White House
Washington
December 19, 1914 |
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Hon. Oscar W. Underwood
House of Representatives
Dear Mr. Underwood: I hope that you will not think I am unduly burdening you if I write to express my great interest in the bill which has been passed by the Senate and is pending in the House which provides for the consolidation of the Revenue-Cutter and Life-Saving Services. It is of the highest consequence for the efficiency of both services that this bill should pass, and I hope that some chink may be found for it even in the rush hours of the House Calendar. |
With warmest regards,
Faithfully yours,
Woodrow Wilson s/s |
The bill was worked into the House Calendar. Representative William C. Adamson of Georgia, an advocate for combining the two services, steered it through the House. He advocated passage of the bill principally on the grounds that the bill would (1) reorganize the two services on a logical basis and result in increased efficiency, (2) improve the status of the life-savers facilitating the recruitment of desirable men, and (3) create a naval reserve … without additional cost to the Government … immediately ready upon notice to operate under the Navy Department whenever the President directs. Recognizing that World War I was in the initial stages, Mr. Adamson further suggested to Congress that:
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"While the question of national defense now more than ever before is brought into prominence, it is well to consider the advantages of a coast guard from a strictly military standpoint ….. The very nature of the emergent duties in peacetime will make its members quick to action, resourceful, and disciplined, all of which, it must be admitted, are absolutely essential to success in modern sea fighting …. Simply by a stroke of a pen, the President can transfer this highly efficient corps of men, armed, trained, and disciplined, into the regular Naval Establishment at any time …. This asset of military preparedness must therefore not be overlooked when appraising the value of a coast guard to the Government."
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Captain-Commandant Ellsworth P. Bertholf
First Commandant - United States Coast Guard. | Mr. Adamson was highly effective. After a debate that centered more upon cutter officer and surfman pay and retirement benefits than conceptual issues the Act to Create the Coast Guard was approved on 20 January 1915 by a vote of 212 for and 79 against. The yes votes were spread evenly between both major parties. President Wilson signed it into law eight days later. The name Coast Guard had it's origin in European usage. The Spanish had attempted to prevent illegal trade with its New World colonies during the1600 and 1700 hundreds by utilizing intercept vessels known as guarda costa. In 1822 the British Government had given the name "Coastguard" to an organization of coast watchers that reported smuggling activity and vessels in distress, and acted as a naval reserve. The term Coast Guard had been applied informally, from time to time, to the Rescue Cutter Service during the late 1800s. Captain-Commandant Bertholf deemed this to be the logical name for the new service and it found ready acceptance with the public. Captain-Commandant Bertholf, appointed for a second term, faced the delicate challenge of combining the civilian Life-Saving Service and the military Revenue Cutter Service -- organizations with vastly different cultures - into a single military service. Bertholf was absolutely convinced that the military character of the Revenue-Cutter Service had to prevail but large numbers of lifesavers did not wish to change status. As a result the two services were joined at the top but operated as separate entities until events accelerated the development of a fully integrated modern security force.
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Note:
Congressman Adamson's contributions both outside and within the Congress were of significant magnitude. He was referred to on numerous occasions as the "Father of the Coast Guard." Mr. Adamson was presented an ornate silver loving cup with the following inscription:
"Presented to HON WILLIAM CHARLES ADAMSON, member of Congress from Georgia, by the OFFICERS of the UNITED STATES REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE as a slight token of friendship and of their admiration of his able and disinterested efforts in their behalf."
Congressman Adamson was the grandfather of CDR. Robert Adamson USCG (ret); Coast Guard aviator number 205 and member of the Ancient Order of Pterodactyls
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1916 The Beginnings of Coast Guard Aviation:
Rendering assistance to vessels in distress was not a specific mission of the Revenue Cutter Service until 1832 when the Secretary of the Treasury Louis McLane directed several cutters to actively cruise solely for that purpose. Revenue Cutters were kept busy searching for and assisting vessels in distress, hauling in derelicts, and blowing up menaces to navigation. Most of these incidents occurred during the winter. By 1837 a specific "Winter Cruising Schedule" was maintained and the cutters were continuously at sea cruising an assigned area from about the middle of November well into the spring except for those periods required to replenish supplies and fuel. Originally conducted along the Atlantic seaboard, primarily in response to the schooner trade to and from the Caribbean, the area of responsibility continued to expand and as a matter of course the task of assisting distressed vessels of all types encompassed the Great Lakes, the Gulf Coast, Pacific Coast, and Alaska. Vessels in trouble at sea had to be searched for - the sea is vast - and time was of an essence. This then was the background for the need of Coast Guard aviation. Aircraft in their infancy did not have the all weather capability they do now but an airplane, in weather that would allow it to fly, could effectively search enormously greater areas in much less time than a cutter.
Two visionaries, 3rd Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone and 2nd Lieutenant Norman B. Hall assigned to the USCGC ONONDAGA under the command of Captain Benjamin M. Chiswell recognized the potential of aerial search. They saw clearly the benefit of utilizing aircraft to assist vessels in distress and to search for disabled vessels and obstructions to navigation and enlisted the assistance of the commanding officer. With the full backing and active participation of Captain Chiswell the next step was to evaluate the feasibility of the concept. What was needed was an airplane to run a series of tests with the ONONDAGA demonstrating the value of aircraft in Coast Guard operations. The ONONDAGA was based at Hampton Roads, Virginia near Newport News where Glenn H. Curtiss had set up the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Flying School at Boat Harbor, Newport News, Virginia. An evaluation plan was formulated and in early March Chiswell, Hall, and Stone presented their plan to Glenn H. Curtiss and the head of the flying school Captain Thomas S. Baldwin.
 CAPT Benjamin Chiswell |
 2rd LT Norman B. Hall |
 3rd LT. Elmer F. Stone |
Captain Baldwin cooperated by loaning the Coast Guard a pilot and a Curtiss Model F flying boat. The tests were so promising that Baldwin offered to place a plane at Stone's disposal for the purpose of conducting further tests. Captain Chiswell requested that Stone be assigned to aviation duty. The Captain-Commandant concurred and he issued orders with the following instructions to Captain Chiswell dated March 21, 1916.
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Sir:
Referring to orders this date assigning Third Lieutenant E.F. Stone to duty in connection with aviation, copy attached, it is suggested that whatever experiments are to be made by that officer involving the cooperation of aircraft with Coast Guard cutters, you confer with him and arrange to have him act in conjunction with the ONONDAGA.
It is understood that these experiments will not interfere with the regular duties of the ONONDAGA and that the Government will be put to no extra expense thereby. |
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Respectfully,
E.P. Bertholf s/s
Captain Commandant |
 Curtiss MF Flying Boat
Upon a highly successful completion the tests received official approval from the Captain-Commandant. In addition the US Navy, having been apprised of the success of the tests, offered flight training to assist the Coast Guard in implementing an aviation program.
