1942-Contin ued

4 June The TBF Grumman Avenger flown by pilots

of a shore-based element of Torpedo Squadron 8,

began its combat career with attacks on the Japanese

Fleet during the Battle of Midway.

10 June Patrol planes of Patrol Wing 4 discovered

the presence of the enemy on Kiska and Attu, Aleutian

Islands-the first news of Japanese landings that had

taken place on the 7th.

10 June A formal organization, Project Sail, was

established at NAS Quonset Point, R.1., for airborne

testing and associated work on Magnetic Airborne

Detectors (MAD gear). This device was being devel-

oped to detect submarines by the change that they

induced in the earth's magnetic field. Principal

developmental efforts were being carried out by the

Naval Ordnance Laboratory and the National De-

fense Research Committee. In view of the promising

results of early trials made with airships and an

Army B-18, 200 sets of MAD gear were then being

procured.

11-13 June PBY Catalinas, operating from the sea-

plane tender Gillis in Nazan Bay, Atka Island, hit ships

and enemy positions on Kiska, Aleutian Islands, in an

intense 48-hour attack which exhausted the gasoline

and bomb supply aboard Gillis, but was not successful

in driving the Japanese from the island.

13 June Long Range Navigation Equipment

(LORAN), was given its first airborne test. The receiver

was mounted in the K-2 airship and, in a flight from

NAS Lakehurst, N.J., accurately determined position

when the airship was over various identifiable objects.

The test culminated with the first LORAN homing from

a distance 50 to 75 miles offshore during which the

LORAN operator, Dr. 1. A. Pierce, gave instructions to

the airship's commanding officer which brought them

over the shoreline near Lakehurst on a course that

caused the commanding officer to remark, "We

weren't [just] headed for the hangar. We were headed

for the middle of the hangar." The success of these

tests led to immediate action to obtain operational

LORAN equipment.

15 June Copahee, Captain John G. Farrell command-

ing, was commissioned at Puget Sound Navy Yard,

first of 10 escort carriers of the Bogue Class converted

from Maritime Commission hulls.

16 June Congress authorized an increase in the air-

ship strength of the Navy to 200 lighter-than-air craft.

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

117

17 June The development of Pelican, an antisubma-

rine guided missile, was undertaken by the National

Defense Research Committee with Bureau of

Ordnance sponsorship. This device consisted of a

glide bomb which could automatically home on a

radar beam reflected from the target.

17 June Following the abolition of the newly creat-

ed office of the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations

(Air), the earlier order establishing an aviation organi-

zation in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

was revised to the extent that the Director of the

Aviation Division became responsible directly to the

Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

17 June A contract was awarded to Goodyear for

the design and construction of a prototype model M

scouting and patrol airship with 50 percent greater

range and volume (625,000 cu. ft.) than the K Class.

Four model M airships were procured and placed in

service during World War II.

25 June Preliminary investigation of early warning

radar had proceeded to the point that the Coordinator

for Research and Development requested develop-

ment be initiated of airborne early warning radar

including automatic airborne relay and associated

shipboard processing and display equipment. Interest

in early warning radar had arisen when Admiral Ernest

1. King remarked to Dr. Vannevar Bush, head of the

Office of Scientific Research and Development, that

Navy ships need to see over the hill, i.e. beyond the

line of sight.

26 June Scheduled Naval Air Transport Service oper-

ations between the west coast and Alaska were initiat-

ed by VR-2.

27 June The Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) was

directed to participate in the development of high

altitude pressure suits with particular emphasis upon

testing existing types and obtaining information so

that they could be tailored and fitted for use in

flight. The Navy thus joined the Army which had

sponsored earlier work on pressure suits. The NAF

expanded its endeavors in the field of high altitude

equipment which then included design of a pressure

cabin airplane and construction of an altitude test

chamber.

29 June Following an inspection of Igor 1. Sikorsky's

VS-300 helicopter on 26 June, Lieutenant Commander

Frank A. Erickson, USCG, recommended that heli-

copters be obtained for antisubmarine convoy duty

and life-saving.