US Naval Air Station Paimboeuf France

[varifleman]

Here are photos of the US Naval Air Station at Paimboeuf France from an album compiled by an unnamed US sailor. Photos show some of the facilities and airships which operated from the base including the P-3 and P-4. A naval air station was established in 1918 at Paimbœuf, France (on the Loire River near Saint-Nazaire), and several airships were transferred from the French Navy to the United States Navy for protecting convoys in the Bay of Biscay and entering the port of Saint-Nazaire.

[varifleman]

a few more photos.

[Riffster]

Paimboeuf was one of three LTA NASs planned for France. It was the only one to be operational during the war, primarily because the French had already established it and turned it over to the U.S. It served as the training station for USN airship crew as well as conducting wartime patrols. Training of USN personnel began there December 1917, with mixed US/French crews making war patrols at the end of Feb. 1918. US took full control and commissioned it as an NAS on March 1, 1918.

Though the French delivered five airships (Zodiacs and Astra-Torres) to the base during its time under USN control, one was returned to the French (at their request) and another was sent on to the US (probably for a combination of training of new crew and study of its construction), so the station never had more than three airships operating at the same time.

The second USN LTA station was Guipavas, near Brest. The US had completed construction of the station by the Armistice, but it did not receive its first airship until the end of November 1918. Construction had begun on a third LTA station at Gujan, but construction was still ongoing on November 11.

My guess is that these pictures show the first two airships assigned to the base - a Zodiac and an Astra-Torres. (My sources identify them as VZ-3 and AT-1, respectively. Not sure where the "P" designations come from.)

-Larry

P.S. - and thanks for posting these!

[Froggy]

Bonjour

Here a link about Paimboeuf Naval station
it remains today only four concrete pillars

CAM paimboeuf

Bruno

[varifleman]

Thanks Riffter and Froggy for your contributions. Here are a few more photos including one of the French airship Capitaine Caussin.