National Museum of the U.S. Navy

U.S. Naval Air Station:  Pauillac, France

The U.S. Naval Air Station at Pauillac, France, was established in December 1917 as an assembly and repair station supporting all U.S. Naval Air Stations in France.  Of note, the first contingent of U.S. naval aviators (the First Naval Aeronautical Detachments) landed at the station earlier that year on June 5.   USS Jupiter (Collier #3), which transported the aviators, would later be converted to the U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier, USS Langley (CV-1).   In April 1918, the firt shipment of Liberty engines arrived at the southwestern France location.   These engines were followed by the first U.S. Navy aircraft, HS-1's, a month later and were assembled and successfully fown in June.   Three-hundred pigeons were also used at the location.   The station was  disestablished in February 1919.

Image:  NH 113845:  U.S. Naval Air Station, Pauillac, France, circa WWI.  U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.