West Ocean View in Norfolk, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Operation Torch, 1942

Photographed by Laura Troy, September 21, 2007

1. Operation Torch 1942 Marker

Inscription. The first major amphibious action of World War II was planned near here in the Nansemond Hotel, Hdq. of Amphibious Force U.S. Atlantic fleet. An Army-Navy staff under Adm. H.K. Hewitt met with Gen. G.S. Patton to plan the movement of Task Force "A" from Hampton Roads to North Africa.

Erected 1960 by Virginia State Library. (Marker Number KV-7.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Military • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list.

Location. 36° 57.51′ N, 76° 15.467′ W. Marker is in Norfolk, Virginia. It is in West Ocean View. It is on West Ocean View Avenue (Route 60) east of Mason Creek Drive, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 W Ocean View Ave, Norfolk VA 23503, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads,

specifically in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Landing of Wool and Surrender of Norfolk (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Flagship Sarah Constant (about 400 feet away); Susan Constant Shrine (about 400 feet away); USS Intrepid (CV-11) (about 500 feet away); OceanView Veterans Memorial

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

(approx. 0.3 miles away); First Flight Ship to Shore (approx. half a mile away); Veterans Memorial (approx. half a mile away); The Norfolk 17 (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Norfolk.

Photographed by Kevin W., July 21, 2010

2. Operation Torch, 1942 Marker

Nansemond Hotel from the water. image. Click for full size.

3. Nansemond Hotel from the water.

Photograph is originally and Ocean View scene for Summer Resort Book collected for a Norfolk & Western Historical Photograph Collection, made available in the Virginia Tech Imagebase.

Nansemond Hotel image. Click for full size.

4. Nansemond Hotel

Photograph is from the Norfolk Public Library Historical Photos collection.

Nansemond Hotel Ruins image. Click for full size.

5. Nansemond Hotel Ruins

Photograph is from the Norfolk Public Library Historical Photos collection. The Spanish-style Nansemond Hotel at Ocean View was once the finest hostelry at Norfolk's Chesapeake Bay resort. The 115-room hotel opened June 23, 1928, and was described as `palatial.' It burned in a spectacular fire on Nov. 21, 1980.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 21, 2007, by Laura Troy of Burke, Virginia. This page has been viewed 4,470 times since then and 96 times this year. Last updated on November 8, 2025, by Caleb Kemplin of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on September 21, 2007, by Laura Troy of Burke, Virginia. 2. submitted on July 27, 2010, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 22, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.