Admiral William A. Moffett, architect of naval aviation
By: William F. Trimble.
Series: Smithsonian history of aviation series
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Press
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Washington
Language: eng
Number of pages: 338
Subjects: Moffett, William A. 1869-1933.; United States Navy -- Biography.; United States. Navy -- Aviation -- History.; Admirals -- United States -- Biography.
Description: "More than any other individual, Rear Adm. William A. Moffett (1869-1933) shaped naval aviation during its critical formative years in the twenties and early thirties. In this first full biography, William F. Trimble shows that Moffett's remarkably sophisticated understanding of what later would be called the military-industrial complex laid the groundwork for the force that fought and won World War II in the Pacific."--BOOK JACKET. "There was little, Trimble contends, in Moffett's early career that pointed to the pivotal role he would play in naval aviation. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, the Annapolis graduate won the Medal of Honor as captain of the cruiser Chester during the 1914 landing at Veracruz. During World War I, as commanding officer of the Great Lakes Naval Training Station near Chicago, he joined with the local business elite to launch an aviation training program.^

Later, commanding the battleship Mississippi, he supported the formation of a ship plane unit and befriended aviation pioneer Henry Mustin, a strong advocate of fleet aviation."--BOOK JACKET. "Trimble shows that Moffett's real influence began with his work to establish the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics in 1921. Serving as the bureau's chief until his death, Moffett integrated the use of airplanes and airships with fleet operations, managed the introduction of new technology - most notably the aircraft carrier - and rationalized procurement and personnel. Although the Navy was traditionally "the silent service," Moffett used public relations opportunities to promote naval aviation and to defeat the military, political, and bureaucratic opponents of his agenda. Trimble describes the admiral's highly publicized confrontation with Brig. Gen. William ("Billy") Mitchell, who agitated for a unified air force at the expense of a separate naval air arm."--BOOK JACKET.^

"Recognizing Moffett's gifted stewardship of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Trimble also recounts several of his obvious failures. Among them was his avid support for the large rigid airship as a solution to naval reconnaissance problems. Moffett lost his life in 1933, when he went down with the airship Akron off the coast of New Jersey."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 319-328) and index.