Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-14

BY JosEPHUs DANIELS.
Former Secretary of the Navy,
1s13-1e21.
ARTICLE 29.
Few people realized when they
read the story of the NC-4s fight
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 day
IN September of our first war year
he sent for Naval Constructors
Eestervelt and Hunsacker.
Z want a plane designed that will
fly across the Atlantic" he told
them, as quietly as though he were
ordering poached eggs for break
fast.
They realized what a task he had
imposed, but set about it immed-
lately. The undertaking aroused my
warmest enthusiasm. 1t was a big
project, exceeding the most am
bilious efforts of any other nation.
Admiral Taylors force went to work
at once. BY the end Of 1917 all the main
elements Of the design had been formu-
lated, and early in 1913 the work Of con
struction was begun. The NC-1 was com
pleted BY the first OF October and the
first test flight followed three days later.
On Nov. I, just before the armistice, she
flew to Washington, where we inspected
her; then went on to Hampton roads,
and returned to Rockaway. Six months
later the NC-4 fulfilled her promise. by
making the big leap across the Atlantic
You viii note that this was war
time project. conceived in war time ana
worked out in war time Had the war
lasted another year We would have been
crossing from America TO France by
aeropIane, 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 satisfac-
tion as its purely aquatic record.
The first armed forces OF the United
States to land in France were naval
aviators. One group. sailing on the Nep-
tune, landed on June 3. 1917, at Pau,nac,
the port from which Lafayette sailed for
America to join the struggling colonists
In their war for independence
! Another group, on the Jupiter, reached
Saint Nazaire on June 9, sailing through
the very waters in which John paul
Jones operated in the revolution.
The United States Navy had forty-four
aviation stations and units in Europe
Our naval aircraft made 5,691 flights,
covering a distance OF 1888 miles. They
attacked forty-three submarines from the
air, and were credited, according to the
records Of naval aviation, with sinking
two, probably sinking two more and
damaging several others.
The northern bombing group, in con-
nection with the British royal air force.
dropped more than 155.OOO pounds OF
bombs on the U-boat bases at Bruges.
airdromes and air stations in Flanders.
On this side of the Atlantic we had
twenty four naval aviation units in op-
Grafton, patroling the coast from Nova
Scotia to Florida. One unit guarded the
Panama canal Marine corps aviatOrs
guarded the Azores. Our patrol iiers In
America covered 2.45j 020 miles-nautical
Our advanced training flights. tOtaled
10,949. $40 nautical miles. The total of
naval aviation In America, Azores and
Europe was more than 1900. 600 miles
Naval aviation grew during the war TO A
force OF over $4,000. 1t was equipped
with 1.17O flying boats, sos seaplanes, 262
land planes, 10 free balloons, 205 kite
balloons and Is dirigibles OF this equip
ment $40 aircraft were sent abroad.
STORY OF THE
FIRST NAVAL ACE.
The long fights along the British
French and italian coasts, the patrols
far out to sea, the cOmbats with enemy
aircraft and submarines form one of the
most brilliant chapters Of the war.
volume would be required to relate them
all I tell here only the story OF the
first naval ace. who may represent the
courage, daring and efficiency of our
yaviatOrs who wrote a new page in naval
history.
The first naval "ace," Lieut.. David S.
ingalls,, was attached to the northern
bombing group In Flanders While air
craft were arriving from the United
States 20 equip this group. ingalls, was
assigned to Royal Air Force Squadron
No. 213, with whom we cooperated in
bombing the German submarine bases.
Ingalls, began his spectacular perform
Rnces on the 18th Of August, 1918, when
IN company with British officer he shot
down a two-seater machine in a running
fight over the German lines. Tipping
through the upper air. at 120 miles an
hour, by the skillful maneuverfng Of their
planes the allied fiers were able to get
In several bursts from their Lewis gun
on the tail Of the Germans, whose ma
chine crumbled up, burst into fame and
fell to earth. Ingalls, machine did not
escape without its share Of punctures.
but luckily nothing was damaged which