ORIGINAL WW2 US NAVAL AIR STATION KEY WEST AIRSHIP SQDN DEVELOPMENT HANGAR PHOTO

Description

WW2 US * NAVAL AIR STATION KEY WEST AIRSHIP SQUADRON DEVELOPMENT HANGAR PHOTO c1943
RARE ORIGINAL PHOTO OF WW2 U.S. * NAVAL AIR STATION KEY WEST AIRSHIP SQUADRON TWO FLEET AIR DETACHMENT AIRSHIP DEVELOPMENT SQUADRON II-DET-I  HANGAR ENTRANCE PHOTO. ON THE UPPER RIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE SQUADRON INSIGNIA (Airship Devron Eleven ZX-11). THIS WAS IN
* CHARLES SALEM SOLAR 's (A.M.M.1C.)
PHOTO COLLECTION, GIVEN BY HIM TO AN ADMIRER IN THE 1970's.
* CHARLES SALEM SOLAR
WAS A CREWMEMBER AND SURVIVOR OF THE CRASHES OF SEVERAL U.S. NAVY RIDGID AIRSHIPS INCLUDING ***AIRSHIP SHENANDOAH, ** AIRSHIP ZRS-5 USS MACON AMONG OTHERS AND HAD MANY OTHER NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. HE ALSO SURVIVED THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR AND RECEIVED A PURPLE HEART.
BELOW IS A LIST OF THE AIRSHIPS CHARLES S. SOLAR WAS ON ACTIVE SERVICE ON FROM WW1 MARCH 29,1917 TO JANUARY 1,1948 :
ZR-1 USS SHENANDOAH (CREWMEMBER AND CRASH SURVIVOR)
ZR-2 (R-38) (PRESENT IN ENGLAND AIRSHIP BASE AT TIME OF CRASH)
ZR-3 (LZ-126) USS LOS ANGELES (CREWMEMBER)
ZRS-4 USS AKRON (CREWMEMBER BUT NOT AT TIME OF CRASH)
ZRS-5 USS MACON (CREWMEMBER AND CRASH SURVIVOR)
*
Naval Air Station Key West
, a seaplane base was designated on 15 December 1940 to serve as an operating and training base for fleet aircraft squadrons, to include seaplane, land-based aircraft, carrier-based aircraft and
lighter-than-air blimp squadrons
to support Navy
destroyers
, submarines, patrol craft and
PBY
flying boat and amphibious aircraft.
** USS
Macon
(ZRS-5)
was a rigid airship built and operated by the United States Navy for scouting and served as a "flying aircraft carr five single-seat Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk for scouting or two-seat Fleet N2Y-1 for training. In service for less than 2 years was damaged in California's Big Sur coast, though most of the crew were saved.
*** USS
Shenandoah
(ZR-1)
was the first of four U.S. Navy rigid airships. It was constructed during 1922–1923 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station and first flew in September 1923. It developed the U.S. Navy's experience with rigid airships and made the first crossing of North America by airship. On the 57th flight,
Shenandoah
was destroyed in a squall line over Ohio in September 1925.
SHARP FOCUSED WITH VERY GOOD CONTRAST.
DIMENSIONS: 4" x 5"
VERY FINE.
" AIRSHIP DEVRON ELEVEN ZX-11"
PATCH SHOWN IS FOR REFERENCE ONLY AND IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS LISTING.
THIS IS NOT A REPRODUCTION OR A COPY.
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