# RNAS Capel

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/RNAS_Capel
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/RNAS_Capel.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNAS_Capel
> Source revision: 1353059370
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Royal Naval Air Service, then Royal Air Force airship station in Kent, England

RNAS Capel RAF Folkestone Near Folkestone, Kent in England Site information Type Airship station Owner Admiralty Air Ministry Operator Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force Condition Closed Location RNAS Capel Shown within Kent Show map of Kent RNAS Capel RNAS Capel (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom Coordinates 51°06′21″N 1°13′37″E / 51.10583°N 1.22694°E / 51.10583; 1.22694 Site history Built 1915 (1915) In use 1915 - 1919 (1919) Battles/wars First World War

**RNAS Capel** (later **RAF Folkestone**) was a [First World War](/source/World_War_I) airship station operated by the [Royal Naval Air Service](/source/Royal_Naval_Air_Service) near [Folkestone, Kent](/source/Folkestone%2C_Kent), England.[1]

## 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.[1] Being close to the Dover Straits the open fields east of [Capel-le-Ferne](/source/Capel-le-Ferne) were seen as ideal location for a base and work began in April 1915.[1] Although not entirely completed, the base was officially opened on 8 May 1915, under the command of Lt. A.D. Cunningham.[1] The first airship for Capel was to have been SS-1 the first of a new [sea scout class](/source/SS_class_blimp) of non-rigid airships, on delivery to Capel from [RNAS Kingsnorth](/source/RNAS_Kingsnorth) on 7 May it hit telegraph wires and was destroyed. Despite the accident, more sea scouts were soon delivered to Capel.

## Airship production

SSZ-37 a type designed at Capel

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.[1] The engineering section at Capel went on to design an improved variant of the SS airship, which would be known as the [SSZ](/source/SSZ_class_blimp).[1] The SSZ had an improved aluminium covered ash-framed car and was fitted with a 75 hp [Rolls-Royce Hawk](/source/Rolls-Royce_Hawk) aero-engine, it was fitted with a 70,000 cu ft (2,000 m3) envelope and test flown in August 1916.[1] 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.[1]

## Operations

The airships carried out patrols along the English coast, and escorted shipping across the channel as a lookout for submarines.[1] 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.[1] On 16 September 1918, while under the command of a [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) officer, SSZ.1 [depth-charged](/source/Depth_charge) and sank submarine [UB-103](/source/SM_UB-103).[1]

Two sub-stations were used: at [Godmersham Park](/source/Godmersham_Park) north of [Wye](/source/Wye%2C_Kent), and [Wittersham](/source/Wittersham) south of [Tenterden](/source/Tenterden). The sites were used as mooring-out bases where airships could be secured in a sheltered area.[1]

## Closure

Following the end of the First World War, the station closed during the summer of 1919. In the [Second World War](/source/World_War_II) the site was used as a [radio monitoring station](/source/Y-stations).[1]

## See also

- [Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne](/source/Battle_of_Britain_Memorial%2C_Capel-le-Ferne), on the other side of the village, is a memorial to the RAF aircrew of the Battle of Britain.[1]

## References

### Citations

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-11) [***m***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-12) [***n***](#cite_ref-Lee_1-13) Lee 2010, pp. 62–64

### Bibliography

- Lee, David W. (2010). *Action Stations Revisited, Volume 3 South East England*. Crecy Publishing Ltd. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-85979-110-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-85979-110-6).

v t e Royal Air Force stations in Kent Inactive stations Ash Ashford Bekesbourne Biggin Hill Brenzet Denge Detling Eastchurch Folkestone Gravesend Hawkinge Headcorn High Halden Isle of Grain Joyce Green Kingsnorth (WW1) Kingsnorth (WW2) Lashenden Lydd Lympne Manston Marden New Romney Newchurch Penshurst Ramsgate Rochester Staplehurst Sundridge Swingate Down Swingfield Throwley West Malling Westenhanger Woodchurch Wye

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [RNAS Capel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNAS_Capel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNAS_Capel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.