Naval Air Station Bermuda Annex

Naval Operating Base

Two islands at the western side of Ely's Harbour, Tucker's and Morgan's, were levelled, adding 36 acres (150,000 m) to Bermuda's landmass, and creating a peninsula extending from the Main Island. The entire base measured 260 acres (1.1 km). It was not long enough to allow a useful runway, but did have extensive tarmac and hangar areas. Large Martinflying boats could be pulled ashore for hangarage, and servicing. When the area was first occupied by the US Navy, it was titled the Naval Operating Base. Once the Naval Air Station was completed, the US Navy relocated its air operations to it from Darrell's Island. The base continued to be used for this purpose until 1965, when the last flying boats were withdrawn from service. US Navy P-2 Neptune landplanes, based at the USAF's Kindley Air Force Base, then took over the maritime patrol role. The former Naval Air Station was redubbed the Naval Air Station Bermuda Annex (NAS Annex). It served primarily as a dock area for US Naval shipping, until the closure of all of the US bases at the end of the Cold War, in 1995.