Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-26
AIR COMMANDMENT
BASE TO Be LARGER
Langley Field to Have Big
uest Force of Planes
in Country.

Creation of the greatest lombard
n,ent aviation force the United States
has seen is in progress at Langley Field,
Hampton Roads, Va, an hours flight
from the National Capital.
When present plans are carried out
Langley Field is to be the home of
full bombardment wing. composed of
pursuit group and bombardment
group. The Army Air Corps never
before has had an actual wing in OPP
Grafton in the United States,
If brought ZIP to full strength the
Langley Field bombardment wing will
be equipped with more than $50 bonn
bardment and pursuit planes.
The field now is the headquarters
of the I'd Bombardmont Group COM
posed of three skeleton squadrons be-
cause of a shortage Of equipment. For
a time the group was operat ng with
IL bombardment planes or less. Last
Fall thsre were but planes available
In the entire group TO go to the Ma
tional Air Races in Chicago.
Expect 36 Planes Soon.
Today there are 1S of the latest type
Commandment planes at Langley and
by next May. when the annual maneu-
vers of the Air Corps begin, it is ex
pected there will be So Of the great
planes on hand there, permitting the
operation Of four 9-plane squadrons or
three 12-plane squadrons,
The first squadron of pursuit planes.
nucleus of the pursuit group. has been
organized and is being trained at Self
ridge Field, Mich. home Of the Air
Corps only pursuit group today.
Langley Field now is the base of the
Air Corps Tactical School. IN which
officers of tho corps are taught the
art of handling large Air Corps units
branches of the military service. Move
ment of the Tactical School from
Langley Field to some other point,
probably Maxwell Field Montgomery
Ala, now is being cons dered TO clear
the way for creation of the proposed
wing. Langley Field also is the home
of the 10th Airship Company, at pres
ent operating one non-rigid airship.
Up to the present because of the
limited equipment Of the Air Corps, it
has been necessary for each type of
aviation to train by itself, the various
units being scattered throughout the
country at small stations.
There have been only three groups
the 1st Pursuit Group, at Selfridge
Field, Mich; the I'd Bombardment
Group, at Langley Field, and the Sd
Attack Group at Fort Crockett, Gal
weston. Tex
The only opportunity for the various
types to work together, as they would
have to do in time of emergency, was
for limited period during annual ma
neuvers
The wing to be organized at Langley
Field will be the third largest air unit
In the United States military services.
even in time of war. The consolidation
of two wings will form a brigade and
the largest air organization will be an
air division, composed of 2.23s airplanes. !
mostly bombing and pursuit; 1000
officers and 10000 men.
Division for War Time.
In the peace-t;me Army Air Corps
there is no air division contemplated.
The maneuvers to be held on the East
Coast including the National Capital.
next May will call for the organization
of a provisional air division though 1t
will be less than one-fourth the re-
Quired strength. even Though all
National Guard souadrons and the
advanced class at the Air Corps train
ing center, Kelly Field, Tex, will be
called to the field.
Construction of large number of
brick residential quarters for nom
commissioned officers is nearing compile
ton at Langley Field as a part of the
program leading up to the organization
of the proposed wing there. The field
now is commanded by Maj. Herbert A.
Dargue. Air Corps. commandant of the
I'd Bombardment Group.