South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-15
BY JosEPHUs DANIELS.

Few people realized when they read the story or the
NC-4s flight from Rockaway l. J.. TO Plymouth Eng
land in the spring Of 1919 that the preparations for
that remarkable and record-snashlns achleVe
ment had been begun in September. 1917.
Admiral David W Taylor chief constructor nf
OF course frequently discussed with the pi obems
relating 10 aviation. one day in September Of our
hrst OF he for Naval Contractors Wester
welt and Hunsacker.
I a plane designed that viii fly across the At
lanuc he told them. quietly though he were or
dering poached eggs for breakfast
They realized what z ne had imposed but set
about IT Immediately. The undertaking aroused my
warmest enthusiasm. It was big project, exceeding
the most ambitious efforts OF any other nation.
Admiral Taylor's forces went to work BY
the end OF 1917 all the main elements Of the design had
been formulated. and early in 1913 the work OF con-
struction begun. The NC-1 completed by the
first OF October the first test flight followed three
days later. T. just before the armistce. she
to Washington where we inspected her: then
% Hampton roads. and returned to Rockaway Six
months the NC-4 fulfilled promise by making
the big leap the Atlantic
You will note that this wartime project,
ceived in time and worked out in war time. Had
the lasted another would have been cross
ing from America TO France by aeroplane. and drop
ping bombs U-boats flew
GREAT RECORD IN AVIATION
The aerial Of the navy fun of occasion
for pride and satisfaction as it's purely aquatic record
The armed forces Of the United States TO land
France naval aviators. One group. sailing
the Neptune landed on June D. 1917 at Pauilac the
port which Lafayette sailed for America join
struggling colonists their independence.
Another group, the Jupiter, reached Saint NaZare
.. sailing through the waters in which
John Paul Jones operated in the revolution.
The United States had A aviation stations and
units Europe naval aircraft made 5,691 flight
covering a distance Of 1919 miles. They attacked
the air and credited, accord
ing 10 the records naval aviation with sinking two
probably sinking and damaging several others
The northern bombing group. in connection with the
British royal air force dropped more than l'5.ooo
pounds oil bombs the U-boat bases Bruges. Zee
brugge and Ostend. and the enemy airdrOmes and
stations in Flanders.
On this side the Atlantic had "a naval aviation
n operation. patrolling the coast from Nova
Scotia to Florida one unit guarded the Panama canal
Marine corps guarded the Azores Our patrol
flyers in America covered 2455,92O miles-nautcal
our advanced training flights tOtaled 1O949,34O nau-
teal miles. total of naval aviation in America.
Azores and Europe was more than 100000 miles.
Naval grew during the force OF over
So 600 II was equipped with 1.17O flying boats sos
seaplanes 262 land planes balloons. 2o5 kite
balloons dirigbles. OF this equipment $40 air
graft were sent abroad
FIRST NAVAL ACE
The long flights along the British, French and Italian
coasts the patrols the combats with
emv aircraft and submarines form one OF the most
brilliant chapters of the volume would be
oured all. tell here only the story of
the first naval ace who may represent the courage
daring efficiency of aviators who wrote new
page in naval history.
naval ace" Lieut.. David :. ingalls,. was
attached to the northern bombing group in Flanders
While aircraft arriving from the United states to
equip group Ingalls, assigned TO Royal Air
Force Squadron No. 213 with whom we coOperated in
bombing the German submarine bases.
ingalls, began his spectacular performances the
nth of August 1918, when i'm company with British
officer ne shot down two-seater machine in a run