Captain Chiswell continued to lobby for Coast Guard aviation. In April The USCGC ONONDAGA was moored at the Washington D.C Navy Yard. During a wardroom lunch for the Assistant Secretary of Treasury and Glenn H. Curtiss, Captain Chiswell proposed "A surfboat as a flying boat with wings and a motor so arranged that it might be quickly eliminated when the boat lighted on the water and within minutes it would be an ordinary motor surfboat." The idea was not fully practicable but the concept of a "flying lifeboat" remained part of Coast Guard aviation psyche until the retirement of the last HH-3F helicopter in 1994. Curtiss did design his B-T "Lifeboat" airplane in response to Chiswell's request. It had a wingspan of 56'9" and a hull length of 24'11." It was powered by two 200hp Curtiss V-2 engines and had four-bladed chain-driven propeller. It also had an internal hull-mounted motor. The wings and tail could be jettisoned if forced down at sea. It was sold to the US Navy but proved unsatisfactory. However, many of the design features were incorporated into the NC aircraft that made the First Transatlantic Flight.
In April, Captain Charles A. McAllister USCG was assigned to a new Headquarters position as Chief Engineer, Aviation Section. That August, Captain McAllister drafted legislation, introduced in the Senate, to provide $1,500,000 to establish an "Aerial Coastal Patrol." This legislation was included in the Navy Deficiency Act of August 29, 1916. In addition to putting life back into Naval Aviation it contained a provision which authorized the Coast Guard to build ten air bases along the sea coasts and the Great Lakes and provide for the training of pilots at Pensacola. Thus Congress officially recognized that aviation was needed to carry out the duties of the Coast Guard. The funding for the airbases was not forthcoming but the Coast Guard did train additional pilots and enlisted maintenance and support personnel.
Coast Guard Aviation had become a reality !
1916 - The Navy Offers Flight Training to the Coast Guard:
LT(jg) R.G. Thomas who was in charge of the Navy Hydrographic Office in Norfolk Virginia, like a number of others, had become interested in the flight tests being conducted in conjunction with the Coast Guard Cutter ONONDAGA. Based on test result and an awareness of the Coast Guard coming need for pilots to continue evaluation flights, Thomas, apparently on his own initiative, sent a letter to the Navy Department via the Hydrographer in Washington, DC informing the Department of this situation. The Secretary of the Navy in his letter of March 21, 1916 replied as follows:
To: Lieut. (jg) R.G. Thomas, U.S.N. Branch Hydrographic Office, Norfolk, Va.,
Via: Hydrographer
Subject: Training in aviation for officers of the Coast Guard Service
1 It is gathered from your letter that you are in touch with officers of the Coast Guard Service who contemplate taking training in aviation. You are authorized to inform such officer or officers that if the Captain-Commandant of the Coast Guard Service will make a request on the Navy Department for the opportunity for the training of his officers, the Department will be very glad to add two Coast Guard Officers to the class at Pensacola.
2. A new class will be formed April 1st, and it would be advantages if these requests should be received in time for the officers to take up the course on that date. |
| Joseph Daniel s/s |
Response was rapid. Lt(jg) Thomas forwarded Secretary of the Navy Daniel's letter on March 23rd and on the same day it was on the way to Coast Guard Headquarters with Captain Chiswell's endorsement which read in part:
| "If Lieut. Stone could be detailed to the Navy Aviation School at Pensacola in this class to be formed April 1st; he could in a short time period obtain a pilot's license and be grounded for taking up the work outlined in Captain Baldwin's offer. I believe it would not be many months before we might be able to conduct some very interesting and valuable experiments here without cost to the Government." |
B.M. Chiswell s/s
Captain USCG |
The Acting Secretary of the treasury submitted the following request to the Secretary of the Navy on March 25th.
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I have the honor to request that an opportunity be affected this department to have two officers of the Coast Guard receive flight training in aviation at Pensacola in the class which, it is understood, will be formed on April 1, 1916.
In the event of favorable consideration of the foregoing, I would request that you furnish this department with several copies of the circular relating to the physical requirements of officers detailed to aviation duty. |
Respectfully,
Byron R. Newton s/s
Acting Secretary |
On April 1, 1916 3rd Lieutenant Elmer. F. Stone followed by 2nd Lieutenant Charles E. Sugden reported to the US Navy Aeronautic Station, Pensacola, Florida for assignment to Naval flight training. In October 2nd Lieutenant Norman B. Hall was ordered to the Curtiss Aircraft Company to study aircraft engineering and construction. The rapidity with which this series of events took place is very unusual.
The official beginning of Naval Aviation was May 8, 1911 when Captain Washington I. Chambers USN, who had been designated as Officer in Charge of Aviation, issued requisitions for two Curtiss biplanes. The Navy Department had been awakened to the potential of the aircraft in Naval operations during the previous year. Eugene Ely had flown a Curtiss biplane from a specially built platform on the cruiser BIRMINGHAM on November 14, 1910. Two months later, January 18, 1911 he landed a Curtiss pusher aboard the cruiser PENNSYLVANIA. A few weeks later the seaplane made its appearance. The first three Naval Aviators were given instruction at the Curtiss installation. This was followed by a camp established at Groonsbury Point near Annapolis, Maryland, and initial naval flight operations began.
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In October 1913, the Secretary of the Navy, Joseph Daniels appointed a board, with Captain Chambers designated as chairman, to make a survey of aeronautical needs and establish policies for future development. One of the board's most important recommendations was the establishment of an aviation training station. This was approved and the site selected was on an abandoned Navy yard at Pensacola, Florida. The first U.S. Naval Air Station was created in 1914 and Commander H.C Mustin became the first Commanding Officer. All aircraft and pilots were ordered there for duty. A row of 10 tent hangars was set up along the beach with wooden ramps running from the tent to the water. This is how Lieutenants Stone and Sudgen found it when they reported to flight training in 1916. The initial aircraft used for flight training was a Curtiss AH-9 seaplane with bamboo outriggers. The AH-9 was a "pusher type" meaning the engine was mounted with the propeller facing aft thus propelling the aircraft forward as a reaction to the air being "pushed" aft. |
| This provided excellent forward vision for the pilot. The aircraft proved dangerous, however, because the engine mounting was weak and if the aircraft crashed the engine would fall forward crushing the pilot. CDR Mustin asked that the aircraft be replaced, but with no immediate substitute aircraft available 18 additional AH-9s were ordered by the Director of Naval Aviation. The Director did agree to order experimental "tractor" type aircraft from both Curtiss and Martin which had the engine mounted forward and "pulled" the aircraft through the air. Several more accidents occurred killing the pilots resulting in the grounding of the AH-9s. |
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The Naval Deficiency Act of 29 August 1916 provided funds for the purchase of 30 Curtiss N-9 "tractor" seaplanes. This was an adaptation of the Army's JN "Jenny" airplane. To make the conversion a single large pontoon was mounted below the fuselage with a small float fitted under each wing tip. These changes required a ten foot increase in wingspan to accommodate the additional weight. Further modifications to the standard "Jenny" design were required to compensate for stability problems. These included lengthening of the fuselage and increasing the area of the tail surfaces. The N-9 was originally developed with 100 HP OXX-6 engine. This was replaced with a 150HP Hispano-Suiza engine that was being manufactured under license. Of note is the fact that the Navy utilized wind tunnel data developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The N-9 was the first U.S. Naval aircraft to incorporate wind tunnel data directly into its design. |
This same Act provided the means by which the Coast Guard sent an additional 15 personnel to Pensacola for flight and aviation support training. Both Stone and Sudgen upon completion of training were assigned as flight instructors.
