Hunters Point Naval Shipyard
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Also known as
[Treasure Island Naval Station - Hunters Point Annex]  |
 "Artisit's Conception of Proposed Improvements for Hunters' Point when acquired by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. LTD." WIKIPEDIA |
| The
original docks were built on solid rock. In
1916 the drydocks were thought to be the largest in the world. At over
1000 feet
in length, they were said to be big enough to accommodate the world's
largest
warships and passenger steamers. Soundings showed an offshore depth of
sixty-five feet. During the early 20th century much of the Hunters
Point
shoreline was extended by landfill extensions into the San
Francisco Bay. Wikipedia |
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First permanent
dry-dock on Pacific coast - Hunters Point Dry Dock 1867 The name "Hunters Point" refers to an
area
on San Francicso bay just South of the city. The name comes from a
pioneer
family of that name who were living there, rather than from the good
game and
duck shooting thereabouts as is commonly supposed. Many of these photos
come
from the photo collection at the SF Public Library.Hunters
Point: History
The Bay Area had two naval shipyards
operation at the outbreak of World War II, Hunters Point and Mare Island. The Bay Area, a hub
of the 1849 gold rush, saw a huge influx of ships bringing fortune
seekers to the region. Ship repair and dismantling businesses naturally
followed.
The 1867 dry dock opened at Potrero Point, later changed to Hunters Point. The Union Iron Works [later Bethlemem Shipbuilding] operated the dry dock and a pair of graving docks at the site. From: World War II Shipyards by the Bay by Nicholas Veronico |
| The article continues: In 1939, the
U.W. Navy bought a 47-acre parcel for just under $4 million. In 9142,
with America at war, the navy seized more than 100 homes surrounding
Hunters Point to expand the base and peak employment reached 18,000 in
1945. During the war hundreds of ships were serviced and on the USS Indianapolis CA-35, the components of "Little Boy", the first atom bomb
dropped on Japan, were loaded. Hunters Point served through the
Korean and Vietnam Wars and was used to test Polaris submarine-launched
missels during the cold war. the base closed in 1994. |
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Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, 1945 - Notice the Victory Mail icon included in the image.
NAVY DAY GUIDE at Hunters Point - - View Dry Dock No.4 Details
USS Iowa BB-61 in Dry Dock on July 4, 1953
The U.S.S. Iowa in drydock at Hunters Point, where the ship had been since March, 1949. Workmen removed blanks covering up
seaward passages, cleaned the bottom, repainted, sandblasted the hull, and on the topside, activated equipment such as guns,
radar, range finders, winches and capstans. The 'Mighty I' had taken President Roosevelt to Tehran, but spent most of World War II
in the Pacific. She was the first of the 45,000-ton battleships, and was commissioned in February, 1943. "
Polaris Missle Tests at Hunters Point in 1959 using their large CRANE.
Ships that have been moored in Hunters Point.
USS Paul Revere APA-248 from Nov. 1969 to Apr. 1970. USS Yorktown CV-10 on Nov. 2 1945.
USS Sanctuary AH-17 entered in
reserve 31 Aug. 1971 and was converted for
use as a dependents' hospital
and as a
commissary/Navy exchange retail store. On 18 Nov. 1972 she became the
first
United States Navy ship with a mixed male–female ship's company.
