138

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1944-Contin ued

29 April-1 May Second Carrier Strike on Truk-

Task Force 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher), return-

ing to Majuro from the Hollandia operation, launched

a 2-day attack on enemy installations and supply

dumps at Truk. In addition to damage ashore, three

small ships were sunk and 145 enemy aircraft

destroyed. Task Group 58.1 (Rear Admiral Joseph 1.

Clark), detached from the main force on the second

day, flew protective cover for a cruiser bombardment

of Satawan, and on 1 May supported bombardment of

Ponape with air cover and bombing and strafing

attacks.

1 May The command Aircraft, Central Pacific, was

dissolved and its functions assumed by Commander,

Marshalls Sub-Area.

4 May A board headed by Rear Admiral Arthur W.

Radford and known by his name, submitted a report

that had a direct effect on aviation planning during the

latter part of the war and, with modifications to fit the

needs of peacetime, extended its influence long after

the war. The Integrated Aeronautic Program for

Maintenance, Material and Supply, which evolved

from its recommendations, was essentially a plan

involving the assignment of new planes to combat

units; return of aircraft to the United States for recon-

ditioning and reassignment after specified combat

tours; the retirement of second tour aircraft before

maintenance became costly; and the support of the

aeronautical organization through the use of factors

and allowances for pools, pipelines, and recondition-

ing kept realistic by frequent appraisal.

8 May The seaplane tender Kenneth Whiting, first of

four ships of the class, was commissioned at Tacoma,

Wash., Commander Raymond R. Lyons in command.

8 May Commander, Naval Forces, Northwest African

Waters, approved the assignment of nine Naval

Aviators from Cruiser Scouting Squadron 8 (VCS-8) to

the 111 th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (TRS) of

the 12th Army Air Force for flight training and combat

operations in North American P-51 C Mustangs.

Previous combat experience with Curtiss SOC Seagulls

and Vought OS2U Kingfishers being used in air spot-

ting and reconnaissance missions proved both types

were vulnerable to enemy fighters and antiaircraft fire.

The higher performance of fighters such as the P-51

was expected to result in a reduction of casualties on

these missions. A total of 11 Naval Aviators participat-

ed in combat operations from the cockpits of P-51 s

while assigned to the 111th TRS in support of the cam-

paign in Italy and the invasion of southern France. On

2 September 1944 all Naval Aviators assigned to the

III th returned to their ships, ending a four month

long association between the 111 th TRS and VCS-8.

13 May To distinguish between fixed and rotary

wing heavier-than-air craft, the helicopter class desig-

nation VH plus a mission letter (i.e. VHO for observa-

tion and VHN for training) was abolished and heli-

copters were established as a separate type designated

H. The previous mission letters thus became classes

designated 0, N, and R for observation, training and

transport respectively.

13 May To meet the needs of the fleet for aviation

personnel trained in the use of electronics counter-

measures equipment, the Chief of Naval Operations

directed that on 1 June, or as soon thereafter as prac-

ticable, the Chief of Naval Air Technical Training

establish a school to be known as Special Projects

School for Air, located initially at NAAS San Clemente

Island, Calif.

15 May The first of 16 special transatlantic flights

was made by NATS aircraft to the United Kingdom to

deliver 165,000 pounds of minesweeping gear essen-

tial to the safety of assault shipping during the

Normandy invasion. The delivery was successfully

completed 23 May.

17 May The Bureau of Aeronautics authorized

CGAS Floyd Bennett Field, N.Y., to collaborate with

the Sperry Gyroscope Company in making an auto-

matic pilot installation in a HNS-1 helicopter.

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An OS2U Kingfisher is taxied onto the plane net for an underway

recoveq by a cruiser 299540