118

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1942-Contin ued

3 July In the first successful firing of an American

rocket from a plane in flight, Lieutenant Commander

James H. Hean, Gunnery Officer of Transition Training

Squadron, Pacific Fleet, fired a retro-rocket from a

PBY-5A in flight at Goldstone Lake, Calif. The rocket,

designed to be fired aft with a velocity equal to the

forward velocity of the airplane, and thus to fall verti-

PBY-5A, amphibious version of the Catalina f7ying boat, carnes

retro-rockets for antisubmwjne warfare 700504

cally, was designed at the California Institute of

Technology. Following successful tests, the retro-rock-

et became a weapon complementary to the magnetic

airborne detector with Patrol Squadron 63 receiving

the first service installation in February 1943.

7 July An agreement was reached between the Army

and Navy, which provided that the Army would deliv-

er to the Navy a specified number of B-24 Liberators,

B-25 Mitchells, and B-34 Venturas to meet the Navy's

requirement for long range landplanes. Also, the Navy

would relinquish its production cognizance of the

Boeing Renton plant to the Army for expanded B-29

production and limit its orders for PBYs to avoid inter-

ference with B-24 production.

12 July Patrol Wings were reorganized to increase

the mobility and flexibility of patrol aviation.

Headquarters Squadrons were authorized for each

wing to furnish administrative and maintenance ser-

vices to attached squadrons. Geographic areas of

responsibility were assigned to each wing, and perma-

nent assignment of squadrons was abolished in favor

of assignment as the situation required.

19 July The seaplane tender Casco established an

advanced base in Nazan Bay, Atka, Aleutian Islands, to

support seaplane operations against Kiska, which

included antishipping search, bombing of enemy posi-

tions, and cover for surface force bombardments.

24 July The Bureau of Aeronautics issued a Planning

Directive calling for procurement of four Sikorsky heli-

copters for study and development by Navy and Coast

Guard aviation forces.

1 August A J4F Widgeon, piloted by Ensign Henry

C. White of Coast Guard Squadron 212, based at

Houma, La., scored the first Coast Guard kill of an

enemy submarine with the sinking of the German U-

166 off the passes of the Mississippi.

7 August Marine Aircraft Wings, Pacific was orga-

nized at San Diego, Calif., under command of Major

General Ross E. Rowell for the administrative control

and logistic support of Marine Corps aviation units

assigned to the Pacific Fleet. In September 1944, this

command was renamed Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force,

Pacific.

7 August 1942-9 February 1943 Capture of

Guadalcanal-Air support for the U.S. Marines' first

amphibious landing of World War II was provided by

three carriers of Air Support Force (Rear Admiral Leigh

Noyes), and by Navy, Marine, and Army units of

Aircraft, South Pacific (Rear Admiral John S. McCain)

operating from bases on New Caledonia and in the

New Hebrides. Carrier forces withdrew from direct

support (9 Aug) but remained in the area to give over-

all support to the campaign during which they partici-

pated in several of the naval engagements fought over

the island. Saratoga sank the Japanese light carrier

Ryujo in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons (23-25

Aug); Enterprise was hit by carrier-based bombers (24

Aug) and forced to retire; Saratoga was damaged by a

submarine torpedo (31 Aug) and forced to retire; and

Wasp was sunk by a submarine (15 Sep) while escort-

ing a troop convoy to Guadalcanal. Hornet, in Task

Group 17 (Rear Admiral George D. Murray), hit targets

in the Buin- Tonolei-Faisi area (5 Oct); attacked

beached Japanese transports and supply dumps on

Guadalcanal; destroyed a concentration of seaplanes

at Rekata Bay (16 Oct); and, with Enterprise, fought in

the Battle of Santa Cruz (26-27 Oct) in which she was

sunk by air attack. In final carrier actions of the cam-

paign, Enterprise took part in the last stages of the

Naval Battle for Guadalcanal (12-15 Nov), assisting in

sinking 89,000 tons of war and cargo ships, and in the

Battle of Rennel Island (29-30 Jan) in which two

escort carriers also participated. Ashore, air forces in

great variety provided direct support. Navy patrol

squadrons flew search, rescue, and offensive missions

from sheltered coves and harbors. Marine Fighter