Lieutenant Eugene Coffin, who would rise to the rank of Rear Admiral, arrived in late November of 1916 to commence flight training. He stated that; "In early April while I was still under instruction, Lieutenant Stone and I spun into the Bay from 600 feet --- the first tailspin they had ever seen there. The plane was completely washed out and I had a broken nose and a split upper lip." The method of recovery from a spin was accidentally discovered by Marine Captain Francis Evans. At altitude, out of sight of the air station, he attempted to loop the aircraft. He went into a shallow dive to gain speed but on the "pull up" he stalled out and the aircraft snapped into a spin. He realized he had stalled and that the aircraft was rotating very fast. His reaction was to nose the plane over to regain speed and when he tried to stop the rotation using his rudder, it worked! He repeated this maneuver several times picking up a little more speed on each subsequent attempt and spinning out on each occasion. Finally he was able to complete the loop. Having taught himself the technique of looping the aircraft and recovering from a spin, he decided to demonstrate the procedure in full view of all hands. Arriving back over the station he looped the airplane followed up by another loop in which he stalled the airplane. He allowed the airplane to make three turns and then made his recovery. From that time on, spin recovery became a part of the flight course. In 1936, some twenty years later, Evans was retroactively awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
War was declared on Germany on 6 April 1917 resulting in increased activity at a much more rapid pace.
From Left to Right
C.T. Thrun, Master at Arms, later a warrant officer who was killed while flying at Cape May, N.J., in January, 1935
J. F. Powers, Oiler First Class, who later left the service
George Ott, Ship's Writer, who later left the service
C. Griffin, Master at Arms, who later left the service
John Wicks, Surfman
Third Lieut. Robert Donohue, who became a Rear Admiral, was Chief, Air-Sea Rescue Office, Chief, Personnel Officer at Headquarters, retired June 1, 1946
Second Lieut. C. E. Sugden, who retired a Captain on August 1, 1946
Second Lieut. E. A. Coffin, who retired a Rear Admiral on April 1, 1950
First Lieut. S. V. Parker, who retired as Vice Admiral Sept. 1, 1947
Second Lieut. P. B. Eaton, who became Rear Admiral, and Assistant Engineer-in-Chief at Headquarters, retired August 31, 1946
Third Lieut. E. F. Stone, designated Coast Guard Aviator No. 1 who in 1919 made history as pilot of the Navy Seaplane NC4 that made the first trans-Atlantic crossing, was a Commander when he died May 20, 1936.
Ora Young, Surfman, who later left the service
W. R. Malew, Coxswain, who later left the service
J. Meyers, Surfman, who later left the service
J. Medusky, Asst. Master at Arms, who later left the service
R. F. Gillis, Signalman Quartermaster
W. S. Anderson, Surfman, who retired as a Lieut. Commander, November 1, 1946
L. M. Melka, Signal Quartermaster, later became a Lieutenant.
1917 - Coast Guard Aviation in World War I
The United States entered World War I during April of 1917. There was a small group of aviation pioneers that had promoted and nurtured the early growth of Naval Aviation but the Naval Air establishment was too small and was not equipped for combat operations. There was only one air station, a training base at Pensacola, 54 non-combat training aircraft, 48 aviators plus a small number in training, and 239 enlisted personnel. Between the declaration of war and the signing of the Armistice, a period of 19 months, growth was remarkable and at times chaotic. Air stations were established on both sides of the Atlantic. By wars end there were 27 bases in Europe, two in Nova Scotia, Canada, one in the Canal Zone, one in the Azores and 12 in the United States. Training programs were established at new air stations, on university campuses, and with private contractors. The navy trained 3,049 aviators and 43,452 enlisted personnel. In addition there were 2000 aircraft and 15 lighter-than-air craft added to the inventory.
The Coast Guard had made arrangements to send two officers to Naval flight training during 1916. The officers were 3rd Lieutenant E.F. Stone and 2nd Lieutenant C.E. Sugden. They were followed by four additional Officers and three enlisted men who were assigned to flight training in late 1916. On 7 April 1917 the Coast Guard was transferred to the Navy Department for the duration of the war. Stone was designated a Naval Aviator on 10 April and was closely followed by Sugden. The first contract for base construction along the Atlantic Coast was let on 14 June. In the interim Stone and Sugden were utilized as flight instructors at Pensacola.
Very few regular Navy officers were assigned to flight training due to fleet requirements. This was also the case with the Coast Guard. It was planned to send nine additional officers to flight training but they too were needed to man the cutters. The vast majority of aviators, aviation ground officers, and enlisted specialist were produced by the Naval Reserve Flying Corps. Recruitment for the USNRF took place on college campuses and from among qualified civilian pilots. Initially there were a few enlisted pilots almost all of whom were later commissioned. This practice was discontinued and replaced by a program commencing in the summer of 1917, whereby enlisted personnel with "officer potential" were selected for flight training, discharged from the Navy, and then commissioned in the USNRF and upon completion of flight training were designated Naval Aviators. As a result of these procurement programs the Coast Guard officers were senior to most of their Navy contemporaries. Additionally, previous duty assignments as Revenue Cutter Officers provided operational experience that was both desired and required by the fledging Naval air arm. This resulted in their being assigned as commanding officers of air stations or to other significant duties.
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1st Lieutenant Stanley V. Parker USCG took the regular seaplane course at Pensacola and then took lighter-than-air training. From Pensacola he was ordered to establish and command the Naval Air Station, Key West, Florida which carried out anti-submarine patrols. In addition 500 Naval Aviators were qualified under his command. From August 1918 until July 1919, he commanded the Naval Air Station Rockaway Beach , NewYork. This is the location where the NC flying boats were assembled and tested and preparations made for the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean. During 1942 Rear Admiral Parker was Commander of the Third District and was active in persuading the Commandant, Admiral Waesche, that there was merit to helicopter development. Vice Admiral Parker retired September 1, 1947. |
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Beginning in March, 1918, HS-1 flying boats were shipped to France and assigned to U.S. naval air stations. The Naval Air Station, Ile Tudy, France, 1st Lieutenant C.E. Sugden USCG Commanding Officer, flew anti-submarine patrol in HS-1 aircraft. The station was credited with the sinking of three enemy submarines. It was considered one of the most important Air Stations on the French Coast. At the conclusion of hostilities Lieutenant Sugden was authorized to accept the "Chevalier of the Legion of Honor of France." Captain Sugden retired April 1, 1950. |
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2nd Lieutenant Eugene A. Coffin USCG after his designation as a Naval Aviator was assigned as Commanding Officer of newly enlisted recruits at Pensacola. In December of 1917 he was transferred to the Naval Air Station Montauk Point where he served as a patrol plane pilot and was placed in charge of developing the communications system. On 28 August he was assigned as the executive Officer of Naval Air Station Rockaway, N.Y. under the command of Captain Stanley V. Parker USCG. Rear Admiral Coffin retired April 1, 1950. |
1st Lieutenant Phillip B. Eaton USCG, upon being designated a Naval Aviator was assigned as Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Station, Chatam, Massachusetts. During the late spring and summer of 1918 the German Navy stepped up submarine attacks on shipping off the East Coast of the United States. On July 21,1918 a surfaced German submarine was firing on a tugboat and three barges off Cape Cod. It was attacked by two seaplanes from NAS Chatham. Lieutenant Eaton, who regularly took patrol flights, made his approach and dropped two bombs. One landed on the submarine and the other close to the submarines hull. Neither bomb exploded and the submarine submerged and escaped. Eaton did prevent the sinking of the tug and barges. Rear Admiral Eaton retired August 31, 1946.
