The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-01-03
NAVY POLE
FLIGHT DETAILS
Boards Detailed Plan Would
Send Shenandoah to Chart
Arctic This Summer.
MAY FIND NEW CONTINENT
Million Square Miles Remain IN
explored, Says Denby--short
Air Path to Orient Is
Sought.

Washington. Recommendation
that the navy's polar exploration
flight be attempted this summer with
the dirigible Shenandoah, using
Nome. Alaska, as the main operating
base, are contained In the report of
the Special Board of Naval Officers,
headed by Rear Admiral William A.
Moffett, Chief of Naval Aviation,
made public by Secretary DENLY. who
has approved it, subject to possible
later notifications
The board emphasized that the mis-
sion would be exploration of the
north polar regions" rather than a
dash for the Pole The detailed plan
contemplates numerous mapping and
charting fights to establish the prac-
ticability of a trans-Polar air route"
from western Europe to Japan over
the top of the world"
Recommendation was made for two
vessels, preferably tankers, equipped
with mooring masts, six planes
equipped for landing on ice or water,
a mooring mast at Nome and moor
ing facilities at certain other points.
1.-THE ships with three planes each
will go to Nome and to Spitzbergen,
where preliminary flights for aero
logical observations will be made"
the report said.
when all is ready the Shenandoah
will fly to Nome via mooring. masts
at Fort Worth, San Diego, Puget
Sound and Nome base; thence north
ward for this mission. The explora-
ton shall include a systematic search
Of the unknown area north of Alaska.
1.-THE board considers that with the
ships, the Shenandoah and the planes
equipped as recommended and pro-
vided in ample time, the Arctic ex-
ploration is feasible and practicable
during the summer Of 1924 without
undue risk to personnel or material"
The distance to the Pole from
Nome via Cape Prince of Wales Is
1850 nautical miles. At speed of
thirty-five knots, the Shenandoah will
have a safe cruising capacity of 1880
nautical miles with Is per cent
margin of extra radius.
Plans for the Shenandoah call for
helium gas imitation, removal of one
motor to provide living space for the
crew, use of water recovery" to COM
pensate loss of weight through con-
sumption of fuel and reduction of
ballast by $500 pounds.
Nome's proximity to the unexplored
area and to American bases was
pointed out, as well as the facts that
it is American territory, and has
some local facilities and good COM
munication with the south. One yes
sci with mooring mast, it was added,
might select a place more sheltered
than Nome, where the Shenandoah
could lie in bad weather, and could
push forward to the edge Of the pack
ice, reducing the distance to the
ground to be explored.
The second tanker with mooring
mast will be sent to Spitzbergen, on
the opposite side of the Pole, for use
if the Shenandoah, after reaching the
Pole, should face strong winds from
the south on a return trip to Nome,
in which event she could go to Spitz-
bergen, travelling with the wind.
An additional standby three
point mooring at Point Barrow. clos
est to the Pole, is also recommended
for use in emergency. Recommends
ton is made that the Coast Guard
cutter Bear be stationed at Point Bar
row during the flight with as many
men from the Nome base as can be
berthed in her for the purpose of
hauling the Shenandoah down for re-
fueling" should the need for this base
arise.
The board also recommends that
the ZR-3, the Zeppelin now building.
for the navy in Germany, stand by
at Lakehurst, N. j., in reserve. and
that advance parties be sent for aero
logical work to Seward and other
Northern Alaskan points as 500 as
possible.