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UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1944-Contin ued

10 August Naval Air Bases commands were estab-

lished within each Naval District, the Training

Command, and for Marine Corps Bases, and were

charged with the military direction and administrative

coordination of matters affecting the development and

operational readiness of aviation facilities in their

respective areas.

10 August The operating aircraft complement of

Carrier Air Groups was revised to 54 VF, 24 VB and 18

VT with the provision that four night fighters and two

photo planes be included among the 54 VE

11 August An electric powered rescue hoist was

installed on an HNS-1 helicopter at CGAS Floyd Bennett

Field, NY During the ensuing four day test period, in

which flights were conducted over Jamaica Bay, the

feasibility of rescuing personnel from the water and of

transferring personnel and equipment to and from

underway boats was demonstrated. Six weeks later, a

hydraulic hoist, which overcame basic disadvantages of

the electric hoist, was installed and successfully tested,

leading to its adoption for service use.

11 August Dr. M. E Bates of the Sperry Gyroscope

Company submitted a brief report of the trial installa-

tion and flight test of a helicopter automatic pilot

(cyclic pitch control) in an HNS-I at CGAS Floyd

Bennett Field, NY

15-29 August Landings in Southern France-Two

United States and seven British escort carriers of the

Naval Attack Force (Rear Admiral T. H. Troubridge,

RN) supplied defensive fighter cover over the shipping

area, spotted for naval gunfire, flew close support mis-

sions, made destructive attacks on enemy concentra-

tions and lines of communication and otherwise assist-

ed Allied troops landing between Toulon and Cannes,

France, and advancing up the Rhone Valley.

20-23 August The nonrigid airship K-I11, under

command of Lieutenant Commander Frederick N. Klein,

operating in conjunction with the Escort Carrier

Makassar Strait off San Diego, Calif., demonstrated the

feasibility of refueling and replenishing airships from

aircraft carriers. In this operation of 72.5 hours duration,

the airship's crew was relieved every 12 hours and its

engines were operated continuously. In one evolution,

the airship remained on deck for 32 minutes.

24 August The first night carrier air group,

CVLG(N)-43, was established at Charlestown, R.1. Its

component squadrons VF(N)-43 and VT(N)-43, the lat-

ter the first of the night torpedo squadrons, were

established the same day.

24 August Fleet Air Wing 10 moved forward from

Perth, Australia, to Los Negros in the Admiralty

Islands, to support the advance of Southwest Pacific

Forces on the Philippines.

31 August-30 September Occupation of Palau

and Morotai-Simultaneous landings by Central and

Southwest Pacific Forces were preceded by wide-

flung operations of four carrier groups of Task Force

38 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher), which committed

only part of its strength in direct support and operat-

ed principally in covering action. TG 38.4 (Rear

Admiral Ralph E. Davison) opened the campaign with

attacks on the Bonin and Volcano Islands (31 Aug-2

Sep). The entire Fast Carrier Force hit the Palau area

(6-8 Sep), leaving TG 38.4 to maintain the neutraliza-

tion of Palau, and moved against the Philippines with

fighter sweeps over Mindanao airfields (9-10 Sep)

and strikes in the Visayas (12-14 Sep). Here TG 38.1

(Vice Admiral John S. McCain) separated to hit

Mindanao (14 Sep) and to support landing on Morotai

by Southwest Pacific Forces (15 Sep). The landings

were preceded by bombing and strafing attacks and

were supported (15-16 Sep) by TG 38.1 aircraft and

additionally by six escort carriers of TG 77.1 (Rear

Admiral Thomas 1. Sprague). Landings on Peleliu by

Central Pacific Forces (15 Sep) were preceded by pre-

liminary carrier air attacks (12-14 Sep) from TG 38.4

and from four CVEs of Carrier Unit One (Rear Admiral

William D. Sample). Continued support was given by

the same fast carrier group (15-18 Sep) and until the

end of the month by a total of 10 escort carriers oper-

ating in TG 32.7 (Rear Admiral Ralph A. Ofstie).

Carrier air support was also provided for landings on

Agaur (17 Sep), Ulithi (23 Sep), and the shore-to-

shore movement from Peleliu to Ngesebus (28 Sep)

support for the latter including strikes by Marine

Corps land-based units from Peleliu, the first of

which, VMF(N)-541, had arrived 24 September.

Following the action at Morotai, TG 38.1 rejoined the

main body of Fast Carriers which then launched

strikes on airfields and shipping around Manila (21-22

Sep) and hit airfields, military installations, and ship-

ping in the central Philippines (24 Sep) before retir-

ing. In this month of action, carrier planes destroyed

893 enemy aircraft and sank 67 war and merchant

ships totalling 224,000 tons.

Enemy weakness in the central Philippines, uncov-

ered by carrier air action, changed plans for reentry

into the Philippines, shifting the assault point from

southern Mindanao to Leyte and advancing the assault

date from mid-November to 20 October.