Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-31
NAVAL AVIATION
SERVICE EXP landed
To SECOND PLACE
At WAR 6 CLOSE
When United States Entered
Conflict There Were Only
twenty Two SeapIaneS At
Command of Department.
EQUIPMENT GROWING
BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Daniels Had 1,4Q0 SeapIanes
When ArmiStice Came and
Hundreds of Lighter Than
Air Craft, Is Report.


Washington, Aug 30.--Althopgh its
corps, the United States naval aviation
service was rapidly so expanded dur
ing the war that when the Germans
quit it was the second largest naval
flying force in the world. Develop
ment of the service, hitherto a care
fully guarded secret, was disclosed by
department today, in the first of Sc
ries of announcements dealing with
naval activity since April, 1917.
When the United States entered the
conflict II maintained a small naval
aerial establishment, with the princi-
pal station at Pensacola, Fla. The per-
sonnet at that station was thirty eight
aviators and 1853 enlisted men and the
equipment consisted of ,twenty-two
seaplanes, five kite balloons and two
free balloons,
A department of aviation was or
ganized Immediately and the various
bureaus took UP the work of provid-
ing men and equipment. The bureau
steam engineering took charge of the
development and manufacture of mo-
tors and radio equipment; the bureau
of construction and repair dealt with
the hulls and wings of the planes;
the ordnance department provided
machine guns and bomb launching
devices and thousands of tons of high
explosives, and the bureau of naviga-
ton supplied and trained thousands
of officers and enlisted men.
Powerfully Organized.
The armistice found the navy with
more than 1,500 aviators, 1900 ground
officers, and $4,000 enlisted men with
1000 flight officers and 10000 en-
listed men in training. There were
in commission 1,400 seap'anes and air.
planes and about 800 lighter-than-a
craft of all types. More than 1900
officers and $4,000 enlisted men to-
gether with 3S8 seap'anes, lao air.
planes and forty-two kite balloons were
sent to the war zone.
Meantime the single station main
tanned in the United States prior to
the war had grown to seven training
stations, ten patrol stations, nine rest
and refue ing stations two experiment
tai stations and number of addition
al stations for various purposes were
under construction They formed a
girdle that encircled the entire sea-
coast of the country. In Europe there
twenty EIGHT American naval flying
stations, two training stations and
twelve bombing stations located in
England, Ireland, France and tia y.
There also was marine aviation sta
ton in the Azores.
A capable administrative force, !
drawn by the navy from civilians, ad-
mnistered the affairs of the service |
with great success but regular navy |
officers were in direct charge. Tech |
nical and manufacturing experts of |
international reputation represented |
the navy at the bases abroad and in
this country. Their loyal services with |
those of the fliers, made possible the |
achievements which brought from Ad-
miral William S. Sims the following
praise for the work of the naval avia-
tion service in the war:
Complimented by Sims.
Please express to the naval avia-
tors of America my most sincere ap-
probation of their courageous and
loyal performance of duty at home and
abroad throughout the war. Their
brilliant exploits, their determination
to win, viii ever remain one of the
highest tributes to American man
hood. The performance of duty of
these young naval aviators under my
has not only been in keeping
with the very best traditions of our ma
val service, but has in addition won
for America the enthusiastic praise of
her allies.''
The American naval aviators car
ried out joint patrols with the Brit
sh, French and italian naval air
forces, raiding enemy submarine bas-
IS and aircraft bases at Ostend, Zee
orugge, Bruges, Helgoland, Pola, Tri-
'ste and various other points Large
Continued on Page Two)