Question: Where in Texas did the U.S. Navy build a base for blimps to patrol the Gulf Coast during World War II?
Answer: Hitchcock. Between April 1942 and March 1943, 24 German U-boats sank 56 ships and damaged 14 more in the Gulf of Mexico. In response, the U.S. Navy built an $8.5 million blimp base on 3,500 acres near Hitchcock to surveil shipping routes.
The base had 47 buildings—including a massive 200-foot-tall hangar—and was staffed by 150 personnel. It was repurposed in 1944 and passed into private use after the war. The radio transmission center was converted into a home that is currently listed for $1.25 million. It sits on a 10-acre estate with mature oaks, wild pecans, a small fruit orchard, and a pond.
