The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-01-07
Will Be Joined By Air
Fleet, Which Is Expect
ed To Reach Here Janu-
airy Is

DestroYers childs and William
son which are to base in Key
West during the war games in
the Caribbean area will arrive
tomorrow at the Key West Naval
Station.
The destroyers will be joined
January ID by 10 large patrol
seaplanes from Norfolk, Virginia,
and the airplane tender, Owl.
Although the official schedule
has the planes arriving here Mon
day, Lieutenant Callahan told
The Citizen that he believed
they would arrive after the Owl
lands here. The Owl is sched-
uled to be here January Is. Com
mander L. T. Hurdt will be in
command of the patrol wing
which will consist of two squad
rons of planes and tending ships.
One plane squadron is in COM
mand of 1t. Com. B. Studley. The
other squadron is commanded by
1t. Com. S. w. Galloway.
When all the destroyerS and
planes are here there will be 20
commissioned officers, As nom
commissioned aviation cadets,
and 800 men. Several persons in
town have received messages in
quiring for living accommoda-
tons for families of the officers
and men. 1t is believed that the
officers and men will have
quarters aboard the destroyers
and tenders. Just how this will
be done Lieut.. Callahan does not
know, since regularly equip
ped destroyer would not have
space for that number of men.
It is possible that the destroyers
will be specially equipped for the
stay.
Eong Range Planes - =.
The planes which are to be an.
chored at the ramp on Trumbo
Island are long range planes
which may fly thousand miles
or so. These planes will prin-
cipally be used as scouting
planes, although they are capable
of carrying bombs. A crew of
seven operates each plane. Gaso-
line for the planes are to be sent
here on a fleet of 80 gasoline
trucks from Everglades City. The
aviation gas will be partially
loaded aboard the tender Owl and
will partly be kept in the trucks
which are to service the planes.
The tanks at the Key West
naval station which carries diesel
and fuel oil are at present loaded
to capacity, but it is believed that
it must be loaded again during
the stay of the ships.
Lieutenant Callahan estimates
that the payroll of the officers
and men who will be stationed
here will be between $4,000 and
$4,000.
Against Invasion
PROBLEM" of the group here
will be to defend the area against
the invasion of an enemy. The
enemy will be equipped with
ships and planes as effective as
those which will be here. With
Guantanamo Bay, Virgin Is
lands, Pensacola, Miami and
Jacksonville cooperating the at
tempt will be made to control the
Caribbean area. Key West has
long been known as the "key to
the gulf. The Windward passage
and the passage between Cuba
and Yucatan are the two water
areas which must not be entered
by enemy ships.
The patrol planes will be lone
wolves which will patrol the
Caribbean to spot enemy ships
and planes. 1t is believed that
no enemy ship or plane could be
in that area without being spot
ted by the planes which sys-
tematically cover a certain area.
Lieut.. Fort H. Callahan, officer
in charge of the Naval Station,
will give a cocktail party in
honor of the officers after the