Blimp Squadron 11, Blimpron 11, ZP-11

Airship Squadron 11 was also known as Blimp Squadron 11, BlimpRon 11, or ZP-11. BlimpRon is a portmanteau of Blimp and Squadron. We'll refer to it as ZP‑11 on this page.

The squadron operated from these bases between June 2, 1942 and June 8, 1945:

Naval Air Station (NAS) South Weymouth, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Field, Fisher's Island, New York
Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Bar Harbor, Maine

Here's a summary of NAS South Weymouth from June 15, 1943

Airship K-11 — K-11 landing at South Weymouth on February 11, 1944.

K-11 was the first K-ship permanently assigned to ZP-11 on September 17, 1942. Lieutenant Commander Samuel M. Bailey, USN, was the first Commanding Officer of ZP-11.

Slide show

Many of the photos on this page have been organized into this slide show, which may be a more convienient way of viewing them. The show automatically advances slides every 5 seconds unless you take over control manually.

ZP-11 Diaries

Read the Squadron Chronology, which details the activities of the squadron throughout its existance.

These are war diaries that include the activities of ZP-11 by month and year. Use your browser's Back button to return here.

Photos

Click or touch the arrows below to see photos.

June-August 1942: Early Operations and Construction at NAS South Weymouth

CDR Mills Reads Orders To First ZP-11 CO June 2, 1942

SoWey Officers ZP-11 Commissioning June 2, 1942

View From Water Tower Looking North June 27, 1942 — View from water tower looking north June 27, 1942

First Steel For Hangar 1 July 9, 1942 — First steel for Hangar 1 July 9, 1942

Storm Damage To Hangar 1 Traveler July 6 1942 — Storm damage to Hangar 1 Traveler July 6, 1942

Portable Pump Hookup for wetting down blimps at SoWey August 20, 1942 — Portable pump hookup for wetting down blimps at SoWey August 20, 1942

Hollow Chisel Mortiser At SoWey August 21, 1942 — Hollow chisel mortiser at SoWey August 21, 1942

K-6 Mooring Shackle Ripped Out And Hanging On Mast July 6, 1942 — K-6 mooring shackle ripped out and hanging on mast July 6, 1942

September-October 1942: Aerial Views and Operations

Aerial View Looking North From Hangar Area September 24, 1942 — Aerial view looking north from hangar area September 24, 1942

Aerial View Looking North September 24 1942 — Aerial view looking north September 24, 1942

Aerial View Looking Northeast September 24 1942 — Aerial view looking northeast September 24, 1942

Aerial View Looking Northwest September 24 1942 — Aerial view looking northwest September 24, 1942

Aerial View Looking South September 24 1942 — Aerial view looking south September 24, 1942

Aerial View Looking Southeast September 24 1942 — Aerial view looking southeast September 24, 1942

Aerial View Looking West From Hangar Area September 24 1942 — Aerial view wooking west from hangar area September 24, 1942

Landing Area Blimp And Hangar 1 Looking North September 24 1942 — Landing area blimp and Hangar 1 looking north September 24, 1942

Aerial View Looking East October 2 1942 — Aerial view looking east October 2, 1942

Aerial view looking north October 2, 1942

Aerial view looking south October 2, 1942

Airships secured during storm September 27, 1942

K-11 being secured during storm September 27, 1942

Blimp moored_near_Hangar_2 construction site October 1942 — Blimp moored near Hangar 2 construction site October 1942

K-11 riding mast during storm September 27, 1942

Hangar_1_Under_Construction_November_27_1942 — Hangar 1 under construction November 27, 1942

November-December 1942: Hangar One and Operations

Truck pulling mooring mast December 1, 1942

K-11 K-14 K-24 in Hangar 1 December 6, 1942

Three blimps docked in Hangar 1 December 6, 1942

Aerial Views of ZP-11 Bases

FAA Corsairs At Bar Harbor with ZP-11 K-12 in background April 14, 1944

CAPT Kassard CAPT Vincent Astor Inspecting_ZP-11 Bar Harbor DET July 16, 1943 — CAPT Kassard CAPT Vincent Astor Inspecting ZP-11 Bar Harbor DET July 16, 1943

ZP-11 expeditionary mast Bar Harbor May 14, 1944

ZP-11 Bar Harbor Detachment May 14, 1944

Blimp Base on Fishers Island June 17, 1944 — Blimp Base on Fishers Island showing one blimp June 17, 1944

Elizabeth Field, Fishers Island August 21, 1944 — Elizabeth Field, Fishers Island showing two blimps August 21, 1944

