RNAS Capel (later RAF Folkestone) was a

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

airship station near Folkestone, Kent.

History

When Germany declared in February 1915 that it would commence unrestricted submarine warfare the Royal Navy responded with the building of airship stations around the coast. Being close to the Dover Straits the open fields east of Capel-le-Ferne were seen as ideal location for a base and work began in April 1915. Although not entirely completed, the base was officially opened on 8 May 1915, under the command of Lt. A.D. Cunningham. The first airship for Capel was to have been SS-1 the first of a new sea scout class of non-rigid airships, on delivery to Capel from

RNAS Kingsnorth RNAS Kingsnorth was a First World War Royal Navy air station for airships, initially operating as an experimental and training station, it later moved on to large scale production of airships. It also provided anti-submarine patrols. A number ...

on 7 May it hit telegraph wires and was destroyed. Despite the accident more sea scouts were soon delivered to Capel.

Airship production

Following the successful repair to SS-10 at Capel production of the airships moved from Kingsnorth to Capel, although by 1916 production had moved again to Vickers at Barrow and RNAS Wormwood Scrubs. The engineering section at Capel went on to design an improved variant of the SS airship which would be known as the SSZ. The SSZ had an improved aluminium covered ash-framed car and was fitted with a 75hp Rolls-Royce Hawk aero-engine, it was fitted with a envelope and test flown in August 1916. When the Admiralty were informed about the new airship they censured the air station for carrying out unauthorised modifications, but on the other hand ordered the type into production.

Operations

The airships carried out patrols along the English coast, and escorted shipping across the channel as a lookout for submarines. In April 1918, the Royal Air Force was formed and Capel became RAF Folkestone. By then it had three large airship sheds and a grass landing area. On 16 September 1918, while under the command of a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

officer, SSZ.1 depth-charged and sank submarine UB-103. Two sub-stations were used: at Godmersham Park north of

Wye Wye may refer to: Place names *Wye, Kent, a village in Kent, England ** Wye College, agricultural college, part of University of London before closure in 2009 **Wye School, serving the above village ** Wye railway station, serving the above villa ...

, and Wittersham south of

Tenterden Tenterden is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the remnant forest the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother. It was a member of the Cinque Ports Confederation. Its riverside today is ...

. The sites were used as mooring-out bases where airships could be secured in a sheltered area.

Closure

Following the end of the First World War, the station closed during the summer of 1919. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the site was used as a radio monitoring station.

References

Citations

Bibliography

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Capel Capel may refer to: People *Capell, surname, includes a list of people with the surnames Capel and Capell *Capel (given name), includes a list of people with the given name Capel Places England *Capel, Kent, a village and civil parish near T ...