1917-Continued

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15 November A Committee on Light Alloys, with

Naval Constructor Jerome C. Hunsaker a member, was

established within the NACA to intensify efforts to

develop light metal alloys for aeronautical use.

18 November U.S. aerial coastal patrols in European

waters began with Tellier seaplanes from LeCroisic,

France, at the mouth of the Loire River. This seaplane

patrol station, the first of eight established in France,

was established 27 November under command of

Lieutenant William M. Corry.

21 November A demonstration of the Navy N-9 fly-

ing bomb at Amityville, Long Island, N.Y., was wit-

nessed by Major General George O. Squier, USA, Chief

Signal Officer. Subsequently the Army established a

parallel aerial torpedo project.

22 November A Tellier seaplane piloted by Ensign

Kenneth R. Smith, with Electrician's Mate Wilkinson

and Machinist's Mate Brady on board, was forced

down at sea on a flight out of NAS LeCroisic, France,

to investigate the reported presence of German sub-

marines south of Belle Isle. Two days later, and only

minutes before their damaged plane sank, they were

rescued by a French destroyer. It was the first armed

patrol by a U.S. Naval Aviator in European waters.

24 November In discussing the development of air-

craft torpedoes and torpedo planes, the Chief of Naval

Operations pointed out that available aircraft could

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

31

carry no more than a 600-pound ordnance load and

thus were incapable of delivering a torpedo with an

explosive charge large enough to seriously damage a

modern warship. This problem, the size of an effective

torpedo versus the capabilities of aircraft, retarded tor-

pedo plane development in World War I and contin-

ued as an important factor in the post war years.

1 December NAS Pauillac, France, was established

as an active assembly and repair station supporting all

naval air stations in France.

5 December The policy regarding helicopter devel-

opment was established by the Secretaries of the War

and Navy Departments on the basis of recommenda-

tions made by the Joint Technical Board on Aircraft.

Basically, need for improvements in powerplants and

propellers was recognized as necessary if a successful

helicopter was to be obtained, but actual support of

development efforts was to be limited to moral

encouragement until a vendor had demonstrated a

helicopter of military value.

7 December Fighter-type aircraft development was

initiated with the Secretary's authorization for the

Curtiss HA, or "Dunkirk Fighter." This single-pontoon

seaplane was equipped with dual synchronized

machine guns forward and dual flexible machine guns

in the rear cockpit.

7 December The Naval Aeronautic Station Pensa-

cola, Fla., was redesignated a Naval Air Station.

22 December The addition of an Aerography School

in the training program at MIT was marked by the start

of classes with one student enrolled. A major portion of

the school's new instruction program was carried out at

the Blue Hill Observatory, Harvard University, but some

classes were also held at the Aerographic Laboratory on

the MIT campus. Of 55 men enrolled in the school, 54

qualified as aerologists by the end of the war.

31 December The First Aviation Squadron of the

Marine Corps, commanded by Captain William M.

McIlvain, USMC, transferred from Mineola, N.Y., to

Gerstner Field, Lake Charles, La., for advanced training

in landplanes.

1918

1 January The Experimental and Test Department at

Pensacola, Fla., was transferred to NAS Hampton

Roads, Va., to overcome difficulties arising from the

remoteness of the former location from the principal

manufacturing and industrial areas.