NB Point Loma, CA Image 1
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    NB Point Loma, CA History

    The recorded history of Point Loma goes back to the Spanish exploration of California, in the mid-1500s. The military history of Point Loma starts with the establishment of a Spanish fort in 1797 as a shore artillery station. After the transfer of California to the United States President Millard Fillmore reserved the site for military use in 1852. The Army built a shore battery fort at Point Loma after the Civil War, named Fort Rosecrans for General William S. Rosecrans. This fort was transferred to the US Navy in 1959, to homeport submarines.

    Six major commands were stationed at Point Loma from the 1960s to the 1990s, which was conveniently across the mouth of San Diego Bay from NAS North Island/Coronado, including Naval laboratories, submarine support facilities, submarine ports, and a submarine training facility. In 1998 the six major commands were consolidated as Naval Base Point Loma. Point Loma is also now housing the Third Fleet command which was transferred ashore to NB Point Loma in 2003.

    In the interest of developing submarine engineering, two important bathyspheres were housed at Point Loma in the 1950s through the 1970s; Trieste and Trieste II. These submarines were used for Project Nekton, which performed a series of extremely deep dives, including the first successful dives of the Challenger Deep.

    Currently NB Point Loma houses Third Fleet command, Naval Mine and Anti Submarine Warfare Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Submarine Squadron 11, and several training and technical centers.