Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-06
U. s. HAS SECOND
LARGEST NAVAL
AERO SERVICE
Wonderful Growth OF Branch
Of Navy Fighting Force
After This Country
Enters War.

Washington, sept. o.-Aitnougn
its origin was an almost Insignificant
corps, the United States naval avia-
ton service was expanded so rapidly
during the war that when the Ger
mans quit it was the second largest
naval flying force in the world. De-
velopment of the service, hitherto
carefully guarded secret, was dis
closed by the Navy department. to-
day in the first Of series of an
nouncements dealing with naval
aerial activity since April, 1917.
When the United States entered
the world conflict it maintained a
small naval aerial establishment
with the principal station at Pensa-
cola, Fla The personnel at that
station was SO aviators and 1853 en-
listed men and the equipment CON
sisted Of p seaplanes, FIVE kite
balloons and two free balloons.
Forces Organized.
4 department of aviation was or
ganzed Immediately and the vari-
Gus bureaus took up the work OF
providing men and equipment. The
bureau of steam engineering took
charge of the development and
manufacture of motors and radio
equipment; the bureau of ConstruC-
ton and repair dealt with the hulls
and wings of the planes; the ord
nance department provided machine
guns and bomb launching devices
and thousands of tons OF high ex-
plosives, and the bureau of naviga-
ton supplied and trained thousands
of officers and enlisted men.
The armstice found the navy with
more than 1900 aviators, 1900
ground officers, and $4,000 enlisted
men with 1000 flight officers and
10000 enlisted men in training.
There were in commission 400 sea
planes and airplanes and about 800
lighter than-air craft Of all types
More than 1900 officers and 10000
enlisted men together with 58S sea-
planes. l40 airplanes and AZ kite
balloons were sent to the war zone.
Has Seven Stations.
Meantime ME single station main
tanned in the United States prior to
the war had grown to seven training
stations, ten patrol stations, nine
rest and refueling stations, two ex
perimental stations and number of
additional stations for various pur-
poses were under construction.
They formed girdle that en-
circled the entire seacoast of the
country. In Europe there were es-
tablished and in operation % Ameri-
can naval flying stations, two train
ing stations and II bombing sta
tons located in Eng land, Ireland,
France and Italy. There also was a
marine aviation station in the
Azores.
A capable administrative force,
drawn by the navy from civilians,
administered the affairs of the serv-
Ice, with great success, but regular
navy officers were in direct charge
Technical and manufacturing ex-
perts of international reputation
represented the navy at the bases
abroad and in this country. Their
loyal services with those of the
filters, made possible the achieve
ments which brought from Admiral
William S. Sims the following
praise for the work of the naval
aviation service in the war:
Sims Praises Men.
PLEASE express to the naval avia-
tors of America my most sincere
appreciation of their courageous and |
loyal performance Of duty at home
and abroad throughout the war.
Their brilliant exploits, their deter
mination to win, will ever remain
one of the highest tributes to Amer
can manhood. The performance of
duty of these young naval aviators
under my command has not only
been in keeping with the very best
traditions of our naval 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
ish, French and Italian naval air
forces, raiding enemy submarine
bases and aircraft bases at Ostend,
Ieebrugge, Bruges. Helgoland. Pola,
Trieste and various other points
Large quantities of planes. subma-
rines, materials, buildings, hangers,
supply stations, ammunition dumps
and other valuable military projects
were destroyed.
Act as Conveys.
Seaplane patrols and aerial con-
voys were particularly successful.
After the installation of American
seaplane patrols and during thou
sands of miles of convoy, only one
ship in such conveys protected by
seaplanes was ever successfully at
tackled. In the 10 months Amer
'can patrols were active only three
ships were lost in the entire area
between Penmarch and Isle d'Yeu.
British, French ard Italian Of
fetal records give the American
naval aviation forces credit for at
lacking o5 per cent of all subma-
rines sighted while on patrol. in
spite of terrific weather conditions
at times, and of damaging As per
cent and sinking rs per cent of all
those attacked. The exact number
of submarines sighted, attacked and
sunk cannot be made public until
the compilation of figures contained
in allied records is completed.