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There were three different schools of thought within the Naval air establishment on the preferred means of taking air power to sea. The long-distance flying boat would prove very impressive as design progressed from the HS-1 through H-16 and the British F5L, leading to the Curtiss NC aircraft. All had the mark of Glenn Curtiss. The lighter-than- air people pointed to the success of the upgraded DN-1 and dirigibles obtained from the French in March of 1918. Goodyear produced the B model non-rigid dirigibles followed by the much improved C models but it was not until 1919 that the Navy Airship Program was authorized and LTA became a significant segment of Naval Aviation. The third group were of the opinion that aircraft should fly from combatant ships of the fleet.
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Curtiss H-16 Flying Boat |
On July 12, 1916 Lieutenant G. deC Chevalier was launched from the first catapult designed for shipboard use aboard the Armored Cruiser NORTH CAROLINA. In April of 1917 the Armored Cruiser HUNTINGTON was at the Mare Island Navy Yard for the installation of a catapult of the type installed on the NORTH CAROLINA. The HUNTINGTON Arrived in Pensacola on May 28, 1917 for a series of tests and evaluations. 3rd Lieutenant E. F. Stone USCG, 3rd Lieutenant Robert Donohue USCG and CAP C. T. Thrun USCG were ordered aboard as part of a nine man aviation detachment. Lieutenant Marc Mitscher USN had reported aboard at Mare Island as Senior Aviator. The commanding Officer of the USS HUNTINGTON, Captain J. R. Robinson was not favorably disposed to having an aviation detachment aboard his ship. The first plane went aboard in June but very little was done with it. When evaluations were made the aviation detachment personnel were not consulted. On one occasion the Captain attempted to drop a seaplane into the sea with the ship moving in much the same fashion as a whale boat on a painter. He reasoned that the aircraft would then take off from the water making the installation of the catapult unnecessary. When the aircraft made contact with the water it promptly flipped over and was wrecked.
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In late July Mitscher and crew received the new twin float R-6 seaplanes. He got his planes and stores aboard, On 1 August the Huntington departed for New York and was assigned to lead a convoy into the Atlantic. The Planes were dismantled, put below and never flown. There was a flaw in the catapult design in that each time the catapult was used the catapult carriage car was lost over the side. When the ship returned to New York in October, the aviation detail and aircraft were transferred ashore and the catapult was dismantled. Stone solved this problem years later when he invented the powder catapult, which became the navy standard on cruisers and battleships.
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Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone was transferred from the aviation detail aboard the USS HUNTINGTON to the Bureau of Construction and Repair where he became the chief test pilot for seaplanes in the aviation division. Lieutenant Stone, at the Navy's request, was assigned duties in support of the Navy during the next nine years. In addition to being the Pilot of the NC-4 for the first Transatlantic Flight he lead in the development of shipboard catapults and aircraft carrier catapults and arresting gear. Commander Stone died when suffering a coronary thrombosis attack while assigned as Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Air Patrol Station San Diego May 26, 1936. |
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2nd Lieutenant Donohue was transferred from the aviation detail aboard the USS Huntington and assigned duties as Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Station at Sydney Nova Scotia, Canada. He then became Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Montauk Point New York and became involved in lighter-than-air aircraft. He provided flight test support for the C-5 dirigible that made an unsuccessful attempt to complete a Transatlantic Flight. Rear Admiral Donohue retired June 1, 1946. |
The Coast Guard did not return to the jurisdiction of the Treasury department until August 28, 1919. This was accomplished with much controversy. The Navy wished to retain the Coast Guard and a large portion of the Coast Guard Officer Corps favored this course of action. Coast Guard aviators had served with distinction during the war and several continued to serve with the Navy for a period after the armistice. Lieutenant Elmer F, Stone added to Coast Guard aviator reputation by piloting the Navy's large flying boat NC-4 on the first transatlantic flight in May 1919. The continued existence of Coast Guard aviation as an entity became critical upon the return to the Treasury Department.
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Evolution of the Rank Structure of the Coast Guard:
The Coast Guard came into being on January 28, 1915 and the new service attained full military status. Neither the Life-Saving Service or the Revenue Cutter service had this distinction. Modifying legislation, signed into law the following year, specified that when the Coast Guard was serving with the Navy, precedence between commissioned officers in corresponding grades in the two services would be determined by date of commissions in those grades. There existed however a disparity in the opportunity for promotion within the Coast Guard when compared to that of the Navy Officer. The Coast Guard had only one Officer, the Captain Commandant , who ranked with captains in the Navy. For practical purposes, the highest rank a Coast Guard Officer obtained aspired to was that of Coast Guard Captain which corresponded to a Navy Lieutenant Commander.
Coast Guard Rank | Equivalent Navy Rank |
Captain-Commandant | Captain |
Senior Captain | Commander |
Captain | Lieutenant Commander |
1st Lieutenant | Lieutenant |
2nd Lieutenant | Lieutenant Junior Grade |
3rd Lieutenant | Ensign |
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1919 - NC-4 Transatlantic Flight
In the summer of 1917 the United States was fully engaged in World War I and was very concerned about the sinking of Allied ships by German submarines. The Navy was convinced that aircraft had real possibilities as an anti-submarine weapon and developed a steadily improving series of patrol planes capable of flying from the water. There was outstanding improvement in the performance, range, and armament of the flying boat between the beginning of the war and the cessation of hostilities. The initial production HS-1L/2L is shown below left. The much improved Hi6 is shown below right. All could trace their ancestry to the work of Glenn Curtiss.
The aircraft proved to be effective but were limited in fuel and depth charge capacity. They also had to be transported to Europe by ship. Ironically, ships carrying the aircraft capable of combating the submarines were being sunk by the submarines. RADM David W. Taylor, the chief of the Navy's Construction Corps, was convinced that what was needed was a flying boat capable of carrying adequate loads of bombs, depth charges and defensive armament, with a range that would enable it to fly from the United States to Europe. In September of 1917 Taylor formed a team of key men, CDR G.G. Westervelt, CDR Holden C. Richardson, and CDR Jerome C. Hunsaker, and directed them to create such an aircraft. Glenn Curtiss was contacted and within three days Curtiss and his engineers submitted general plans based on two different proposals.
One proposal was for a three engine aircraft, the other a very large five engine aircraft. Both were similar in appearance and differed from conventional seaplanes of the period in that the hulls were much shorter. The large tail assembly supported by hollow wooden booms rooted in the wings and hull was high enough to remain clear of breaking seas during water operations. Many of the design concepts had been embodied in a Curtiss design for a "flying lifeboat" which was the product of the meeting between Glenn Curtiss and Captain Benjamin Chiswell USCG on board the USCGC ONONDAGA while moored at the Washington D.C. Navy yard in April of 1916. The criteria for success was a seaworthy hull which would tend to rise out of the water while in motion at high speeds and reliable engines that would provide sufficient power for their weight. Evaluation of weight and load carrying potential and the availability of the light Liberty engine resulted in the selection of a three tractor engine design. This would later be modified to three tractor engines and one mounted as a pusher which enabled the aircraft to lift off the water with a greater amount of fuel on board.
