1918-Continued

Station, Lieutenant Commander Louis H. Maxfield in

command.

3 March Dirigibles in France-The AT-l (Astra-

Torres), having been obtained from the French on 1

March, made its first flight under American control at

Paimboeuf, France. Prior to the armistice, the Navy

obtained 12 dirigibles from the French.

6 March The Bureau of Navigation established instru-

ment allowances for naval aircraft allotting a compass,

two altimeters and a clock for service seaplanes and

flying boats; a compass, altimeter, clock and stato-

scope for dirigibles and free balloons; and an altimeter

and clock for kite balloons and training planes.

6 March An unmanned flying-bomb type plane was

launched successfully and flown for 1,000 yards at the

Sperry Flying Field, Copiague, Long Island, NY The

launching device was a falling weight type catapult.

7 March The Office of the Director of Naval

Aviation was established in the Office of the Chief of

Naval Operations and the Aviation Section became a

Division.

9 March A revised training program for Naval

Aviators, Seaplanes, was initiated which provided that,

after a period of general training, all student aviators

specialize in one of three general types of seaplanes;

that they follow a syllabus which divided the program

into elementary, advanced, and advanced specializa-

tion courses; and designated the stations at which the

respective courses would be given.

15 March The Bureau of Construction and Repair

directed that all new naval aircraft be painted in low

visibility naval gray enamel.

19 March As combat operations underlined the

need for Aviation Intelligence Officers, Commander,

Naval Aviation Forces, Foreign Service, distributed a

circular letter defining the duties and functions per-

formed by such officers at Royal Navy Air Stations

with the suggestion that provisions for similar services

be made at naval air stations "as may seem expedi-

ent." Supplementary letters clarified the duties and

functions and on 31 October it was specifically stated

that Aviation Intelligence Officers be specially trained

for this work.

19 March A formation of flying boats, on long range

reconnaissance off the German coast, was attacked by

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

33

German seaplanes. Ensign Stephan Potter shot down

one of the attackers and was credited officially as

being the first American Naval Aviator to shoot down

an enemy seaplane.

21 March The HA seaplane, or "Dunkirk Fighter,"

made its first flight at Port Washington, Long Island,

N.Y., with Curtiss test pilot Roland Rohlfs at the con-

trols and Captain Bernard L. Smith, USMC, occupying

the second seat.

25 March Ensign John F. McNamara, flying out of

RNAS Portland, England, made the first attack on an

enemy submarine by a U.S. Naval Aviator. For his

attack, reported by Admiral Sims as "apparently suc-

cessful," Ensign McNamara was commended by the

Secretary of the Navy for his "valiant and earnest

efforts on this particular occasion."

27 March The first aircraft built at the Naval Aircraft

Factory, the H-16, Serial No. A-I049, was flown for the

first time. The H-16 was used in antisubmarine patrol

from U.S. and European stations, and for this purpose

was equipped with two 230-pound bombs and five

Lewis machine guns; one forward, two aft, and two

amidships.

30 March The Curtiss 18-T or "Kirkham" triplane

fighter was ordered from Curtiss Engineering

Corporation. This single-engine, two-seater landplane

was fitted with two synchronized and two flexible

guns.

I

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First NAF-built H-161eaving assembly building NAF 2121