The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-02

Started With 10 Planes
 Born in 1913 with only 10 planes, the Navys air force is scheduled to have 8 strength of at least 27,500 aircraft by the end of 1943.
 Many of the men now prominent in naval aviation were pioneers in this field: Vice Admiral John H. Towers, commander of naval air ofrces in the Pacific, as a neuten- ant in 1911, had a great deal to do with getting aviation recognized by the Navy. Rear Admiral P. N. L. Bellinger, commander of naval air. craft in the Atlantic, also ieuten- ant 30 years ago, was the first naval pilot to receive enemy gunfre in the occupation of Vera Cruz. The first naval aviator was the late It. T. G. "Spuds" Ellyson, who in 1910 worked on the first Navy plane with Glenn Curtiss. Ellyson was also the first pilot to take his plane of by means of a catapult.
 Rear Admiral George D. Murray, now chief of Naval Air Intermedi- ate Training Command, was the twenty y-second pilot in the Navy.
 The twenty-fourth pilot of the Navy Air Technical Training Com mand, who piloted the first plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
 Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitcher, who commanded the aircraft car- rier Hornet on the Tokyo raid and the battle of Midway, was the 33rd to join the Naval air arm. Number 45 on the list of first Navy pilots is Rear Admiral Dewitt 0. Ramsey, new chief of the Bureau of Aero nautics. Two other early pilots, Artemus L. Gates and David s. h. gals, have become assistant secre- tarieS of the Navy for air.
 Dewey'S Recommendation
 On Aug. 30, 1913, Admiral George Dewey recommended that an air department be established under the Division of Operations and that naval air service be suited to the needs of the Navy in War. Six weeks later, on Oct. g, Franklin D. Roosevelt, then acting secretary of the Navy, issued an order detailing the procedure for carrying out Dewey'S recommendation.
 In January, 1914, all available aeronnautical material, airplanes and the Navy's 10 pilots, were sent to Pensalcola, Fla, for the first naval air station.
 sent aboard the battleship Missis- sippi and the cruiser Birmingham to operate. with the fleet, received the first enemy gunfire in the oc- cupation of Vera Cruz in April, 1914.
 Ocean Crossing Ordered
 It took the first world war to prove the value of over-ocean flying, and in May, 1919, three NC flying boats were ordered to attempt a flight across the Atlantic. Two of the planes came down near the Azores and were unable to take off again because of fog. but the third. the NC-4, arrived in Plymouth, England. on May 3l, with stopoyers in the Azores and Lisbon, to be the first plane to cross the Atlantic.
 Introduced Dive-B Bomber
 AA AR@@t tet@ VI " s@ANs eAtNtV~ duced the dive bomber to the world and it has since become one of the most important developments in naval aviation.
 Today the dependence Of the fleet on naval aviation has suF- passed the widest dreams Of It's early champions. ff a baktleship has 6 range Of something over % miles with lts big guns, Navy planes based on carriers can increase that range by several hundred miles with their dive-b0nbers. In the same way, torpedo planes can greatly iF. crease the torpedo range ef the de- siF0yer or submarine.
 Fighters IEaye I've Sohs
 The big carriers carry a eemples ment Of approximately 60 planes, composed of aiahfera and hambaRa, The lighter planes naye two nlaFs p06s8~6ne to accompany me