Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-02
ARMY PLANES QUIT
FIELD HERE ON HOP
TO HOME HANGARS
All but Four of 800 AirShipS
Held Here Since Friday
Take Off in Mud.
HOOVER LAUDS GROUP
ON CORPS MANEUvERs
Two Pilots, III With Colds, Are Due
to Leave Today-Pursuit Craft
Collide on Wet Runway.

Generalization of the 1st Air Di-
vision got under way today with the
bulk of the Army maneuver planes sta
toned at Boiling Field since Friday TAX
ing off before $50 o'clock.
BY IL o'clock, all of 800 planes had
left the field except two pursuit planes
whose pilots were i'll in Walter Reed
Hospital, two pursuit ships which need
new fabric patches on wing and tail
surfaces and one transport which was
begged down in mud hole.
The two sick pilots suffering from
bad colds, were expected to get away
this afternoon, one for Selfridge Field.
Mich. the other for Mather Field. Calf.
The two planes to which fabric is being
applied were expected to clear this
afternoon for Kelly Field. Tex. The
transport, hauled out of its bog by a
tractor. left before noon for Selfridge
Field, Michigan.
Planes Collide in Mud.
The LIST Pursuit Group. Selfridge
Field, was the first to clear the local
Army airdrome. the pilots Of its three
squadrons taking off in elements OF
three planes each, assembling in squad
rons over the city and then heading of
to the northwest. The big transports
of the group. carrying mechanics and
supplies, followed soon afterward.
The flying cadets from Kelly Field,
plotting the P-1 pursuit planes OF the
l0lst Provisional Pursuit Group, start
ed taking off by elements, but were
tagged down to single take-offs after
two of the planes, tricky to handle on
the muddy surface of the field. collided
lightly while taxing. tearing the fab
ric on the wing of one and on the tail
Of the other. The Kelly Field trans
ports then cleared.
The goth Pursuit Group, composed of
squadrons from Mather Field and Rock
we'll Field, San Diego. Calf. got away
from a field then heavily churned by
the preceding squadronS.
Early this afternoon the 7th Bonn
bardment Group, composed of light and
heavy souadrcns from Rockwell Field.
! was to stop at Boiling Field for refuel-
ing en- route West. The 18th Squadron
of the group was to pick up two pas
sengers at Boiling Field. Col. Francisco
Aguilar. Mexican military attache. and
Col, Cascillo Breton. chief of the Mexi-
can Aeronautcal School. who will be
taken as far as Cincinnati.
The 18th Observation Squadron.
which arrived here Sunday, also left
this morning.
Field headquarters OF the division.
dI DOllIIlS ldSI y,
were closed before noon today
Hoover Lauds Air Corps.
President Hoover was greatly I'M
pressed with the maneuvers. and today
sent the following message of congratu-
lation to Col. Patrick ]. Hurley, Secre-
tary of War:
Il wish to congratulate you and the
| Air Corps on the remarkable success
achieved in the maneuvers Just ter
| minated.
ITO have modified, from all parts of
! the country. a force of 672 airplanes,
and Unanswered it from the Middle
West to. and along. the Eastern Sea
board from Maine to Virginia, without
anv serious mishap, is very convincing
evidence Of the efficiency of the Army S
air forces.
II am especially gratified to know
that all three components of the Army
Of the United States-Regular Army,
National Guard and Organized Reserve
participated so creditably in this in
struction.
You and your subordinateS in the
War Department. by the successful Or
ganization and execution Of these exer-
cises. have reflected great credit upon
our military establishment"