Evening star., 1933-06-11
NEW A|RSH|P ASKED
BY AKRON PROBERS
Congressional investigators
Recommend Another Diri-
gibIe for Navy.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
Construction of another airship Of
the Akron's rank was urged for the
Navy yesterday by congressional in
vestigators at the same time that the
lone surviving officer Of the disaster
was ordered to sea.
Lieut.. Comdr. Herbert v. Wiley was
directed to report June 25 to the U. s.
S. Cincinnati, light cruiser In the
battle force Of the Pacific.
Wiley was reported to be not dis
satisfied with his new assignment, but
such shifts from lighter -than-air to sea
duty were criticized before the joint
congressional committee that investi-
gated the Akron loss and the commit
tee made this statement in its report:
Administration of lighter -than-air
by the Navy should insure continuity
Of personnel and experience. Only fully
trained officers of wide airship expert
ence should be in command of air
ships. Command of a training ship
should be prerequisite for command
OF ship OF the Macon type operating
with the fleet"
EFhSy "dso Will tllc MACON INSPECTION
board when ordered to the Pacific.
Text of Report.
The report. prepared by Col. Henry
Breckenridge. committee counsel. and
concurred in by Representatives Har-
ter. Democrat. of Ohio; Delaney, DEM
ocrat, OF New York; Hope, Democrat.
Of Kansas; McSwain, Democrat. of
South Carolina, and Andrew, Repub-
hcan, OF Massachusetts,, and Senators
Kean, RepublicaA- II New Jersey:
Walsh, Democrat, OF Massachusetts,, and
Duffy, Democrat, of Wisconsin, set
forth the following:
Il. The cause of the wreck of the
AKRON was the crash of the stern on
the sea about 20 miles off Barnerat
Light in swift vertical descent caused
by vertical down current of air in the
midst of thunder and lightning storm.
There may have been other contributing
causes.
% Responsibility for the crash was
the navigation of the ship into the
storm conditions when she was de-
stroyed.
"3. Rigid airships by past experience
In the World War and by recent exer-
cises OF the fleet are found to have spe-
cial actual utility in the scouting line
of the fleet
Still in the development stage, there
Is further potential utility, to be de-
veloped only by experience.
The rigid airship seems to have
little utility in the operations of the
Army.
THE ALLEGATION Of airships to the
Navy for development and operations Is
sound.
a: 1t is recommended that the Navy
continue In the maintenance, develop
ment, and operation of airships.
"5. 1t is recommended that the
Naval Air Station at Lakehurst, N. J..
be the center Of training and a center
OF experiment; that most experienced
alrship commander be assigned to its
command and that there be placed at
his disposal experts in airship opera
ton. aerology, radio, and other fields
of instruction and research. and that
free balloons and non-rigid airships
be provided for training.
Training Ship Urged.
Administration of lighter-than-air
by the Navy should insure continuity
of personnel and experience. Only
fully trained officers of wide airstip ex-
perience should be In command of air.
ships. Command of a training ship
should be prerequisite for command
OF ship Of the Macon type operating
with the feet.
IS. 1t is recommended that q train.
ing ship be promptly built and that a
new airship should be provided to re-
place the Akron, 'embodying such new
developments as experience may show
to be desirable.
This in accord with the principle Of
the 5-year plan that contemplated the
desirability Of two airships operating
with the fleet.
In the meaptime it is recommended
that the Los Angeles be put back into
commission for training and research.
~. 1t is recommended that four
general weather maps per diem be issued
by the Weather Bureau instead of two
as at present"