CDR Richardson was responsible for the hull design. The hull which was 45 feet and 9 inches in length with a 10 foot beam was built of spruce. Lateral stability was provided by small pontoons mounted under the tips of the lower wing. The strength of the hull was proven when the NC-3 was forced to land short of its destination during the Transatlantic Flight and was pounded by heavy seas for two days without sinking. The overall length of the plane was 68 feet 3 inches and the wing span was 126 feet, The aircraft was designated NC, the N was for Navy and the C for Curtiss. The press referred to them as Nancys.
By December of 1917, design work had progressed to the satisfaction of Secretary of the Navy Daniels and a contract for four flying boats was approved. It was decided to assemble the aircraft at the Naval Air Station Rockaway, New York. Captain Stanley V. Parker USCG was the Commanding Officer of the Air Station and his Executive Officer was LT. Eugene Coffin, USCG. CDR John H. Towers USN was the project officer. A special hangar was constructed and the NC-1 assembled by the first of October. On 4 October CDR Richardson ran a series of taxi tests gradually increasing speed until the aircraft lifted from the water for a few seconds. He then taxied back to the beach and sent word for CAPT Parker to come aboard for the first official flight of the NC aircraft.
| The Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918 bringing hostilities to a conclusion. There was no longer a pressing need for a long range anti-submarine airplane. The urgency had gone out of the NC project. While in Europe, CDR Westervelt had learned that several organizations were making preparations for a Trans-Atlantic Flight. In 1913 Lord Northcliffe, the wealthy owner of the London Daily Mail, offered a prize of 10,000pounds ($50,000) for the first successful Trans-Atlantic flight. With the outbreak of World War I the offer was cancelled but renewed after the war. Upon his return to Washington, Westervelt wrote a 5000 word report expressing the need to participate with government backing which would result in a considerable amount of deserved prestige. The report outlined proposed routes and procedures. Secretary of the Navy Daniels approved the basic plan and work at the Rockaway Air Station resumed a feverish pace. |
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There had been a change in Lord Northclffe's rules when the prize was reinstated. Mid-ocean stoppages would no longer be allowed thus effectively eliminating the NC's. It made little difference as the United States had made no attempt to file an entry fee and the Navy crews would not have been able to accept any possible prize money that might have been awarded. The attempt had become one of accomplishment and pride on the part of the Navy. Credence was lent to this announced policy when in an unprecedented ceremony the three flying boats were placed in commission as if they were ships of the line. CDR John Towers formally assumed command of NC Seaplane Division One. His orders signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, acting Secretary of the Navy, gave Towers a status roughly equivalent to that of a destroyer flotilla's commander. The Navy had committed to go all out. A Trans-Atlantic departure date of 6 May was chosen. While the flying boats were being readied for the flight the NC-2 was damaged in an accident during take-off during evaluation testing. On the night of 4 May a fire damaged the NC-1 and NC-4. Parts from the NC-2 were used to repair the NC-1 and NC-4 in an around the clock effort leaving only three aircraft for the attempt.
Towers chose NC-3 as his "flagship" and chose CDR H.C. Richardson as his first pilot with LT David McCulloch as his co-pilot. LCDR P.N.L. Bellinger was in command of NC-1 with LCDR Marc Mitscher assigned as first pilot and LT Louis T. Barin as co-pilot. NC-4 was commanded by LCDR Albert C. Read with LT. Elmer Stone USCG as first pilot and LT(jg) W. K. Hinton as co-pilot. Other crewmembers of NC-4 were Ensign H.C. Rodd, radio operator; Lt. James Breeze, engineer: and Chief Machinists Mate E.C. Rhoads, relief engineer. The Aircraft Commanders were navigators and operated from the bow of the aircraft. In addition to standard navigational gear they were equipped with the new "bubble sextant" and a drift indicator.
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Dr. (CDR) Hunsaker in his memoirs states:
"The big boats had dual controls and the two aviators sat side by side and worked together on the controls which required strong effort at times. Read was a relatively small man, and he chose Stone because of his size and strength. The two were a good team. Stone had experience with flying boats, which were notoriously difficult to keep from stalling in rough air or at reduced speed. Stone also had experience in bad visibility weather. Stone had been a test pilot and knew how the crude instruments of the day could give indications contrary to the reliable "seat of the pants" signals of acceleration. On the eighteen hour flight of the NC-4 to the Azores, Reed's function as a navigator required him to stand in the forward cockpit. Stone was in fact the chief aviator with Lt Walter Hinton sitting beside him as a partner."
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Time was of the essence. There were others preparing to make the flight across the Atlantic. There had been no departure date given the press so there was little fanfare as the three NC flying boats lifted off at 10:00 am on the 8th of May. The NC-4 had flown only once prior to the departure and the leg to Halifax was to serve as the "shakedown' flight. After passing Cape Cod and over the open sea the NC-4 had to shut down the center pusher engine due to an oil leak. LCDR Read realized this would slow him but elected to continue on as the aircraft would fly well on three engines. At 2:05 pm they passed over the first "station," the destroyer McDERMUT, on course. They were headed for the next destroyer when the center tractor engine blew a rod. A distress signal was sent out which both destroyers heard. Towers assumed the aircraft would land next to the McDERMUT for repairs and continued on. Course was altered but the aircraft was losing altitude in poor visibility and with the water calm enough for a safe landing |
Read directed the NC-4 be turned into the wind and a landing made. Once on the water they could not get through on the radio. Finding themselves in the open sea, 80 miles from the nearest land they commenced a taxi for Chatam Air Station. At dawn, just off the beach, they were spotted by two search aircraft. Within two days the bad engine was replaced and the other repaired. The only engine available at Chatam was a 300hp liberty but it had to do until the NC-4 reach Trepassey Bay where a 400hp engine was available. Departure from Chatam was delayed until the 14th because of a 40 knot northeaster.
| The NC-1 and NC-3 ran into heavy weather enroute. Buffeted by gusty winds it took the effort of both pilots to remain on course. They arrived at Halifax that day but propeller problems delayed their departure until the 10th. They followed the line of "station" ships and as they passed Placenta Bay they sighted their first icebergs. The air remained rough and it was now cold. At Trepassey Bay strong swells were running and the landings were made in strong gusty winds and an "avalanche of spray." By evening both NCs were safely moored near the base ship USS AROOSTOOK. Weather was still delaying the British attempt from St.Johns and the press was once again focused on the big flying boats. The NC-4 did not depart Chatam Air Station until the afternoon of the 14th which would have put them into Trepassey Bay after dark. Read decided to land at Halifax rather than to risk the night landing. |
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The center engine vibrated badly on the flight and the two outboards were running rough with dirt in the carburetors. Breese and Rhoads worked on them and the NC-4 was back in the air at 1253 on the 15th bound for Trepassey Bay. Shortly after take off a message was received that the NC-1 and NC-3 would take off that afternoon. As the NC-4 rounded Powell's Point they saw that the NC-1 and NC-3 had not departed yet. They had been trying to take-off for a period of time but neither aircraft would lift from the water. Breese on the NC-4 knew what the problem was. The NC fuel gages had been calibrated with the aircraft on land. The aircraft had been moored in the harbor. On the water the aircraft rode slightly nose down so when a tank was filled to the full mark they held a little over 200 pounds of additional fuel. The weight critical NC-1 and NC-3 were too heavy for take off. Departure was rescheduled for the following evening so that the aircraft would be approaching the Azores during daylight. This gave the crew of the NC-4 time to change the center engine and test it in time for departure.
