Naval Air Station Port Lyautey is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station in Morocco, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-northwest of Kenitra and about 120 kilometres (75 mi) 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 a U.S. Army Raider team. The destroyer USS Dallas came up the Sebou River, silenced the shore batteries with its guns and landed the Raider team which in turn captured the airfield.
Naval Air Station Port Lyautey
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Location of Naval Air Station Port Lyautey, Morocco
After being secured, the airfield was upgraded by Seabees and used by the United States Army Air ForcesTwelfth Air Force33d Fighter Group, flying 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. The Group moved to Casablanca Airfield on 13 November. The 1st Troop Carrier Squadron (10th Troop Carrier Group) operated C-47 Skytrains from the airfield from 11 March to 25 November 1943.
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 1 June 1944.[1] Blimp Squadron 14 airships K-123 and K-130 were followed by K-109 and K-134 on 15 June and K-101 and K-112 on 1 July 1944. The K-ships flew nighttime antisubmarine patrols using MAD while the PBY Catalinas from Fleet Air Wing 15 flew the dayshift, creating a 24/7 magnetic fence across the Straits of Gibraltar.[2]
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.[3] 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:
During the years 1966–69 Kenitra NAS was used also as a training facility by the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF). Personnel from the Moroccan United States Liaison Office (MUSLO), made up of USAF ATC support and flight personnel prepared for the first delivery of Northrop F-5A/B aircraft. Most of the MUSLO team members had previously been assigned to Williams Field, Arizona where the Moroccan pilots and technicians were initially trained.[citation needed]
Starting in the 1960s, the base was called a United States Naval Training Command, and would be called that until it closed in 1977. The base was closed in September–October 1978 and transferred to the RMAF.[citation needed]
See alsoedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Naval Air Station Port Lyautey.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Maurer Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN0-89201-092-4.
Maurer Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
January 01, 1970
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Naval Air Station Port Lyautey is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station in Morocco about 5 kilometres 3 1 mi north northwest of Kenitra and about 120 kilometres 75 mi 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 Naval Air Station Port LyauteyLocated near Kenitra MoroccoCoordinates34 17 56 10 N 006 35 42 84 W 34 2989167 N 6 5952333 W 34 2989167 6 5952333TypeNaval Air StationSite informationControlled byFrench Naval Air StationUnited States NavySite historyBuilt1919 French In use1942 1977 Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II 1 2 Cold War 2 See also 3 Citations 4 External linksHistory editWorld War II edit See also Battle of Port Lyautey 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 a U S Army Raider team The destroyer USS Dallas came up the Sebou River silenced the shore batteries with its guns and landed the Raider team which in turn captured the airfield nbsp nbsp Naval Air Station Port Lyauteyclass notpageimage Location of Naval Air Station Port Lyautey Morocco After being secured the airfield was upgraded by Seabees and used by the United States Army Air Forces Twelfth Air Force 33d Fighter Group flying 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 The Group moved to Casablanca Airfield on 13 November The 1st Troop Carrier Squadron 10th Troop Carrier Group operated C 47 Skytrains from the airfield from 11 March to 25 November 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 The USAAF 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 one being US Navy Patrol Squadron VP 63 using first generation magnetic anomaly detector MAD gear 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 1 June 1944 1 Blimp Squadron 14 airships K 123 and K 130 were followed by K 109 and K 134 on 15 June and K 101 and K 112 on 1 July 1944 The K ships flew nighttime antisubmarine patrols using MAD while the PBY Catalinas from Fleet Air Wing 15 flew the dayshift creating a 24 7 magnetic fence across the Straits of Gibraltar 2 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 3 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 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 416th Bombardment Squadron after V E Day 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 edit nbsp A U S Navy A3D 2 Skywarrior landing at Port Lyautey circa 1958 The airfield was expanded to a major US Naval Air Station in 1951 It primarily supported land based naval reconnaissance aircraft such as the P4M Mercator in the 1950s the P 2 Neptune in the 1950s and 1960s and the Lockheed P 3 Orion 4 EP 3 Aries and EA 3 Skywarrior 5 6 in the 1960s and 1970s citation needed During the years 1966 69 Kenitra NAS was used also as a training facility by the Royal Moroccan Air Force RMAF Personnel from the Moroccan United States Liaison Office MUSLO made up of USAF ATC support and flight personnel prepared for the first delivery of Northrop F 5A B aircraft Most of the MUSLO team members had previously been assigned to Williams Field Arizona where the Moroccan pilots and technicians were initially trained citation needed Starting in the 1960s the base was called a United States Naval Training Command and would be called that until it closed in 1977 The base was closed in September October 1978 and transferred to the RMAF citation needed See also edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Naval Air Station Port Lyautey Kenitra Airport US Naval Bases North AfricaCitations edit Blimp Squadron ZP 14 Archived from the original on 13 November 2009 Retrieved 25 May 2011 Kaiser Don 2011 K Ships Across The Atlantic PDF Naval Aviation News Vol 93 2 Archived from the original PDF on 17 February 2015 Retrieved 21 August 2018 File Atcroutes 1sep1945 jpg Pike John VP 10 Patrol Squadron TEN www globalsecurity org Retrieved 21 August 2018 Archived copy Archived from the original on 4 January 2016 Retrieved 7 January 2014 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link a3skywarrior com html files a 3production htmlExternal links edit nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Maurer Maurer Air Force Combat Units of World War II Maxwell AFB Alabama Office of Air Force History 1983 ISBN 0 89201 092 4 Maurer Maurer ed 1982 1969 Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II PDF reprint ed Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 405 12194 6 LCCN 70605402 OCLC 72556 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Naval Air Station Port Lyautey amp oldid 1204055887, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
