List of WWII LTA bases

During World War II, the Nazi and Japanese submarine threat was countered by U.S. Navy patrols using fixed-wing aircraft and blimps. The fixed-wing aircraft were the PBY Catalina and PB4Y Privateer.

This page focuses on the blimps used by the U.S. Navy. The Navy referred to them as lighter-than-air (LTA) aircraft.

PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
PBY4
PBY-4 Privateer
M class blimp
M-class blimp

The map below shows the locations of the LTA bases. The patrol regions included the coasts of the United States, the Atlantic coast of South America, the Panama Canal Zone, and the western end of the Mediterranean Sea.

Click the markers for a popup information window that gives its name and location. Below the map are more detailed descriptions of these LTA bases.

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The bases are listed in the table below. The names of the bases and places are what we think their names were at the time or what the Navy used. Some places have different names today.

Amapa Field
Apalachicola Army Airfield
Atkinson Field
Atkinson Field
aka: Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Atkinson Field
aka: Cheddi Jagan International Airport
aka: Atkinson Air Force Base
Essequibo, British Guiana
Active: 1941-1949

Used by: ZP-51

Wikipedia: South Atlantic Wing, Air Transport Command

Link: Atlinson Field

Link: Today's commercial airport

The airfield served to protect against German U-boats, it was part of the Southern Route for ferrying aircraft to the European theater, and to protect the area's bauxite mines from attack. Bauxite is the raw material for aluminum that was needed for the war effort.
photo
Atkinson Field 1941
photo
Atkinson Field, 1946
Aérodrome de Cuers-Pierrefeu
Aérodrome de Cuers-Pierrefeu
Toulon, France
Active: 1943-1945

Used by: ZP-14

Wikipedia: Cannes – Mandelieu Airport

several photos of ZP-14 blimps on Wikipedia
Photo
A U.S. Navy blimp is pictured with Royal Australian Air Force Spitfires at Cuers-Pierrefeu, France, during World War II.,
Bar Harbor Naval Auxiliary Air Facility (NAAF)
Bar Harbor Naval Auxiliary Air Facility (NAAF)
Bar Harbor, Maine, US
Active: 1941-1945

Used by:

Wikipedia: Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport

Photo
ZP-11 K-Ship at Bar Harbor June 9, 1943,
Photo
USS Shenandoah at Bar Harbor on July 4, 1925,
Barranquilla Airport
Bizerte Airfield
Cagliari Elmas Airport
Camp Cooke
Camp Cooke
aka: Vandenberg AFB
Lompoc, California, US
Active: 1957-9999

Used by: ZP-31

Wikipedia: Vandenberg AFB

includes Point Arguello
Cannes – Mandelieu Airport
Caravelas Airport
Cayuga
Cocorote Airport (1935-1952)
Eglin Field
Elizabeth Field
Ensenada Airport
Fernando de Noronha Airport
Fernando de Noronha Airport
Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Active: 1942-1944

Used by: ZP-42

Wikipedia: Fernando de Noronha Airport

This is not a misplaced marker in the ocean.
There's land here. Zoom in to see.
Goodyear Training Field
Goodyear Training Field
Wingfoot Lake, Ohio, US
Active: 1944-1945

Used by: NA

Ibura Airport
Isla de Pinos
Isla de Pinos
aka: Isla de la Juventud
Isla de Pinos, Cuba
Active: 1944-1945

Used by:

Link: Winsberg

Photo
ZP-21 K-ship and native ground handling crew at Santa Fe, Isle of Pines, Cuba, 1944,
Kindley Field
La Chorrera Army Airfield
La Chorrera Army Airfield
La Chorrera, Panama
Active: 1941-1945

Used by: ZP-21 ZP-23

Wikipedia: La Chorrera Army Airfield

Used two portable stick mooring masts.
It was a sub-base of Albrook Field and later Howard Field which used for dispersal and overflow units as part of the defense of the Panama Canal.
La Senia Airport
Lajes Field
Lajes Field
aka: Lajes Air Base
aka: Air Base No. 4
Lajes, Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal
Active: 1944-

