Evening star., 1924-02-11
M'CRARY RELIEVED
AS COMMANDER Of
.U.S.S. SHENANDOAH
Lieut.. Commander Zachary
LansdoWne Takes Charge
of Airship at Lakehurst.

Sweeping changes in the personnel
Of officers ut the Lakehurst, n. j.,
air station and others assigned to
the ;iirShip Shenandoah. including
the relief of her commanding off,
Ger, Commander T.. r McCrary, have
been made by Rear Admiral William
A. Moffett. chief Of the Navy aeronau
tical bureau, and approved by Secre-
tary DENLY.
Orders directed to Commander Nc
Crazy said that upon being relieved
by Lieut.. Commander Zachary Ians-
downe. as commanding officer of the
L. S. 5. Shenandoah, you will regard
yourself detached from all duties
on board that airship.'
Expect Sen Assignment.
Commander McCrary, who has been
in charge of the Lakehurst air sta
tion, was also ordered relieved from
that command and detached from all
present duties" Orders are expected
to be Issued at an early date as
signing him to sea duty.
Commander j. II. Klein also was
ordered detached from all duties on
the Shenandoah and as executive Off
Ger of the naval station at Lake
hurst" He will assume command of
the Lakehurst station.
In addition. Commander Klein was
assigned to additional duty under
training in rigid airships: and in
as a student naval aviator will re-
main in force.
Instructions to Pierce.
Lieut.. Commander Maurice r.
Pierce was detached from temporary
additional duty on board the Shenan
doah, and instructed to continue his
regular duties at the Lakehurst sta
tion.
Orders to Lieut.. Commander Lans-
downe said:
You are hereby detached from duty
in the bureau of aeronauticS; proceed
to such place as the u. S. 5. Shenan-
doah may be and report on board that
airship for duty as commanding Of
ficer of that ship, relieving Com
mander McCrary. You will further
report by letter to Rear Admiral Mof-
felt for additional duty in connection
with the Navy Arctic expedition"
Commander Ralph d. Weyerbacher,
construction officer Of the Shenan-
doah, was detached from all duties,"
at the Lakehurst station and "in con-
nection with the l.. s. S. Shenan-
doah." He will be assigned to another
station as yet undetermined.
Others are Relieved.
Other officers relieved and trans
ferred included Lieut.. e. II. Kincaid
who was detached from all duty on
the Shenandoah and ordered to re-
port to Commander Klein of the
Lakehurst station for new assign
ment to duty.
Lieut.. Commander B. G.. Leighton,
on duty with the bureau of aeronau-
tics, was ordered to report to Lieut.
Commander Landsdowne for duty as
senior engineering officer of the
Shenandoah.
Commander LanSdowne. commanding
officer of the Shenandoah. has had eX.
teTlsive experience in dirigible construc-
tion work and is a qualified air pilot.
He was the official observer for the
Navy on the British airship R-34, when
it made a successful flight from Eng
land to the United States. He was
later assigned to duty at the Zeppelin
plant in Germany, where the dirigible
ZR-3 now is being constructed for the
United States Navy.
Navy Department. officials made pub
lie the changes without comment, but it
was indicated that they had been made
with a view of eliminating such fric-
ton as has developed at Lakehurst and
to place others in charge SO they might
familiarize themselves with the opera
tions Of the station and airship before
the Shenandoah leaves for her polar
expedition.