men of Headquarters Squadron 2, charged with maintenance and overhaul of the airships, were innovative - They accomplished a dual engine change while the airship swung in the weather, including almost daily downpours |
Compete shops for airship overhaul and maintenance were built in between the massive concrete girder supports of the hangars |
Helium was brought in from Fort Worth, Texas, in specially designed rail cars - NAS Richmond was also home of the Helium Plant Operator’s School |
NAS Richmond was home to the Navy’s largest airship squadron, (Blimpron) ZP-21 |
A K-type airship flies over the newly constructed base - Hangar One on the left and Hanger Two on the right |
Richmond’s Administration Building was of the standard model - Below is a closeup of the door decoration - This building survived the hurricane, and thanks to the efforts of CWO Atwood and his team of Friends of Richmond Naval Air Station volunteers, it will soon be moved to accessible property adjacent to the Gold Coast Railroad Museum |
R G Van Treuren and other Gold Coast Railroad Museum members worked with NASA to preserve a helium car, now on display on tracks originally laid in the hangar - The single remaining door tower, it refused to be dynamited like the other 11, stands today |