1940-1945

Natural catastrophe strikes NAS Richmond

South Dade dirigibles base built for U-boat patrols

Commissioned in September 1942, Richmond Naval Air Station was the home base of a fleet of Navy Lighter than Air blimps, whose task it was to patrol the waters off the Florida coast for German U-boats during World War II. The effectiveness of blimps in deterring submarine activity was due in large part to their ability to stay in the air far longer than airplanes. The most widely used model in anti-submarine warfare, the K-class blimp, built for the Navy by the Goodyear Aircraft Company of Akron, OH, had an endurance capability of over 24 hours. The K-ships could hover and operate at low altitudes and slow speeds, ideal for detecting U-boats and for search and rescue efforts. They were equipped with radar which had a 90-mile range, sonobuoys which relayed acoustic information to crew members when dropped in water and magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment. They were also equipped for night flying. The blimps were normally operated by a crew of 10 from a 40 foot long control car.

A “country club” of lighter-than-air bases

Located in a remote, wooded area of South Dade County, the Richmond Naval Air Station was the last of a chain of Lighter than Air bases built on the Atlantic seaboard to support convoy operations. When the last of its huge three wooden hangars was completed — at the time deemed the largest wooden structures in the world — NAS Richmond was the most active naval airship station in the country. The quality and speed with which it was constructed made it something of a showcase. In less than six months after construction was started, in April 1942, 36 buildings had been erected. The 2107-acre site contained a mess hall, officers’ and enlisted men’s quarters, a recreational and administration building, a 30-bed dispensary, a firehouse, incinerator, main gate house, observation tower and storage and maintenance facilities. Beginning in December 1942, the base was also used by heavier than air PBY patrol bomber reconnaissance planes and in March of the following year, a LTA training school was also established. At the peak of training activities, about 2500 personnel were housed at the base. Built at a cost of $13 million, Richmond Naval Air Station earned a reputation as the Country Club of Lighter than Air bases.

The hurricane approaches

Then, on September 15, 1945, disaster struck. A Category 3 hurricane hit Homestead with full force. In the days leading up to the storm, local airports and private aircraft owners had sought shelter in the large, supposedly hurricane-proof, hangars at NAS Richmond. On September 14, officials at the Opa Locka naval airfield in North Dade had sent 61 torpedo bombers to Richmond, bringing the total of military aircraft stored within the hangars to 213. Civilian planes stored at the field, including many used by the Civil Air Patrol, numbered 153, including 40 from Chapman Field and 12 belonging to Embry-Riddle. Both civilian and military Heavier-Than-Air (HTA) craft struggled for space alongside 25 K-type blimps moored within the structure. All remaining space was taken up by 150 private and military vehicles.

Fiery inferno erupts

At around 5:42 PM, as 126 mph winds descended upon the base, Hangar No. 1 suddenly burst into flames. Within minutes Hangar 2 caught fire, followed by Hangar 3. Structures exploded. The high-octane blimp fuel stored in the hangars, fanned by the winds of the hurricane, rendered firefighters’ efforts futile.

Above left: Photo courtesy http://www.uboatarchive.net

The fire was widely regarded as the worst in the continental United States in 1945 and was described as one of the most devastating blazes in the nation’s history. Officials confirmed the destruction of the hangars and all equipment stored within them. Initial estimates put the damage at $30,000,000. Tragically, investigators discovered Fire Chief Harry Shulze, the sole fatality, beneath wreckage from collapsed timbers near a group of small trucks.

Searching for the cause

Subsequent investigations as to the cause of the blaze were inconclusive. The most widely accepted explanation, voiced by Embry Riddle’s operations manager F. W. Wiggins, was that “As the structures collapsed from the 126 mph winds, sparks from falling debris and severed powerlines ignited the gasoline from ruptured fuel tanks.”

Former base has served multiple purposes

Given the extent of the damage, and the end of the war in Europe earlier in the year, the base was not rebuilt. Following cleanup, it was officially deactivated in February 1946. It was subsequently repurposed by the University of Miami for use as a South Campus to accommodate a surge in postwar student enrollment. Today, the land formerly used as the Naval Air Station is the site of Zoo Miami and the Larry & Penny Thompson Memorial Park, the largest campground and park in the County. The Gold Coast Railroad Museum and Miami Military Museum also occupy part of the former station.