Chronology of U. S. Naval Operating Base

Date

Event

January 25, 1941

U.S. Marines occupied Argentia Site.

February 13, 1941

U.S. Flag formally raised.

March 27, 1941

Lease of Argentia executed by British Government.

June 14, 1941

Leasehold formally effective.

July 15, 1941

Naval Operating Base commissioned.

August 10, 1941

Atlantic Charter Meeting between Pres. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill was held aboard U.S. and British vessels at anchor within the harbor of the Naval Operating Base. The inner harbor is known as Little Placentia Bay.

August 28, 1941

Naval Air Station commissioned.

Summer of 1941

Task Force 24, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, under Vice Admiral Bristol, established Flag Headquarters at Argentia aboard the U.S.S. PRAIRIE. This Flag was to remain at Argentia throughout the war.

February, 1942

U.S.S. POLLUX and U.S.S. TRUXTON lost by shipwreck on coast about 40 miles from Argentia in one of the worst disasters in U.S. Naval History. More than 100 victims of this catastrophe are buried in the Military Cemetery at Argentia.

Late Winter of 1942

U.S. Army Post, Fort McAndrew, established at Argentia, for added security of important Naval Base.

Spring of 1942

British Navy established maintenance base at Argentia to service heavy traffic at this port of convoy escort groups.

May 28, 1942

Fleet Air Wing 7 based at Naval Air Station. This wing flew anti-submarine patrols in the critical days of the U-Boat war. It was a pilot of a Fairwing 7 Squadron, on patrol from Argentia, who sent out the famous message "sighted sub, sank same."

Spring of 1942

Disastrous fire aboard U.S.S. PRAIRIE, flagship of Task 24, endangered shipping and harbor installations and cost several lives.

Vice Admiral Bristol, CTF-24 died of pneumonia at Argentia, largely brought on by overwork and strain of directing the Allied anti-submarine effort. Succeeded by Vice Admiral Brainard.

Summer of 1942

U.S. Army Air Units arrived to base at Argentia and assisted in anti-submarine patrols.

All of 1942

U-Boat warfare at its height. Pilots of Fleet Air Wing 7 and destroyers of Task Force 24 sank German submarines at very approaches to harbor.

Fall of 1942

Work upon base installations by civilian contractors was secured. Three Battalions of Seabees took over construction and completed the base. CB Maintenance Unit is still on board.

February, 1943

B.O.Q. at Naval Air Station burned to ground in disastrous million dollar fire. Several officers lost their lives.

Spring of 1943

Vice Admiral Brainard relieved by Vice Admiral Oldendorf as CTF-24.

May, 1943

British Navy established a R.N. Air Station at Argentia to furnish support to British escort CVEs operating from this base, and give repair services to their Fleet Air Arm.

Summer of 1943

Argentia was used as base for shakedown cruises of Navy's newest battleships. The INDIANA, SOUTH DAKOTA, ALBAMA, and IOWA held extended shakedown maneuveres.

U.S. Navy CVEs BOGUE and CARD, operating from Argentia, scored signal successes in anti-submarine warfare. Presidential Unit Citation awarded to U.S.S. CARD Task Group.

Spring of 1943

7,000 ton Floating Drydock went into commission at Argentia, along with a three million dollar Ship Repair Unit of machine shops and repair facilities. Hundreds of ships were serviced by this facility before the end of the war in 1945.

July, 1943

Naval Operating Base, Argentia, removed from First Naval District and placed directly under the jurisdiction of CTF-24, and the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet. At this time the Naval Air Station, Naval Station, Marine Barracks, Naval Supply Depot, Naval Magazine, and CB Battalions and 10th Construction Regiment were principal activities under NOB, Task Force 24, Fleet Air Wing 7, part of Fleet Air Wing 9, and a considerable part of Task Force 22 were U.S. fleet units based at Argentia. The British Navy operated a Maintenance Base for convoy escorts and a Royal Naval Air Station. Free French Naval Units operating at St. Pierre et Miquelon also were furnished logistic support as were U.S. Army, RAF, and RCAF at various Newfoundland fields.

August, 1943

Fleet Air Wing 7 departed Argentia to establish new operational base in England.

