Open AccessThe American Naval Base in Ponta Delgada, 1917–19
Author(s) -
Sérgio Rezendes
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
marine corps history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2381-3768
pISSN - 2381-375X
DOI - 10.35318/mch.2021070102
Subject(s) - archipelago , navy , port (circuit theory) , base (topology) , operations research , world war ii , military base , first world war , aeronautics , history , engineering , telecommunications , geography , archaeology , ancient history , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , mathematics
This article derives from a master’s thesis about the consequences of World War I in the Azores archipelago that included a chapter dedicated to the U.S. Navy facilities at Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel. With its two U.S. Marine Corps units, U.S. Naval Base 13 defended the port, a British wireless station near Ponta Delgada, and support structures for the assigned or passing naval units. This article offers a vision of Naval Base 13 as a U.S./Europe border during World War I that was critical to the protection of British and American military and commercial shipping and denying Germany any base of operations in the region from which to launch attacks on Allied forces.