192

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1951-Continued

Arming F9Fs 20mm guns 1030116

12 June Two PB4Y-2s of VP-772 were transferred

from NAS Atsugi, Japan, to Pusan, South Korea, to fly

flare dropping missions for Marine Corps night attack

aircraft. The success of the operation, which was con-

ducted as an experiment, was such that the practice of

assigning specially equipped patrol aircraft for this

purpose was continued.

17 June Postwar research on high-speed, jet-pro-

pelled seaplanes had progressed to the point that a

contract was issued to Convair for development of a

delta-winged, hydroski-equipped research seaplane

with fighter characteristics. Through subsequent

redesign, the aircraft became the XF2Y-l.

18 June

The ZPN-l airship made its first flight.

1 July The Naval Air Turbine Test Station was estab-

lished at Trenton, N.J. Its mission was test and evalua-

tion of turbojet, turboprop, ramjet, pulsejet engines

and accessories and components.

10 July The UN military representatives, headed by

Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy, arrived at Kaesong, Korea,

for armistice discussions with Communist leaders.

Thus began many trying months in which negotiations

were alternately suspended and reopened while hos-

tilities continued unabated.

7 August The McDonnell XF3H-l Demon, an exper-

imental model of a Navy shipboard jet fighter, com-

pleted its first flight at St. Louis, Mo.

7 August A Viking high-altitude sounding rocket,

developed by the Naval Research Laboratory and

launched at the White Sands Proving Grounds, N.M.,

achieved an altitude of 135.3 miles.

7 August The Navy's sonic research plane, the D-

558-2 Skyrocket, piloted by Douglas test pilot William

B. Bridgeman, set an unofficial world speed record of

1,238 mph over Muroc, Calif.

8 August The Secretary of the Navy established the

classification AVM for Auxiliaries, Guided Missiles

Ships, and changed the designation of Norton Sound

from AV 11 to AVM 1.

15 August The Douglas Skyrocket D-558-2, the

Navy's sonic research plane, piloted by William B.

Bridgeman, reached 79,494 feet over Muroc, Calif., the

highest altitude achieved by man to that date.

23 August Essex, veteran of World War II and first

of the postwar converted carriers to go into action,

joined Task Force 77 off the east coast of Korea and

launched her planes in combat. On this strike, F2H-2

Banshees flown by pilots of VF-I72 went into action

for the first time.

25 August F2H Banshees and F9F Panthers from

Essex, operating with Task Force 77 in the Sea of

Japan, provided fighter escort for Air Force B-29s on a

high altitude bombing mission against the marshalling

yards at Rashin on the extreme northeast border of

Korea.

2 September HMR-161, equipped with HRS-ls,

arrived Pusan, South Korea, aboard Sitkoh Bay and

flew ashore prepared to perform transport, assault,