Used by:

Wikipedia: Lajes Field

photo
Aerial view of Lajes Field, 1946
Lido Beach Airfield
Lido Beach Airfield
aka: Giovanni Nicelli Airport
aka: Venice-San Nicolò Airport
aka: Venice-Lido Airport
Lido Island, Italy
Active: -

Used by: ZP-14

Wikipedia: Venice-Lido Airport

photo
U.S. Navy blimp over Venice, 1945
Littorio Airport
Littorio Airport
aka: Rome Urbe Airport
Rome, Italy
Active: 1945-1946

Used by: ZP-14 ZP-15

Wikipedia: Rome Urbe Airport

photo
Blimp over Rome in Spring 1945
Mandinga
Mandinga
, Mandinga, Panama
Active: 1944-1944

Used by:

Used a portable mooring mast. In operation from February to September.
Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport
Moffett Federal Airfield
Moffett Federal Airfield
Sunnyvale, California, US
Active: 1931-9999

Used by: ZP-31 ZP-32

Wikipedia: Moffett Federal Airfield

Link: Photos

photo
US Navy airships over Moffet Field, California during World II
photo
View of Hangar One, the huge dirigible hangar, with doors open at both ends
NAS Brunswick
NAS North Sydney
NAS Patuxent River
Naval Air Auxiliary Station Eureka
Naval Air Auxiliary Station Eureka
aka: Eureka Municipal Airport
Eureka, California, US
Active: 1943-1945

Used by: ZP-32 ZP-33

Link: CA History

photo
Eureka was a seaplane and LTA base. 24 June 1943
Naval Air Auxiliary Station Watsonville
Naval Air Auxiliary Station Watsonville
aka: Watsonville Municipal Airport
Watsonville, California, US
Active: 1943-1945

Used by: ZP-32

Link: CA History

photo
Blimps at mooring masts at Watsonville
Naval Air Facility Maceio
Naval Air Facility Maceio
aka: Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport
aka: Campo dos Palmares Airport
Maceio, Brazil
Active: 1943-1945

Used by: ZP-41 ZP-42

Link: NAF Maceio

photo
ZP 41 blimps at the mooring masts
Naval Air Facility San Julian
Naval Air Facility San Julian
aka: Base Aérea San Julián
Pinar del Río Province, Cuba
Active: 1942-

Used by: ZP-21 ZP-41

Wikipedia: San Julian Air Base

Naval Air Station Banana River
Naval Air Station Banana River
Cocoa Beach, Florida, US
Active: 1940-1947

Used by: ZP-21 ZP-41

Wikipedia: Patrick Space Force Base

photo
PBM-3Cs of Patrol Squadron 201 (VP-201) at NAS Banana River, late 1942
Naval Air Station Cape May
Naval Air Station Elizabeth City
Naval Air Station Glynco
Naval Air Station Hitchcock
Naval Air Station Houma
Naval Air Station Key West
Naval Air Station Key West
aka: Meachum Field
Boca Chica Key, Key West, Florida, US
Active: 1940-

Used by: ZP-21 ZX-11

Wikipedia: Naval Air Station Key West

photo
Aerial view of NAS Key West in the 1940s
Naval Air Station Lakehurst
Naval Air Station Port Lyautey
Naval Air Station Port Lyautey
aka: Kenitra Air Base
Kenitra, Morocco
Active: 1942-1977

Used by: ZP-14

Wikipedia: Naval Air Station Port Lyautey

Photo
K-114 and K-89 arrive in NAS Port Lyautey, Morocco,
photo
Naval Air Station Port-Lyautey
Naval Air Station Richmond
Naval Air Station Richmond
aka: Richmond Naval Lighter Than Air Station
Richmond, Florida, US
Active: 1942-

Used by: ZP-21 ZP-42

Wikipedia: Naval Air Station Richmond

photo
Two Timber LTA Hangars, Richmond, FL
photo
NAS Richmond hurricane, September 1945
Naval Air Station San Juan
Naval Air Station San Juan
aka: Isla Grande Airporte
Miramar, Puerto Rico
Active: 1939-

