posted by Peter at 4:33 PM
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Tuesday, February 18, 2014
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Recommissioned 7 December 1950, Earle B. Hall sailed from Jacksonville, 19 December, for her home port, Norfolk. After refresher training, she departed 29 May 1951, for a 3-month northern cruise, supplying such outposts as Grondal, Greenland. Returning to Norfolk, she trained Marines in amphibious warfare off Onslow Beach, N.C., and in the CaribbeanAfter World War II, Air Force planners began to examine the feasibility of establishing a bomber base at Thule. The remote weather station's location was perfect -halfway between Moscow and New York- to stage long range B-52 bombers, and even more ideal to host interceptors. Thus in 1951, the Air Force secretly began construction on the base in an effort dubbed Operation Blue Jay. The project was massive. According to Thule's website: The construction is said to have been comparable in scale to the enormous effort required to build the Panama Canal. The Navy transported the bulk of men, supplies, and equipment from the shipyards in Norfolk, VA. On 6 June 1951, an armada of 120 shipments sailed from Norfolk. 12,000 men and 300,000 tons of cargo arrived at Thule on 9 July 1951. Construction took place around the clock. The workers lived on-board the ship until quarters were built. Once they moved into the quarters, the ships returned home. (source: officersclub.blogspot.com)
