The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-17
SMOKE SIGNALS
AND LIGHT MARK
FLIERS' COURSE
Sixty Destroyers Blaze Day
and Night Trail Across
the Ocean.
STAR SHELLS ARE USED
Every Device Known Employ.
ed to Insure Safety Of
the Aviators.
STAR SHELLS ARE USED
special DesruscA 70 Tn srr.

opcNos Dcspu$CN 70 Ihu 6CF.
WAsHrSoToN. May 1s.-Every detar
Of the transatlantic flight, including
the exact position Of sixty-five battle
ships. destroyers and supply vessels,
was worked out and embodied in an
official order issued April I6. This
was made known to-day when Opera
ton Order No. L." document Of some
5000 words. was made public after
word arrived of the start Of the Ionses,
leg Of the flight.
Although issued a month ago, not .
single change has been found neces-
sary in the detailed instructions. Ir
view Of the extreme uncertainty sur
rounding long distance airplane flights
an uncertainty which the British
hiers who have been at Newfoundian nd
six weeks will testify to-this is re-
sarded as remarkable here. In the or
der, which is signed by Capt Harris
Laning, Chief Of Staff of the DESTROYER
force. appears the following sentence:
The start will be made early in May
to get benefit of full moon on MAY IA
for long leg Newfoundland to Azores u
The departure from Trepassey Is pre-
dicted as about one hour before sunset
The route is described as follows: Mer-
GATORS course from Mistaken Point to
Corvo (srnallest and northernmost of the
Azores) as landfall. thence shortest
route to Horta or Punta Delgada, the
hrst port Of landing being dependent on
weather on arrival at Corvo or on some
emergency arising on planes that re-
ouires landing before reaching Punta
Delgada- If weather and other circum-
stances are favorable. landing will be
at Punta Delgada. otherwise planes land
at Horta. wait for good weather or com
petion OF repairs, then proceed to Punta
Delgada.
Nothing Left to Chance.
The fact that a Mercator course Is
being followed dlspels the belief held
by some aeronautical authorities that
curving course would be selected to
take advantage of the prevailing winds
Although favorable along the straight
course, the winds would lend greater
speed to the seaplanes IL the route fol-
lowed inclined slightly to the westwa rd
and then to east The decision to fol-
low. the straight course is in line with
the naval attitude throughout the prep
arations for the flight to leave absolute
ly nothing to chance or good luck. The
curving course might be followed only
fnr NhA stat
hours OF the flight variable winds had
taken the place OF the prevailing wind
The speed OF the seaplanes is sixty
knots according to the orders, which
were issued before the NC-3 or NC-4
had ever been in the air and before the
NC-1 had ever flown with four motors
This Is the exact speed made by the
two leading planes in their flight OF $40
miles from Rockaway to Halifax on
the second lap Of AGO miles from Hall
fax to Newfoundland the planes, aided
by favorable winds part OF the way
made sixty-five knots.
Not all the sixty-five or more craft
assigned to flight duty are stationed
along the route. OF the sixty FIVE
mentioned in the order eight are sup
ply and seaplane tenders, two are nag
ships, five are battleships on meteoro-
logical duties and the remaining sixty
are destroyers assigned to the duty of
patrolling the route.
To Get Warning of Storms.
The battleships Florida, Utah, Texas
and Wyoming are several hundred
miles east and west of the line from
Newfoundland TO the Azores and from
each other. The reason for their wide
separation is to cover most of the At
lantic station. so that "A storm cannot
Continued on Second Page.