Used by: ZP-21 ZP-41 ZP-51

Link: Railroads of Puerto Rico

Photo
NAS San Juan,
Naval Air Station Santa Ana
Naval Air Station Santa Ana
Tustin, California, US
Active: 1942-1949

Used by: ZP-1 ZP-31 ZP-32

Wikipedia: Marine Corps Air Station Tustin

photo
Six blimps stored in one of the two massive hangars at NAS Santa Ana
photo
MCAS Tustin hangar No. 2
Naval Air Station South Weymouth
Naval Air Station Tillamook
Naval Air Station Tongue Point
Naval Air Station Trinidad
Naval Air Station Weeksville
Naval Air Station Weeksville
aka: Glynco Jetport
Weeksville, North Carolina, US
Active: 1941-1957

Used by: ZP-1 ZP-12 ZP-14 ZP-24

Wikipedia: Naval Air Station Weeksville

photo
Naval Air Station Weeksville in 1944, showing the steel LTA hangar (center) and timber LTA hangar (top left).
photo
Steel LTA Hangar, Weeksville. Six airships used for coastal patrol were housed in each hangar
Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Del Mar
Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Del Mar
Del Mar, California, US
Active: 1943-1945

Used by: ZP-31

Link: History

Photo
U.S. Naval Air Facility Del Mar,
photo
NAAF (LTA) Del Mar circa 1943 (NARA)
Naval Auxiliary Air Station Shelton
Naval Auxiliary Air Station Shelton
aka: Sanderson Field (after 1966)
aka: Mason County Airport (before 1941)
Shelton, Washington, US
Active: 1943-1955

Used by: ZP-33

Wikipedia: Sanderson Field

Link: World War II: Civilian Airports Adapted for Military Use

The first blimp (coming from NAS Tillamook) landed at NAAS Shelton in November 1944.
Photo
NAAS Shelton, WA blimp 1945, Mason County Historical Museum
Photo
NAAS Shelton, WA showing blimp on runway, 1945. That's probably the docking mast in the circular clearing to the right., Mason County Historical Museum
Naval Auxiliary Air Station, North Bend
Naval Base Coco Solo
Naval Base Coco Solo
, Cativá, Panama
Active: -

Used by:

Wikipedia: Coco Solo

P-38 Lightnings, PBY Catalina, and PBY2 Coronado aircraft were stationed there.
Photo
Coco Solo, Canal zone,
photo
Naval Station Coco Solo, Panama, in 1941
Naval Mine Warfare Test Station
Naval Mine Warfare Test Station
aka: Solomons Annex
Solomons, Maryland, US
Active: 1942-1947

Used by: ZJ-1 ZP-12

Link: State of Maryland

ZJ-1 Detachment One operated here
photo
Aerial view of NMWTS, 18 September 1943
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia
Argentia, Newfoundland, Canada
Active: 1944-1945

Used by: ZP-14

Wikipedia: Naval Station Argentia

photo
U.S. Navy Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland, late during the Second World War
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay
Naval Support Activity Charleston
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
Pisa International Airport
Pisa International Airport
aka: Pisa-San Giusto Airport
Pisa, Italy
Active: 1943-1945

Used by: ZP-14

Wikipedia: Pisa International Airport

P-47 Thunderbolts were flown from this field.
Photo
US Navy airship K-101 of Airship Patrol Squadron ZP-14 at Pisa, Italy,
Quillayute Naval Auxiliary Air Station
RAF Gibralta
RAF Gibralta
Gibralta
Active: 1944-1945

Used by: ZP-14

Wikipedia: Military history of Gibraltar during World War II

RAF Gibralta was a British base but in July 1942, Churchill placed Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower in charge of Gibralta's military.
photo
K-112, the first airship to land at Gibralta
RAF Station Ta Kali
RAF Station Ta Kali
Attard, Malta
Active: 1940-1945