Aerial of radio and radar tower November 26, 1945

Aerial View August 9, 1945 — Aerial view August 9, 1945

Oblique view looking southwest October 20, 1944

1943: Around the Base at South Weymouth

Garden display in front of Dispensary July 6, 1943

Motor equipment for Expeditionary Force March 5, 1943

Portable enclosure for working on engines February 16, 1943

Portable electric generator and water supply trucks December 28, 1943

First blimp in Hangar 2 October 31, 1943

Stand for working on bow of airships March 25, 1943

Truck-mounted extension ladder for working on blimps April 7, 1943

Aircraft at South Weymouth

BD-2 en route to VJ-4 at Squantum stopped at SoWey May 5, 1942

Crashed_SNB_BUNO_39967 flown by CAP G F Rodrigues February 8, 1945

F6F_BUNO_42805 off landing mat September 15, 1944

F6F-5N_BUNO_70866 bad landing September 14, 1944

Hurricane Storage Hangar 1 September 14, 1944

Hurricane Storage Hangar 2 September 14, 1944

PV-1_BUNO_33280 from VPB-128 stalled and crashed September 14, 1944

SoWey GB-2 BUNO 33021 wrecked at NAS Quonset Point May 5, 1944

TBM BUNO 05914 crashed September 15, 1944

Naval aircraft parking station insignia February 23, 1944

Fire Control

Display of fire fighting equipment in front of Hangar 2 December 20, 1943

Fire Fighting Test Hangar 2 February 25, 1944 — Fire fighting test Hangar 2 February 25, 1944

High pressure fire main test at Hangar 2 March 29, 1944

High pressure fire main test at Hangar 2 April 18, 1945

Fire drill in Hangar 1 September 26, 1944

SoWey fire fighting school July 10, 1945

New high pressure water gun at Hangar 1 August 18, 1943

Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)

Sonobuoy classroom in Hangar 2 March 25, 1945

USS Moale DD-693 taken by ZP-11 blimp May 14, 1944

USS Bunker Hill launching Fore River Shot by ZP-11 blimp December 11, 1942

USS_Bunker_Hill_Launching_Fore_River_With_ZP-11_Blimp_Overhead_December_11_1942 — USS Bunker Hill launching Fore River Shot by ZP-11 blimp December 11, 1942

ZP-11 Blimp Rescue Kit contents at Officers Mess

ZP-11 K-Ship escorting convoy January 3, 1944

1944-1945: Hangars at NAS South Weymouth

Blimps docked inside Hangar 1 January 7, 1944

Blimp repairs inside Hangar 1 January 7, 1944

Door mechanism at Hangar 1 October 4, 1944

Control Tower on_top of Hangar 1 December 14, 1944

Compacting snow in front of Hangar 2 after heavy snowfall February 16, 1945

Damage to Hangar 2 after heavy snowfall February 16, 1945

Aircraft Storage Hangar 2 April 17, 1945

Aircraft Storage Hangar 2 April 17, 1945_North_End — Aircraft Storage Hangar 2 April 17, 1945 North End

Aircraft_Storage_Hangar 2 April 17, 1945_South_End — Aircraft Storage Hangar 2 April 17, 1945 South End

Hangar 2 hurricane storage June 27, 1945

1944-1945: Around the Base at South Weymouth

Administration Building September 12, 1944

Depth bomb accidentally dropped from K-9 March 15, 1944

Experimental blimp rescue sling test July 27, 1944

Metal and machine shop crew September 9, 1944

Plowing after big storm January 19, 1944

Securing emergency landing wheel to K-15 April 27, 1944

Snow drifting inside Hangar 2 January 18, 1945

Snow_Fighting_January_18_1945 — Snow fighting February 18, 1945

Snow plow clearing snow away from hangar doors March 20, 1944

K-Ship just outside Hangar 1 April 6, 1944

Tow tractor with blimps in Hangar 1 September 23, 1945

Helium Facilities

High pressure helium storage building 2 April 9, 1943

Interior of Helium Plant and Power House November 16, 1945

Spherical storage tanks, like the Horton Sphere, require the least surface area for a given volume of stored fuel, so there is the least heat transfer between the tank and its surroundings. A Horton Sphere was installed at South Weymouth for helium storage. Read the History of the Horton Sphere

Communications and Media

Radio Transmitter Building July 20, 1943

Outside location of receiving antenna on Administration Building December 17, 1944

Equipment in Main Radio Room in Transmitter Building November 11, 1944

Radar Transmitter Tower December 14, 1944

Equipment in control tower on top of Hangar 1 November 11, 1944

Field Illumination Lighting February 10, 1943

Position of two photographers on ZP-11 K-Ship March 14, 1944

Demonstration of Bell&Howell camera rig on ZJ-1 blimp August 8, 1944

1944-45: K-ships at South Weymouth

K-10 in Hangar 1 with envelope abrasion May 2, 1944

K-82 landing with inspection party March 17, 1945

K-134 drifting while attempting to land June 8, 1944

K-Ship over South Weymouth July 18, 1944

Landing and docking an airship May 1, 1944

K-3 Fin Damage—June 19, 1942

K-6 Wreck - July 6, 1942

K-9 Crashes

The K-9 blimp crashed on July 7, 1944. On October 2, 1945, it deflated at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia while trying to land in high winds with an inexperienced ground crew.

K-9 Accident - September 30, 1944

Wreckage of K-9 on Canadian Airfield October 2, 1945

Report on Loss of K-34 - November 5, 1944

K-11 Crash—July 31, 1943

K-11_Crash_August_2_1943_ — K-11 Crash August 2, 1943

K-14 Wreck - July 2, 1944

K-14 was likely downed by a German U-boat near Bar Harbor, Massachussetts. Civilian witnesses reported seeing flares, explosions, and gunfire. Six sailors died. The survivors were sworn to secrecy. See these articles for details:

Blimp’s attack during World War II remains a mystery by C.J. Christ

Controversial Crash of K-14 by Chuck Lyons

This is the official U.S. Navy report: Intelligence Report on K-14 Wreck