Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-27

aVlaClOn unlCS OF the navy
have been held this year thou
sands of miles away from the Ma
tional Capital, the East Coast is
to get a taste of the latest adj
vanceS in military aviation battle
methods next month.
Local "War" Planned.
The National Capital is to get
its share of simulated aerial war
fare when the area between Boil
ling Field and Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Md, is turned into a
battlefield" for one week begin
ming May IL. The aviation units
participating will be fresh from
the Pacific Coast, where they have
been for the past four weeks en-
gagged in the annual Spring
maneuverS of the Army Air Corps.
The simulated battle will be
waged for the possession Of Phil
lips Field, Aberdeen, which will be
defended by the crack LIST Pursuit
Group, Selfridge Field, Mich, and
the ed Coast Artillery Anti-Air-
craft Regiment, which is regularly
stationed at Fort Totten, N. Y,
but which now is in camp at
Aberdeen.
The attacking force, which is to
be based at Boiling Field, will be
composed of nine bombardment
planes from the I'd Bombardment
Group, Langley Field, Va, and
nine attack planes from the Sd
Attack Group, Fort Crockett, Gal
weston, Tex.
Night Bombing Raids.
Night bombing attacks are to
be a feature of the exercises, the
defending forces resorting to the
use of Searchlight batteries and
"robot"- irecte d anti-aircraft
guns, aimed automatically by
sonic pointers trained on the
sound from the airplane propellers
and motors. Extensive use OF
radio is to be made during these
operations. -,
The defense of Aberdeen will
be directed by Lieut.. Col. Gerald
c. Brant, Army Air Corps, Of
Mitchell Field, N. Y. The attack
ing forces will be commanded by
Mai. Hugh J. Knerr, commanding
the I'd Bombardment Group.
All of the officers and planes
participating in these exercises
have been making military avia-
ton history during the past month
in California, where the Army Air
Corps has just completed the most
extensive peace-time maneuvers
in it's history.
The 1st Pursuit Group will send
to Aberdeen 20 pursuit and three
transport planes, with % officers
and 81 enlisted men. The Sd At
tack Group is sending 9 officers
and 9 enlisted men here from
Texas and the bombardment
group will be represented by Is
officers and Is enlisted men.
The greatest concentration OF
naval planes ever held on the At
1antic Coast is scheduled as a re-
suit of the coming visit OF all
three aircraft carriers to Hamp-
ton Roads and New York. The
fighting squadrons from the car
riers, totaling approximately 100
planes, are to visit the National
Capital, landing at Boiling Field
and the Anacostia Naval Air Sta
ton on May "a, according to the
present plans of the Navy Depart
ment.
The squadrons will fly a review
in connection with the CurtiSS
Marine Trophy races, to be held
at AnacoStia on the afternoon of
May "a. This will be the largest
aerial review in the history of
aviation on the Atlantic Coast
and will be the greatest aeronau-
tical spectacle the National Capt.
tai ever has seen. Picked pilots
Fleets and from naval air sta
tionS are to compete in the races.
which are the annual Seaplane
and flying boat classics in the
United States, and which this
year promise to be better con-
tested than ever before.
Formation Flights Planned.
The Navy fighting plane squad
ronS are fresh from the annual
Spring battle exercises of the
combined fleets, held in the Carib-
bean Sea, and it is expected that
the results of their arduouS train
ing will be reflected in their fly
ing here. It is likely that Spe-
cial demonstration of formation
flying will be put on by the IA
nous Navy High Hat" fighter
squadron, which specializes for
demonstration purposes in the
flight of three sections Of three
planes each, with the planes of
each section tied together by So
foot lengths of rope.
So tied together, the sections
take off and fly an intricate pro-
gram of maneuverS, including
nine-plane loops. It is a hair
raising spectacle for the layman,
as thousands found at the Ma
tional air races last Fail, and Is
an example of what consistent
and thorough training will do for
pilots who must fly close forma-
tons regularly.
The Navy High Hats" SO
named because all the planes OF
the squadron bear painted on the
side of the fuSelage high, gleam-
ing silk hat, the squadron inSig-
MIA, are an aggregation of very
sweet flyers, and any show they
may put on will be well worth
watching. Two of the High Hats
formed a section led by Col.
Charles A. Lindbergh at Cleve-
land during the races and they
stuck to him like leeches through
thick and thin.
The High Hats may be splendid
flyers, but so are the pilots OF the
other Navy squadrons, and when