NC-4 taking off from Trepassey Bay enroute to the Azores
On the evening of the 16th the three NCs taxied out together and headed down the Bay in a formation take off. The NC-4 lifted off but the other two did not. They signaled for the AROOSTOOKS small boat to come alongside they began removing weight. The NC-4 had returned and landed. All three again took up positions as far back in the harbor as possible and at 1800 they started once again. Bouncing across the crests they took to the air, the NC-4 most easily of all. The route between Trepassey Bay and Ponta Delgada in the Azores was marked by a string of 25 "station" destroyers at approximately 50 mile intervals. The radio direction finders worked poorly but each destroyer was to make smoke, or if at night, swing a searchlight from the surface to straight up. Star shells were fired and a report by radio of the passing of the aircraft was made and the next destroyer alerted. Formation was maintained until dark when Towers ordered running lights be turned on. The lights on the NC-4 came on but not on the other two aircraft. Realizing this he ordered the formation opened up to reduce the danger of collision. Weather remained good through the night but with the morning came rain, thick low clouds and fog.
Towers spied a ship through a hole in the clouds. In the fog he mistook it for one of the "Station" destroyers. It was in fact the Cruiser MARBLEHEAD returning from Europe. Based on the sighting, Towers changed course. This was a costly mistake.. The NC-3 ran into heavy rain squalls and tried different altitudes all to no avail. The clouds were so thick they could not see their wing tips. Turbulent air would shake the wallowing aircraft and with the primitive instruments of the time it was difficult to determine the attitude of the airplane. BY 11:30 Towers figured he must be in the vicinity of the islands but he also knew he was off course. With two hours of fuel remaining and the very real possibility of running into a mountain on one of the islands he decided it would be better to set the aircraft down on the water and wait for the weather to moderate. A descent was made and passing through 500 feet the could make out the surface of the ocean. It did not look too bad so he signaled Richardson to make the landing. They miss-read the swells hitting the first one hard, fell into the hollow, shot back into the air and smashed into the following wave. Struts on the center engine buckled, hull frames split and damage was done to the controls. It was apparent that flight could not be resumed. Communication attempts were futile. The aircraft drifted with the nose down into the wind which set it on a course to Ponta Delgada. Two days later the aircraft was in sight of the breakwater. Towers had the two outboard engines started. They vibrated badly but provided enough power to taxi into the harbor and up to a mooring buoy.
| Bellinger in the NC-1 made the same decision as Towers. The aircraft had been flying at 75 feet for some time. Navigation was impossible and down that low they could not reach anyone on the radio. Mitscher was flying the plane and was ordered to land. When the NC-1 touched down it was buried in a large wave which broke the wing struts and tail beams. The wings began to fill with water and it was necessary to slash the fabric. The hull had been damaged and was taking on water requiring constant bailing. About three hours after water entry they were spotted by the Greek Steamer IONIA and picked up. A short time later they were transferred to the USS GRIDLEY. An attempt was made to take the aircraft in tow but it was so badly damaged that it was decided to sink it.
The NC-4 was also in weather. As the weather continued to deteriorate Read motioned to Stone to take it up and the NC-4 broke out on top at 3200 feet. As they approached the position of the next destroyer Read gave orders to descend for a visual check. As they entered back into the clouds the aircraft began to buffet and became difficult to fly as was the norm. A wing dropped and the aircraft went into a spin. |
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Apparently no one realized it until a glimpse of the sun was caught through a break in the clouds. Read shouted for Stone to bring it out of the spin. This he did. To bring such a large heavily loaded aircraft out of a spin in clear weather would have been an accomplishment but the NC-4 had reentered solid clouds with zero visibility and to be able to bring it out of a spin with the rudimentary flight instruments then available was an amazing feat. Once Stone had the aircraft under control he again climbed above the clouds. Read elected to stay there and use dead reckoning for the islands. In mid morning the NC-4 passed over an opening in the clouds. Read saw what he thought was a riptide. Examining the two shades of color below he realized that the darker mass was land. Read directed Stone to spiral down to 200 feet. Using time and distance and visual reference they determined they were at the southern tip of Flores, one of the western Azores. Read set a course for Ponta Delgada 250 miles away. They passed over a "station" destroyer shortly thereafter but it was not long before the weather began to deteriorate again. The fuel was too low to facilitate searching in case they missed Delgada so Read decided to turn south for Horta on the Island of Fayal where the USS COLUMBIA was standing by. They landed in harbor at Horta at 1323. A tremendous welcome awaited Read and his crew.
For almost three days NC-4 rode her moorings at Horta, kept there by rain squalls and fog. On the 20th the weather cleared enough for takeoff, and in less than two hours the NC-4 reached Ponta Delgada. They were met by the governor, the mayor and a multitude of people. Towers and the crew of the NC-3 and Bellinger and crew of the NC-1 were there to greet them. It would be 30 May before the weather was good enough to continue on to Lisbon. While at Ponta Delgada word came that the Britishers Hawker and Grieves had taken off from Newfoundland for Ireland on the 18th and had been picked up by a steamer after being forced down 1100 miles east of St.Johns. Alcock and Brown were standing by for takeoff as soon as the weather cleared. On Tuesday May 27th, the crew of the NC-4 was up before dawn. The engines and radio was checked out and on the signal from Read, Elmer Stone advanced the throttles and the big flying boat lifted off in the early morning for Lisbon Portugal. Another chain of destroyers extended between the Azores and Lisbon. The weather was good and as the NC-4 passed over each destroyer the ship radioed a message of her passage to the base ship MELVILLE at Ponta Delagada and the cruiser ROCHESTER in Lisbon who in turn reported to the Navy Department in Washington. At 19;30 the flashing light from the Coba da Roca lighthouse was spotted and the NC-4 passed over the coast line. The big aircraft turned southward toward the Tagus estuary and Lisbon. At 20:01 on May 27, 1919, the NC-4s keel sliced into the waters of the Tagus. The welcome was tumultuous. A transatlantic flight, the first one in the history of the world, was an accomplished fact!
The crew of the NC-4 at Lisbon: From the left Chief Machinist's Mate (Air) E.S. Rhoads, USN, Engineer; Lt. W.K. Hinton, USNRF, Pilot; Lt. J.L. Breese, USNRF, Engineer; Lt. E.F. Stone, USCG, Pilot; Lcdr. A.C. Read, USN, Commanding Officer and Navigator; Ens. H. C. Rodd, USNRF, Radio Operator does not appear in the picture.
Early in the morning of 30 May the NC-4 departed Lisbon for Plymouth England. The NC4 sat down in the Mondego River to investigate an overheating engine. The radiator had developed a leak and was repaired but because of a low tide condition it became too late in the day to take off and reach Plymouth before dark so Read proceeded to Ferrol in northern Spain to spend the night. They were back in the air the next morning and as they approached Plymouth a formation of Royal Air Force seaplanes escorted the NC-4 into the harbor. A British warship fired a 21 gun salute as the NC-4 circled. The Lord Mayor of Plymouth received CDR Read and his crew and from Plymouth they went to London where they were decorated by the King of England. President Wilson who was at the Peace Conference in Paris sent for them and congratulated them for their outstanding achievement and introduced them to all present.
Lt. Stone was honored for his part in the NC-4 flight by the Portuguese Government with the award of the Tower and the Sword; by the British Government with the British Air Force Cross; and by the United States Government with the Navy Cross. He also received the following citation from the Acting Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, dated 23 August 1919.
