Evening star., 1925-10-01
SEA A|RMEN URGE
SEPARATE NAVAL
AVIATION SERVICE
Veteran Predicts Fleet Dis
aster in Emergency With
Present System.
CLAIM OTHER OFFICERS
ARE LOATH TO TESTIFY
Make Proposal as Remedy for "Dis-
satisfaction and Discourage
ment" of Men.

Grievances of naval aviation, with
particular emphasis on control exer-
cised by non-fying officers, were given
frank discussion before the Presi-
dents Air Board today by two flying
lieutenant commanders, who urged
the creation OF a separate air corps in
the Navy as remedy for the present
conditions Of dissatisfaction and dis
couragement."
The officers who testified at the
morning session were Lieut.. Comdr.
r. r. Paunack, chief OF the flight divi-
sion Of the Bureau of Aeronautics. and
Lieut.. Comdr. II. T. Bartlett of the
Naval War College and recently in
the plans division of the bureau.
Testify Without Hesitation.
Their testimony was given without
hesitation and was considered exceed
ingly interesting in view of the fact
that the state of affairs as represented
by the officers never had been as
concisely presented before the other
various aircraft Investigations in the
past year. The cruX of the present
system of naval aviation operation
hinges on the dominance by the Navy
Department over aviation.
ipObIi OlllCcIS, II CIodT
that personalities were not the cause.
Are Veteran Flyers.
The officers testimony was given
much credence and authority by the
fact that both learned to fly more
than 10 years ago and now hold high
positions in naval aviation. Lieut.
Comdr. Bartlett at the conclusion OF
his testimony sought to drive home
the necessity of flying personnel with
this statement:
II firmly believe that unless our
naval air forces are trained and oper-
ated under command of experienced
air men that the fleet will meet dis
aster when the next emergency
arises" He was loudly applauded by
the spectators, which drew from
Chairman Morrow the caution that
approval or disapproval must not -
expressed.
Both officers in reply t. 62sat
from Senator Bingham of Catre-t' e..
declared they know Is a-7atss erl.7
expressed unwilliEE. - - .Tge G~ IT,
ions on improven'e~ u slT .s~t
| ices before a bos Oh 1.ttrs Thcy
declared such fe. IL ati..-tez a.
not widespread, haF'' nd S,-ss
Bartlett said the -..sr llarl
| was excepted +. ~r9 had
talked with him the
afflrmatIre replies - !eSSeS
caused considerable inter, rs all
the Army witnesses had an red in
| the negative on the question
Charges of Muzzling.
The particular inte1rogaI..l of
each witness by Senator Bingham on
| the subject of open discussion by
Junior officers is designed in connec-
ton with Col. Mitchell's charges of
"muZZlinC."
Comdr. Paunack. in reply to ques-
ton from Senator Bingham, said
most of the naval aviators he knows
desire separate corps in the Navy
and that he never heard any one
favor retention of the present sys-
tenn of operation" The idea of a
united air force which gained some
circulation in the flying personnel
! now has faded out in favor of the
separate corps, the witness said.
Under the present control of the
Navy Department. Comdr. Paunack
said, naval aviation has no advanced
schools in tactical engineering or
other branches of flying such as the
Army has. There are no tactics de.
veloped to handle large air forces"
he said, and If we decided on this,
we would have to send our officers
to the Army school first"
Causes of Grievance.
He told Rear Admiral Frank e
Fletcher, retired, of the board that
the Navy could provide such institu-
tions.
Among the grievances in naval avia-
ton, the witness testified, are ''un-
sympathetic attitude from the other
branches, flight pay, control and COM
mand by non-fying officers. assign
ment to aviation of officers without re-
gard to rank. uniforms, action by the
department on the aviation matters
with little reference to the Bureau of
Aeronautics, lack of authority in the
bureau equal to responsibility placed
upon 1t.
Few Aviation Experts.
| Complete knowledge of aviation,
the witness declared, cannot be ac-
| quired in the normal period of spe-
| cialiZation allowed in the line activ-
| ity of the Navy. There are few ex-
perts in the department on aviation
matters and specialization in this sub
| ject is necessary, he declared. II
| system were evolved to insure con-
tinuous aviation 'duty "it would elm
mate dissatisfaction now and would
| not adversely affect the efficiency of
! the fleet" he said.
Some admirals, continued the wit
| ness, are ''reactionary" on the sub
| ject of aviation, while others are
seriously weighing the problem with
| the view to improvement"
Present Fighting Force.
| The fighting force of naval avia-
| ton today, said the commander, lies
| in the following units: Two fighting
squadrons of II planes each; two spot.
ting sQuadrons of II planes each:
| one scouting squadron of IL planes;
one torpedo and bombing squadron of
IL planes and another similar organi-
zation with a strength of 6, but now
operating with from to planes
The reserve naval aviation situa-
| tion is. the witness said, "a hand-to.
mouth proposition" There Is a short.
age of flyers and when five were as
signed to Annapolis recently I'VE had
to dig around everywhere for them"
he added.
Field Of Activity.
Comdr. Paunack said 1t was his be.
| lief that the field OF naval activity be-
gins with the coast line, and II this
were thought by the Navy there would
be no objection, in his opinion, to a
separate air arm. He said IL naval