NAS Corpus Christi 1942 ...

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7817

Heres a real nice photo set of NAS Corpus Christi from the LIFE archives. Really gives a good idea of how busy it was back then. A few of these images I posted before in other threads but they all belong here in this set.

Naval Aviation flight training on the Texas Gulf Coast, as recorded by LIFE magazine photographer Dmitri Kessel in late 1942.

Part 1

NAS Corpus Christi hangar ramp aerial view

Catalina off the Texas Gulf coast

Kingfisher at Corpus Christi

Kingfishers at Corpus Christi

N3N-3 seaplane trainers on the ramp at Corpus Christi

NAAS Rodd Field hangar ramp aerial view

NAAS Rodd Field ramp

NAS Corpus Christi hangar ramp aerial view

NAS Corpus Christi hangar activity

NAS Corpus Christi seaplane ramp aerial view

NAS Corpus Christi seaplane ramp

Naval Outlying Field #42

Naval Outlying Landing Field #36

Naval Outlying Landing Field #41 Near Laguna Larga TX south of Corpus Christi Also coded as NOLF20115

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7817

Part 2

PBM-3 on the seaplane ramp

PBY-5A's at Corpus Christi

PBYs on the seaplane ramp

Seaplane training hangar at Corpus Christi

SNC-1's on the ramp at Corpus Christi

6-ship flight of SNJ's over the Gulf

SNJ-4 BuNo10153

SNJ's in the barn at Corpus Christi

SNJ's on the ramp at Corpus Christi

SNV-1 ramp at Corpus Christi

Speedy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:18 pm

Great photos. I spent lots of time in those same hangars and on those ramps. The N3N's and BT-13's replaced by T-34C's and T-44's, and the PBY's replaced by the Customs Service P-3's. Lots of hours running up and down that seawall too.

I wonder if those outlying fields in the later photos are the 1940's versions of Waldron and Cabiness fields to the south and southwest of NAS.

Junkyard36 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:39 am

Mark -

You've really outdone yourself with this set of photos! Thanks for posting.

I grew up in Corpus and spent a lot of time on the old sea plane ramps - as I grew older, the portion of the sea plane ramps in front of the senior officer housing was a favorite run route of mine.

Speedy -

Waldron, Cabaniss and Cuddihy Fields were very similar in construct to Rodd Field - hangars, a tower or two and some basic infrastructure. The out lying fields were spread throughout the surrounding countryside (Petronila, Goliad, etc) to provide emergency landing options for the student pilots.

Thanks,

Mike

PropsRule · **Posted:** Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:40 am

The "Naval Outlying Fields" (love that name) look very easy to spot from the air. Was that the intent or just a coincidence? It would have been nice for a student pilot on a solo cross country to be able to find the destination fields easily.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:55 am

Until I saw the rear 3/4 shot of the PBM on the beaching gear, I never realized what very narrow fields of fire the top turret gunner had.
On the same subject, whazzzup with what look like 'booster' elevators on the MARINER? needed extra muscle to make it leave the water?

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7817

A few photos in question state the following:

Naval Outlying Landing Field #36
Location: Near Driscoll, TX, west of Corpus Christi - also coded as NOLF 26832.

Naval Outlying Landing Field #41
Location: South of Corpus Christi - also coded as NOLF 20410.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:38 pm

Hi Mark,

HOLY CRAP! First thing I think when I started looking was, OK - SNVs, SNJs, N3Ns yada yada yada; what else have they got hidden away?

Scroll down a bit and get my answer - F3Fs and SBCs in the maintenance hangar, and even better, long shots of them parked out on the ramp! Must have been hacks or target tugs by that point.

Wonder what they were doing with all the wheeled Kingfishers?

Bravo to you for digging them up!

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1471

Nice shots! I didn't know Curtiss built that many SNC's.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7817

Here's additional photos from the series. Very interesting place and time. 1942 must have been quite the time to be a Naval Aviator. Lots going on.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7817

BTW! there's what look to be SBD's in a hangar. I'll give a prize to the first one who finds them and can verify that they are indeed SBD's :wink:

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

Mark Allen M wrote:

BTW! there's what look to be SBD's in a hangar. I'll give a prize to the first one who finds them and can verify that they are indeed SBD's :wink:

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7817

Nice one! Mike, they sure do look like SBD's don't they .... So what's you favorite Warbird?

M

jdvoss · **Posted:** Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:40 pm

Mark;

I have reviewed all of the "in hangar' photos (twice) and I DO NOT spot any SBD's. However, I did note that in the 24th photo down there is a Curtiss SNC.

BTW, if you look at Paul Freemans abandoned airfield website http://www.airfields-freeman.com (Texas- Corpus Christi) he has period sectional charts posted and there were a very large number of OLF's in the area.

JohnCFord · **Posted:** Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:57 pm

Wow! That was a very good group of photos. Lots of fun. :supz:

~J~

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