bermuda islands a U S naval base 1 during last war W ar washington the great sound of bermuda proposed site of a united states air base is familiar to american travelers according to a bulletin from the national geographic society all cruise ships enter the sound and navigate carefully through its island studded waters to reach the harbor of hamilton bermudas capital and chief port says the bulletin the largest and westernmost of three sea lakes enclosed by the islands of the bermuda group the landlocked land locked great sound offers about eight square miles of sheltered water varying in depth from 18 to 66 feet its greatest width is some 3 miles two strings of islands extend into the sound from the southeast the souther southernmost nm ost r tring string cuts off a southern subdivision of the sound into port royal bay the northern island chain including a little fraternity row named from alpha to omega partitions oft off the ship channel into hamilton harbor which Is in eff effect act an eastward extension of the sound darrells island in the northern group is base for pan american clipper planes at the northwestern side of the sounds entrance stands britaina Brit ains little littie watchdog of the mid atlantic fortified ireland island with the barracks half mile dockyard floating dock and repair shops for the america and west indies squadron of the british navy on january 16 1918 bermuda temporarily turned over two islands to the united states to serve as base 24 for the U S navy in the world war agars island at the eastern en trance entrance from the great sound into hamilton harbor and the small island southwest became uncle sams fuel and supply base with occasional use also of whites island some of the american vessels were based at ireland island with the british navy the united states bermuda base was a stopover stop over tor for the american splinter fleet 1 the peanut armada of wooden submarine chasers only feet long which submarine warfare in european waters without capacity for fuel tor for the entire transatlantic trip the sub haser chasers s put in at bermuda for supplies pi les and repairs both going and coming one of the six sub chas ers which the united states lost during the war ran aground and sink in the great sound A base in the great sound gives the united states a mid atlantic outpost miles east of the nearest point on the american coast at cape hatteras bermuda is miles from norfolk from new york from boston and less than from washington