The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-17
SMOKE AND LIGHT
MARK THE COURSE


sweep UP from any quarter upon the
seaplanes without warning Ave or six
hours and probably much longer. For
the weather along the route itself the
destroyers are relied upon to furnish
information. Not only is the smooth
ness of the air necessary for the flight,
but also a smooth sea The light hulls
of the seaplanes are strongly con-
structed. but they could not Withstand
the battering of the Atlantic in storm
for a considerable time without leak
ing.
On the first two legs OF the flight
the 1000 mile stretch UP the American
coast to Trepassey, only eight destroy
ers were used, as the seaplanes were
within a few miles of land for much
Of the way. On the long leg of the
journey-the 1900 mile gap between
Newfoundland and the Azores-where
there Is no land within hundreds of
miles. twenty-one destroyers are
stationed. They are placed at slightly
more than fifty mile intervals.
The destroyers, in their order. stretch
ing from Newfoundland to the Azores,
are as follows: Greer, Aaron Ward, Bu-
chanan. Upshur. Boggs, Ward. Palmer.
Walker, Thatcher. Crosby Kalk, Mere
dith. Bush. Cowell. Maddox. Hopewell,
Stockton, Craven. Dent, Phillip and
Waters
In addition to these four destroyers
are stationed among the Azores from
the island OF Flores. where the planes
will make their first stop unless their
commanders feel they can proceed with
| out difficulty direct to Ponta Delgada. on
the island of San Miguel. $50 nautical
miles further on. These destroyers are
the Harding, Gridley, Fairfax and Mahan
The ANAL legs of the journey. from Ponta
| Delgada to Lisbon and from Lisbon to
| plymouth. are also patrolled by destroy
| ers, fourteen being on the former. n dis
| lance OF 500 nautical miles, and Ave on
the latter, 775 nautical miles. In addi-
| ton to the destroyers on stations nine
others. the Williams. Laub, Foote, Roper.
Bell. Cassin, Wainwright, McLanahan
and Blaksiy. are hello in reserve to re-
place destroyers disabled or crushed by
the ice around Newfoundland.
Until the start OF the flight the de-
| stroyers were permitted to steam back
and forth within a radius of twenty
miles of their exact position The tiny
craft. which have been on station in
| many cases for more than a week, best
Withstand the bufYeting of the waves
while making considerable Roadway.
|
the Observation-Disclosures route they i'm
mediately took up their exact positions
| The orders issued provided that when
one Of these station ships is passed word
is Immediately wirelessed to the next
ship eastward. They are all on the alert
| for the wireless calls OF the seaplanes,
the glare Of their Adds searchlights, the
roar OF their engines or the fash OF a
Very signal II a plane lands In the
water during the flight she will set of q
green star as a sign that she can get or
| again without assistance. II she Is In
trouble she will call 'he nearest destroyer
with r red star light or red fare
Whenever a station ship receives a
report that a seaplane has passed the
next station TO the westward II will
commence smoking" in the daytime
a dense. black smoke visible at long dis
| tances-and will continue to smoke I'M
til all the NC ships have passed or word
is received that the others will not pass.
Al night the ships will torch" and their
! powerful searchlights will be turned on
/ and trained directly into the wind 30
that the navigators of the flying planes
viii be able to calculate how the wind
Is affecting their passage. In case of
mist or thick weather the searchlights
will sweep the heavens IN a vertical
plane until the seaplane or planes re-
port by wireless that they make" the
signal. Then the beams will be steadied
leve! into the wind. In addition to these
night signals destroyers are instructe
to FIRE star shells from their three inch
runs at hve minute intervals until the
seaplane reports sighting the fireworks
The star shells Will be fred TO the north
as an addition; aid TO the planes
II the seapl Is wander away from
the course In ono OF the fifty mile gaps
the destroyers. knowing the approximate
time at which the seaplanes should reach
them, will start smoking and firing stal
shells to recall the NCs to the straight
and narrow path.
When a destroyer receives word from a
vlnEing seaplsne that It has been sight.
ed II abruptly discontinues its smoke OF
fireworks and steams slowly by com.
pass directly toward the next destroyer
This permits the navigator OF the sea.
plane to verify his calculations OF dis
lance, drift of the ship away from the
course, compass error due TO the meta
OF the motors and other details. The
radio direction finder. the principal re-
lance OF the navigator. will thus be
supplemented by the lane of signalling
destroyers.
During the flight signal or radio calls
for any ship on a station arc by the
number OF the station and not by the
usual ship call letters. Messages sent
between the planes and destroyers and