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    USN March 7, 1943  USN March 11, 1944 |
Location NAS Alameda Located at Alameda on the western end of Alameda Island in Alameda County in California in the United States of America (USA). To the northwest is Oakland. Borders San Francisco Bay to the west and beyond San Francisco. Construction In 1927 wetlands in the area were filled to form an airport with a single east/west runway, three hangars, an administration building, and a yacht harbor. The airport site included the Alameda Terminal of the First Transcontinental Railroad. By 1930, United States Army Air Corps operations referred to the site as "Benton Field". Pan American World Airways used the yacht harbor as the California terminal for China Clipper trans-Pacific flights beginning in 1935. On 1 June 1936, the city of Alameda ceded the airport to the United States government a few months before the Army discontinued operations from the field. Pan American World Airways shifted its terminal to Treasure Island in 1939 for the Golden Gate International Exposition. Congressional appropriations passed in 1938 for construction of naval air station facilities for two carrier air wings, five seaplane squadrons and two utility squadrons. Appropriations were increased in 1940 for construction of two seaplane hangars and an aircraft carrier berthing pier, and naval operations began November 1, 1940. Wartime History After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Fleet Air Wing 8 (Patrol Wing 8) began patrol and scouting missions. On April 1, 1942 sixteen B-25B Mitchells were loaded on the deck of USS Hornet (CV-8) and the next day the aircraft carrier departs for the "Doolittle Raid" against Japan. During March 1943, wreckage of A6M2-N Rufe floatplane fighters captured at Tulagi Seaplane Base were transported to NAS Alameda for testing and evaluation. Wreckage included A6M2-N Rufe 821. Postwar Alameda became headquarters for a system of auxiliary airfields. The runways were lengthened for jet aircraft. In 1967 after the death of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, renamed "Nimitz Field". The base was used until 1997. Today Closed as a US Navy base on April 25, 1997. Today site of the USS Hornet Museum. USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum The museum includes the USS Hornet CV-12 moored at this location Contribute
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