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" I wish to heartily commend you for your work as pilot of the Seaplane NC-4 during the recent Trans-Atlantic flight expedition. The energy, efficiency, and courage shown by you contributed to the accomplishment of the first Trans-Atlantic flight, which feat has brought honor to the American Navy and the entire American Nation …."
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1920 -- The First Coast Guard Air Station -- Morehead City, NC
The Coast Guard was transferred from the Navy back to the Treasury Department on 28 August 1919. Coast Guard Captain Stanley V. Parker who had been the Commanding Officer of the Naval Air station Rockaway, New York was ordered to Headquarters and assigned as the Aide for Aviation. With the war over Parker turned Coast Guard attention back to the utilization of aircraft in the saving of life and property along the coastal regions of the United States and at sea contiguous to them. The new Commandant, William Edward Reynolds, was favorably disposed toward the establishment of a Coast Guard air station to thoroughly evaluate the concept. The authority to establish Coast Guard air stations was contained in the Navy Deficiency Act of 1916. In spite of the shortage of Officers in the Coast Guard Captain William P. Wishar, 1st Lieutenant Carl C von Paulsen, and 1st Lieutenant. Edward P. Palmer were assigned to the first post-war Navy flight class at Pensacola. Palmer was found to have an eye defect which disqualified him from flight training but he continued on in aviation engineering training. Parker, qualified in both fixed wing and dirigibles, as he recognized the possibility that both types of aircraft might be advantageous in Coast Guard operations. When Wishar and von Paulsen completed fixed wing seaplane training in May of 1920 and received their Naval Aviator designation, they remained at Pensacola to take lighter-than-air training.
On March 30, 1920, Headquarters initiated a sequential listing of Coast Guard aviators. The initial listing was made up of Coast Guard Officers assigned to flight duty at the time. Stone was designated Coast Guard Aviator #1, Donohue was designated #2, Thrun became #3, Sugden was reassigned to aviation duty in April and became #4. When Wishar and von Paulsen completed flight training they were designated Coast Guard Aviators #5 and #6. At this point designation numbers were given to all other Coast Guard officers who held Naval designations. Thus Parker, Coffin, and Eaton became Coast Guard Aviators #7,#8,and #9. No more designations were issued until enlisted pilots Walter Anderson and Leonard Melka, from the original class of 1916, were commissioned. They were designated #10 and #11.
| On 5 June 1920, the military ranks prescribed for the Navy became effective for the Coast Guard thereby eliminating a great deal of confusion. Coast Guard Captains became Lieutenant Commanders, 1st Lieutenants became Lieutenants, 2nd Lieutenants became Lieutenant (junior grade), and 3rd Lieutenants became Ensigns. |
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Inquiries were made to the Navy as to the availability of surplus aircraft and naval installations that could be used for the establishment of a Coast Guard Air Station. The Coast Guard was given the choice of two locations. One was at Key West, Florida and the other at Morehead City, North Carolina. LCDR Parker informed LCDR Wishar that he would be assigned as the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard's first air station upon completion of the lighter-than-air training and he requested his views on the most desirable location. Wishar recommended Morehead City as "best suited to prove the worth of Coast Guard aviation. It was closer to the Graveyard of the Atlantic at Cape Hatteras, where there would be more opportunities to locate vessels in distress, derelict menaces to navigation, and vessels ashore on Diamond Shoals, Lookout Shoals, and Frying Pan Shoals." Parker informed the Navy that the Coast Guard had chosen Morehead City. The request for aircraft was also honored and six HS-2L Curtiss flying boats were provided. LCDR Sugden, Parker's Executive Officer at the Rockaway Naval Air Station was assigned temporary duty as Commanding Officer during the period the Morehead City Air Station was being outfitted. LCDR Stone was given the responsibility of supervising the reconditioning and testing the HS-2L flying boats that were to be used by the station.
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In November the Navy requested Stones services in connection with aircraft catapult tests and development. Headquarters approved the request and Stone reported to the Aircraft division of the Navy Bureau of Construction and Repair on 20 November, 1920, for duty. LCDR Wishar, reported in to Morehead City in January 1921 and relieved Sugden. Von Paulsen reported in about the same time. The others assigned were LCDR Robert Donohue, Executive Officer; LT Edward Palmer, Engineering Officer; Gunner C.T. Thrun, Pilot; Machinists W.S. Anderson, Assistant Engineer and Pilot, Carpenter Theodore Tobiason, in charge of aircraft work: Chief Petty Officer Leonard Melka, Pilot; and 16 additional enlisted personnel to maintain the aircraft.
LCDR Wishar described the HS-2L as follows: "It was a heavy plane; single engine (Liberty), pusher-type, open cockpit. It was staunchly built, could land in a fairly heavy sea when emergency demanded, and could take off in a moderate sea. It took off at a speed of 48 knots and flew at 55 knots, a leeway of 7 knots between flying speed and stalling speed. If she stalled, she went into a spin. No flyer that I've heard of ever pulled a fully manned and equipped HS-2L out of a spin. Everyone that spun crashed, killing all on board. It had to be constantly "flown" while in the air. It carried a pilot, co-pilot, and in the bomber's seat in the bow a combination observer and radio man. It was tiring to fly: constant pressure had to be maintained on the rudder-bar because of torque of the single propeller. I've come in from many a flight, and, upon landing, my right instep would be so painful it was difficult to walk."
 
To prevent this problem the Navy developed a heavy rubber cord attached to the left end of the rudder bar, thence to the rear for about three feet where the end was secured. It was adjusted to equal the pressure needed on the other side of the rudder bar, while flying, to keep the plane straight. It was called a "Bungee." In a way, it was dangerous because, when the engine was cut for a landing glide, prop torque ceased, the bungee caused left rudder, the plane turned without banking, was difficult to control, and would tend to go into a spin. The pilot had to remember this and press against the bungee's pull on the rudder when he had cut his engine. Some pilots forgot. They never had a chance to forget again".
LT Robert Donohue was an exception and believed an H boat could be brought out of spin. He stripped a HS-2L of all removable gear and took off with a light fuel load and only himself in the airplane. No preparations had been made for rescue in case of a crash because LCDR Wishner was not aware of what was intended. Wishar first found out as Donohue started his climb out and hastily prepared for what he thought was a certainty. Upon reaching 3500 feet Donohue put the aircraft into a spin and made four complete turns, then smoothly brought the aircraft out of the spin and landed just off the station. He had proved a HS-2L flying boat could be brought out of spin. Wishnar said it was either a court-martial for risking the plane and his life or a recommendation for a medal for bravery beyond the call of duty. It must have been the latter because Donohue retired as a Rear Admiral.