October, 1943

U.S.S. PRAIRIE, flagship of CTF-24, was detached. Admiral and staff moved their headquarters ashore.

December, 1943

Rear Admiral Edward H. Smith relieves Admiral Oldendorf as Commander, Task Force 24.

December, 1943

C.B. 10th Construction Regiment and 69th and 26th Battalions completed basic construction of all facilities and departed Argentia. They were replaced by C.B. Maintenance Battalion Number 525.

Winter of 1943-44

British task forces, led by CVEs HMS BITER and HMS TRACKER; together with large Allied escort groups operated from Argentia with outstanding successes against enemy submarines.

Spring of 1944

Atlantic Weather Patrol was assigned to Task Force 24 and based at Argentia as Task Group 24.5.

Spring of 1944 to End of War in May

U.S. Atlantic Fleet Task Force 22 used Argentia extensively in anti-submarine operations. American CVEs BOGUE, CORE, TRIPOLI, CROATAN and MISSION BAY; together with more than 50 DEs and Patrol Craft were continuous visitors to the base. They formed the largest task force ever gathered under the American flag in the Atlantic, and were rendered major logistic support, repair, and recreational service by Argentia. Activity of the CVEs and DE "killer groups" reached a peak during the last spurt of the German underseas fleet in March and April of 1945. During that period issues of provisions reached a record average of 2,000 tons per month, the entire stock of diesel oil would be exhausted in 5 days, GSK issues ran 2,000 tons a month, and Small Stores and the Ship's Store facilities broke all records in number of persons served. Generally supplies were exhausted much faster than they could be replenished although the Service Force kept a constant stream of tankers and Supply vessels routed to Argentia.

August, 1944

Captain Lester J. Hudson, USN, assumes duty as Commandant, NOB Argentia.

Summer and Fall of 1944

L.T. A. operations were conducted at Argentia. Blimp Squadrons were based here for anti-submarine reconnaissance and to ferry L.T. A. blimps from here to the Mediterranean theatre by way of the Azores.

August, 1944

Admiral Ingersoll, Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Fleet, was SOPA at Argentia for a brief period, aboard his flagship, the U.S.S. VIXEN. During this period German U-Boat efforts reached a vicious pitch. More than 250 survivors of sunken Naval craft were in the hospital at Argentia in July and August, and German survivors of shattered U-Boats were brought in as prisoners of war.

November, 1944

Captured German weather ship, the EXTERNSTEINE, with prisoners, was brought into Argentia by Commodore Rose, Commander Greenland Patrol, escorted by two new 7,000 ton ice breakers, the "EASTWIND" and the "SOUTHWIND."

April, 1945

Survivors of torpedoed U.S.S. DAVIS and more German prisoners brought in to Argentia.

May 6, 1945

European War ends

May, 1945

Task Force 24 designated for Air-Sea Rescue operations in North Atlantic to cover Army redeployments by air. PCS and SCs join task force at Argentia for this duty.

Two German destroyers captured in Europe and sailed by prize crews stop at Argentia for fuel, provisions, and stores en route to the States for examination and study by intelligence authorities.

August, 1945

Rear Admiral Edward H. Smith relieved as Commander, Task Force 24, by Rear Admiral E.G. Rose.

August, 1945

Dependents of Naval personnel arrive to live on Naval base; - first families to be quartered on base since evacuation of all dependents back to continental U.S. following Pearl Harbour and declaration of war.

September, 1945

Two German submarines captured in Europe stop at Argentia en route to the States. U-Boats, sailed on the surface by prize crews, put in for fuel, repairs, provisions, and stores.

October, 1945

Admiral Sir Humphrey Walwyn, Governor General of Newfoundland, and Lady Walwyn pay state visit to NOB; - their first official visit in peacetime.

October 27, 1945

First peacetime Navy Day celebration held at NOB. More than 2,500 Newfoundlanders visit base. All ships in port hold "open house". Marine drill; movies; dancing; receptions; parties; and other events feature base wide observance.

This Page is a part of a Historical and Cultural Web Site created by the students of Laval High School Placentia, NFLD (A0B 2Y0) Updated Feb/2000