Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Shipyard Norfolk Naval Shipyard (often referred to Norfolk Navy Yard, founded as Gosport Shipyard ) is an agency of the U.S. Navy in Portsmouth, Virginia ( which is not to be confused with Portsmouth Naval Shipyard ). It lies on the Elizabeth River just upstream of the mouth at Hampton Roads.

History

British shipyard

The shipyard was founded as Gosport Shipyard on November 1, 1767 by Andrew Sprowle on the western shore of the Elizabeth River. There ships were built for the British Crown. As in 1775, began the American Revolution, the British Sprowle remained faithful and fled from Virginia, which then confiscated the shipyard and operation. 1779 British soldiers burned down the yard.

American shipyard

1794 passed a law the U.S. Congress, which allowed the federal government to lease the yard. 1799 there the keel of the USS Chesapeake was laid, a sister ship of the famous USS Constitution.

1801 the federal government finally bought the shipyard of Virginia, the price was $ 12,000. This went 65,000 m² in the possession of the government, which began in 1827 with the construction of a dry dock, this was the first in America. 1845 land was bought on the east bank of the river.

American Civil War

1861, when Virginia joined the Confederate States of America, the shipyard workers burned down the system, a short time after the Confederates took over the shipyard. The buildings from the non- completely burned USS Merrimack, CSS Virginia, who took part shortly after the Battle of Hampton Roads. As the Confederates left the yard again in May, 1862, they burned the shipyard down one more time.

Then the Unionists named the shipyard after the biggest city in the area, Norfolk.

Modern time

Until the First World War, there was no wide significant enhancements, but then the staff was increased to 11,000. This trend continued until the shipyard between 1940 and 1945 employed up to 43,000 workers.

Since the Second World War, Norfolk Navy Yard is a pure repair yard; the last set there to keel boats, two wooden minesweepers, were christened on March 28, 1953.

Today the shipyard of 5.2 km ² is not contiguous territory on both sides of the river and is able to perform, overhauls and repairs to any type of warship. This includes the modern aircraft carrier that can be taken only at Newport News Shipbuilding in dry dock on the east coast otherwise.