Used by: ZP-14

Wikipedia: RAF Ta Kali

Unsure of exact location.
Roosevelt Roads Naval Station
San Benito Airport
San Benito Airport
Brownsville, Texas, US
Active: 1943-1944

Used by: ZP-31

Link: History

photo
A 1952 aerial view of the hangars at San Benito
Santa Cruz Air Force Base
Santa Cruz Air Force Base
aka: Bartolomeu de Gusmão Airport
Santa Crux, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Active: 1944-1945

Used by: ZP-42

Wikipedia: Santa Cruz Air Force Base

photo
K-84 lands at Santa Cruz, Brazil on December 7, 1943
Santa Fe Airport
Santo Amaro do Ipitanga Airpor
Vernam Field
Vernam Field
aka: Vernam Air Force Base
aka: Vernamfield
Kingston, Jamaica
Active: 1941-1949

Used by: ZP-23

Wikipedia: Vernam Field

Destroyers for Bases Agreement
Zandery Airport
LTA Squadron Designations
ZJ Airship Utility Squadron
ZP Airship Patrol Squadron
ZW Airship Airborne Early Warning Squadron
ZX Airship Development Squadron

Airships

Goodyear blimps
Goodyear blimps
M-class-blinp-600.webp
M-class blimp with much larger control car
Dimensions in feet
Type Length Diameter
G-class 186.6 42
K-class 253 57
L-class 147.5 39.8
M-class 302 69.5
N-class 343 76
Number built
G-class blimps 7
K-class blimps 133
L-class blimps 10
M-class blimps 4
N-class blimps 1

Airship assignments

The following list of airship assignments has lots of holes. If you can help fill in the squadron assignments, please let us know.

Airship assignments
Squadron Airships
ZJ-1 G‑7 G‑8 K‑28
ZP-1 (ZP‑31)
ZP-2 (ZP‑12)
ZP-3
ZP-4
ZP-11 G‑7 K‑3 K‑4 K‑5 K‑6 K‑8 K‑9 K‑10 K‑11 K‑12 K‑14 K‑15 K‑19 K‑25 K‑27 K‑34 K‑38 K‑42 K‑50 K‑69 K‑82 K‑92 K‑100 K‑125 L‑1
ZP-12 K‑16 K‑58 K‑64
ZP-14 K‑8 K‑9 K‑10 K‑89 K‑123 K‑101 K‑109 K‑112 K‑114 K‑123 K‑130 K‑134
ZP-15
ZP-21 K‑18 K‑19 K‑52 K‑74 M‑2 M‑3 M‑4
ZP-22
ZP-23 K‑62
ZP-24
ZP-30
ZP-31 K‑22
ZP-32 K‑20 K‑21 K‑22 K‑75 K‑107 L‑4 L‑6 L‑8 TC‑13 TC‑14
ZP-33 K‑31 K‑87 K‑97
ZP‑41 (ZP‑52) K-52 K‑84 K‑88 K‑90
ZP-42 K-36 K‑52 K‑73 K‑84 K‑88 K‑90 K‑98 K‑106 K‑108 K‑110 K‑114 K‑117 K‑118 K‑125 K‑128 K‑131 K‑132
ZP-51 K‑16 K‑17 K‑24 K‑32 K‑68 K‑74 K‑94 K‑100 K‑108 K‑124
ZP‑52 (ZP‑41)
ZW-1
ZW-11
ZX-11 ZPG-1 ZPG-2 ZPG-2W

Check out Don Kaiser's Airship Squadron pages for lots of photos.

Some of the information on this page was obtained from American Airship Bases & Facilities by James R. Shock

U.S. Navy Blimps in South America

Photos

ZP-14 crashed blimp at Port Lyautey.
ZP-14 crashed blimp at Port Lyautey after a French officer drove onto the field and severed the mooring line. Photo 1944 or 1945 by BM2/c Ed Wood.

Kite Balloons to Airships

Published in 1987 by the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air Warfare) and the Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, Washington, D.C

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Additional Reading

Panama at War