1944-Contin ued

while photographic planes obtained intelligence of

enemy defenses. This done, the groups steamed north

for the fourth side of the campaign on the Bonins and

Volcanoes. By the time Guam was secure (10 Aug),

carrier aircraft had accounted for 110,000 tons of

enemy shipping sunk and 1,223 aircraft destroyed. In

this campaign, groups of the fast carrier force retired

in turn to advanced fleet bases for brief periods of rest

and replenishment, thus initiating a practice that

became standard operating procedure during all future

extended periods of action.

12 June In the first deployment of a guided missile

unit into a combat theater, elements of Special Task

Air Group 1 arrived in the Russell Islands in the South

Pacific.

24 June The Chief of Naval Operations promulgated

plans which provided for a drastic reduction in the

pilot training program. This required the transfer of

some students already in Pre-Flight, and prior stages

of training and the retention of enough to maintain a

course in Pre-Flight schools expanded to 25 weeks.

The program of "deselection" and voluntary withdraw-

al of surplus students was instituted by the Chief of

Naval Air Training early in the next month. The result-

ing reductions were directly responsible for the dis-

continuance of the War Training Service Program in

August, closing the Flight Preparatory Schools in

September and the release of training stations which

began in September.

26 June Seaplane tender Currituck, first of four

ships of her class, was commissioned at Philadelphia,

Pa., Captain William A. Evans commanding.

29 June The Parachute Experimental Division was

established at Lakehurst, N.J., for research, develop-

ment, and testing of parachutes and survival gear.

29 June Carrier Air Groups were standardized for all

commands under the following designations: CVBG,

large carrier air group; CVG, medium carrier air group;

CVLG, light carrier air group; CVEG, escort carrier air

group (Sangamon class); and VC, escort carrier air

group (Long Island, Charger, Bogue, and Casablanca

class).

30 June The Naval Aircraft Modification Unit of the

Naval Air Material Center, Philadelphia, Pa., was relo-

cated at Johnsville, Pa., where facilities for intensified

efforts in guided missile development and quantity

modification of service airplanes were available.

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

141

6 July A Special Air Unit was formed under Com-

mander, Air Force, Atlantic Fleet (COMAIRLANT), with

Commander James A. Smith, Officer-in-Charge, for

transfer without delay to Commander, Fleet Air Wing 7

in Europe. This unit was to attack German V-I and V-2

launching sites with PB4 Y -1 s converted to assault

drones.

6 July The Bureau of Aeronautics authorized

Douglas to proceed with the design and manufacture

of 15 XBT2D airplanes. The single-seat dive bomber

and torpedoplane thus initiated, was designed jointly

by BuAer and Douglas engineers. Through subsequent

development and model redesignation, these aircraft

became the prototypes for the AD Skyraider series of

attack planes.

14 July To achieve economy of effort and unity of

purpose by coordinating all safety functions through a

central organization, a Flight Safety Council was estab-

lished by the joint action of the Deputy Chief of Naval

Operations (Air) and the Chief of the Bureau of

Aeronautics, to plan, coordinate, and execute flight

safety programs.

14 July PB4Y Liberators of VB-109, based at Saipan,

made the first strike on Iwo Jima by shore-based planes.

27 July Fleet Air Wing 17 headquarters moved to

Manus in the Admiralty Islands.

29 July In the first successful test of the Pelican

guided missile, conducted 44 miles offshore from NAS

New York, N.Y., two of the four launched against the

target ship James Longstreet were hits.

29 July A detachment of Liberators of Bombing

Squadron 114 from Port Lyautey, Morocco, was estab-

lished under British command at Lajes Airfield in the

Azores Islands for antisubmarine operations.

31 July The Accelerated Field Service Test Unit at

Patuxent River, Md., was redesignated Service Test and

established as a separate department.

5 August The Fast Carrier Task Force was reorga-

nized into First and Second Fast Carrier Task Forces,

Pacific, commanded respectively by Vice Admiral Marc

A. Mitscher and Vice Admiral John S. McCain.

7 August Carrier Division 11 was established at

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Rear Admiral Matthias B.

Gardner commanding. This division, composed of car-

riers Saratoga and Ranger, was the first in the U.S.

Navy specifically established for night operations.