Evening star., 1921-05-14
by JOSEPHUS DANIELS,
Former Secretary of the Navy.
ARTICLE 80.

ARTICLE 80.
Few people realized. when they
read the story Of the Meas night
from Rockaway, L. l., to Plymouth
England, in the spring of 1919. that
the preparations for that remarkable
voyage and record smashing achieve
ment had been begun in September.
1917.
Admiral David w. Taylor, chief
constructor of the Navy, of course
frequently discussed with me prob
lens relating to aviation. one oay
in September of our first war year ne
sent for Naval Constructors Wester-
welt and Hunsa cker.
II want a plane designed that VII!
ny across the Atlantic" he told them,
as quietly as though he were ordering
poachcd eggs for breakfast.
They realized what task ne had
imposed. but set about it immedlate-
ly. The undertaking aroused my
warrcst enthusiasm. 1t was big
project. exceeding the most AMBITIOUS
efforts of any other nation.
Admiral Taylor's force went 10 work
at once. BY the end of 19l. an the
main elements of the design had peeh
formulated, and early in 1913 me
work of construction was begun. The
NC-l was completed by the lst OF DC
tober. and the first test flight fo!-
lowed three days later. November =
Just before the armistice. she new 10
Washington, where we inspected her
then went on to Hampton roads. ana
returned to Rockaway. SIX months
later the NC-4 fulfilled her promise
by making the big leap across the
Atlantic.
You will note that this was war
time project. conceived IN war tlme
the war lasted another year we Woul d
have been crossing from America TO
France by aeroplane. and dropping
bombs on U-boats as we flew
Great Record in Aviation.
The aerial record of the Navy is as
full of occasion for pride and salts
faction as it's purely aquatic record.
The first armed forces Of the Unit
ed states TO land in France were
naval aviators. One group. sailing on
the Neptune, landed June ). 1917. at
Pauillac. the port from which La
fayette sailed for America to join the
strugglin. cOlonists in their war for
Independence.
Another group. on the Jupiter.
reached Saint NaZaire June 9. sailing
through the very waters in which
John Paul Jones operated in the revo-
luton.
The United States Navy had forty
four aviation stations and units IN
Europe. Our naval aircraft made
H.691 flights. covering a distance OF
79l39S miles. They attacked forty
three submarines from the air, and
We're credited, according to the rec
ords of naval aviation. with sinking
two, probably sinking two more and
damaging several others.
The northern bombing group, In
connection with the British royal air
pounds of bombs on the U-boat bases
at Bruges, Zeebrugge and Ostend.
and on the enemy airdromeS and AR
stations in Flanders.
On this side of the Atlantic we had
twenty-four naval aviation units in
operation. patroling the coast from
Nova Scotia to Florida. One unit
guarded the Panama canal. Marine
Corps aviators guarded the Azores.
Our patrol fiers in America covered
2455.920 miles-nautical. Our ad-
vanced training fights totaled 10
949.34O nautical miles. The total of
naval aviation in America. Azores and
Europe was more than 100000
miles. Naval aviation grew during
the war to a force of over $4,000. 1t
was equipped with 1,110 flying boats,
s95 seaplanes. 262 land planes, 19d
free balloons, 205 kite balloons and
Is dirigibles. OF this equipment $40
aircraft were sent abroad
First Naval Ace.
The long flights along the British,
French and Italian coasts. the patrols
far out to sea. the combats with enc
my aircraft and submarines form one
of the most brilliant chapters of the
war A volume would be required to
relate them all. l tell here only the
story of the first naval ace, who may
represent the courage. daring and
Scin nf
a new page in naval history.
The first naval ACE" Lieut.. David
S Ingalls,. was attached to the north
ern bombing group in Flanders.
While aircraft were arriving from the
United States to equip this group.
ingalls, was assigned to Royal Air
Force Squadron No. 213. with whom
we co-operated in bombing the Ger
man submarine bases.
ingalls, began his spectacular per-