Upon establishment of the air station a Headquarters directive assigned duties and responsibilities in order of priority:
 1. Saving life in costal regions and adjacent waters
2. Saving property in coastal and adjacent waters.
3. Enforcement of laws and assisting federal and state officials engaged therein.
4. Transportation of officials to remote areas to remote areas or if time precluded the use other means.
5. Assisting fishermen by spotting schools of fish.
6. Surveying and mapping.
 Aircraft maintenance - on the ramp at the Morehead City Air Station
The HS-2L fell far short of the aircraft that would follow. Range was a limitation and as a result gasoline and oil were stored in drums at strategic locations in the operating area. Engine failures happened regularly. Wishar stated that he had three while the air station was in operation. Space to carry a rescued or ill person was very limited. But the ability to patrol and fly from bays and inlets and in some cases the open seas was demonstrated. In a summary of activities, Commodore W.E. Reynolds, the Commandant of the Coast Guard reported to the Secretary of the Treasury that:
| "The application of aviation to the uses of the Coast Guard in the direction of saving life and property from the perils of the sea, in locating floating derelicts along our coasts, and rendering other kindred services, can now be regarded as an assured proposition. A Coast Guard aviation station has been established at Morehead City, N.C. at practically no expense to the government. The aircraft in use are the Navy H-S flying boats and the station is conducting experiments with the view of furthering the effectiveness of aircraft to life and property saving purposes. It is earnestly recommended that the Congress give its support to the development of this activity for Coast Guard purposes." |
The air station continued to prove its worth but there was no appropriation for continued operation forthcoming from Congress. The Morehead City air station remained in commission until July, 1922 at which time personnel were transferred to other assignments and the aircraft were returned to the Navy.
| With the closing of the Morehead City air station morale was low in the aviation community but another misfortune had affected the morale of the entire officer corps. During World War I and the immediate post war years while still a part of the Navy, Coast Guard officers had received temporary promotions commensurate to their assignments and responsibilities. The Captain Commandant was promoted to the Rank of Commodore, USN and others had been promoted to Captain, Commanders and Lieutenant Commanders. They fit well within the Navy rank structure but when the Coast Guard reverted to its pre-war rank structure the rank distribution was exceedingly top heavy. For example there were 154 Coast Guard Officers holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander out of a total authorized strength of 268 officers. On 17 October, 1921, all Coast Guard officers reverted to their permanent rank. The Navy rank terminology was retained but all but 36 of the Lieutenant Commanders reverted to Lieutenant or Lieutenant (junior grade). Obviously the large reduction in rank had a detrimental effect on the procurement of new officers. There were vacancies in the grade of Ensign for 65 officers.
The situation was improved when the "Act to distribute the commissioned line and engineering officers of the Coast Guard in grades, and for other purposes" was enacted in January of 1923. The title of the Captain Commandant was changed to Commandant with a rank of Rear Admiral (lower half) and authorized the promotion of 11 senior officers to the rank of Captain. Maximum numbers for lower ranks were adjusted accordingly. Most importantly, a provision was made for promotions at regular intervals and the adjustments made at regular intervals. Maximum numbers in grade would also to be adjusted to changes in the authorized number of Coast Guard officers and pay and allowances were that of naval officers. This gave the young Coast Guard officer about the same opportunity for promotion as his opposite number in the Navy and did much to improve the morale in the officer corps. |
1926 - The First Permanent Coast Guard Air Stations Established:
Prohibition of the manufacture, importing, transportation and selling of alcoholic beverages had become the law of the land on January 16, 1920. Enforcement of the law fell to the Treasury Department and as part of the Treasury Department the Coast Guard was tasked with the interdiction of maritime smuggling. There was a gradual increase in the anti-smuggling efforts on the part of the Coast Guard while remaining at 1920 force levels. Smuggling increased exponentially and Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, in his 1923 annual report, recommended the service be enlarged considerably to effectively combat the illegal distribution of alcohol. In April 1924, Congress appropriated $12,194,900 to prepare 20 surplus reserve fleet Navy Destroyers for use by the Coast Guard and build 223 cabin cruisers and 100 small boats. In addition the authorized number of personnel was nearly doubled.
 
Coast Guard destroyer Tucker 75 foot patrol boat - known as "six-bitters"
The destroyers were reconditioned and the last was on line by the summer of 1925. During the same period the construction of the authorized small patrol boats proceeded. The largest of these were 75 foot in length, had a sturdy wooden hull, were powered with gasoline engines driving them at 13.5 knots and had an enclosed cabin providing adequate quarters for their eight man crew. They mounted a 1-pounder and a .30 caliber machine gun. There were 203 of these boats (known as six-bitters) built and all were on line by mid 1925. The destroyers worked in concert with two 75 footers. The smugglers, known as blacks, had begun to cruise outside the three mile limit of jurisdiction and unload to fast smaller craft for the run to the shore. The destroyer would locate a black and the 75 footers would picket the vessel. The object was to keep the smuggler from off-loading the cargo to the smaller craft and if accomplished to intercept and apprehend the smaller craft before or as it reached shore.
Air Station Gloucester - Ten Pound Island
The 75 foot patrol boats operated from bases up and down the coast. LCDR Carl Von Paulsen, an aviator, was the commanding officer of Section Base #7 located Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Gloucester patrol area included the shore line, harbors and bays from Marblehead, Massachusetts to Portland Maine not neglecting the rendezvous locations of the ships offshore. LCDR Paulsen approached LCDR Stephen S. Yeandle, aide to Commandant Billard, with the idea of utilizing aircraft to search and locate both blacks and small boats making a run for shore. LCDR Yeandle thought the concept had merit and approached the Commandant who approved the idea but no funds were available. A Navy surplus UO-1 was located and an agreement was made for the Coast Guard to utilize it for a period of a year. It initially flew out of the Naval Reserve Air Station at Squantum Massachusetts and then operated out of a make-shift tent-hangar located on Ten Pound Island in Gloucester Harbor. The first use of an aircraft to chase a rum-runner was on 20 June 1925. The UO-1 assisted in the first capture of a rum runner with aviation support on 24 June 1925. Von Paulsen and veteran aviator Leonard Melka flew many thousands of miles on patrol during the first year locating smugglers from the air and directing the patrol boats to them. The experience obtained from operating this single airplane convinced Headquarters of the advantages derived from the use of aircraft in Coast Guard work and it was decided to establish a permanent air station and procure appropriate aircraft.
| The Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Billard, obtained an appropriation of $162,000 for the purchase of five aircraft specifically designed for the Coast Guard. Three were modified Loening OL-5 amphibians with strengthened hulls for rough water landings and larger fuel tanks providing increased fuel for extended law enforcement patrols. They had a large center float faired into the fuselage with wheels arranged so that they could be swung clear when operating from the water. A bi-plane, it had stabilizing floats located at the ends of the lower wing The wing span was 45 feet and the aircraft length was 35 feet. They had 400hp inverted Liberty engines with a top speed of 120mph and a range of 450 miles at a cruising speed of 75mph. Maximum gross weight was 5471 pounds and the service ceiling was 12,750 feet. In addition to a pilot and an observer the OL-5 could carry one passenger. They cost $32,710 each and were given the numbers CG 1, CG-2, and CG-3. |
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Two of the aircraft purchased were modified Vought UO-1 seaplanes designated as UO-4s. These aircraft, were equipped with the new 220hp Wright J-5C Whirlwind engine and were fitted with the improved UO-3/FU-1 wings. The UO-4 was a bi-plane with a 34 foot 4 inch wingspan and a length of 28 feet 5 inches. They had a top speed of 122mph and a range of 365 miles at a cruise speed of 90mph. A center float was attached to the fuselage and small floats were attached at the ends of the lower wings for stabilization. The gross weight was 2779 pounds with a service ceiling of 14,900 feet. It carried a crew of two. They cost $18,000 each and were given the numbers CG-4, and CG-5. During the summer of 1926 after blasting, leveling and concrete pouring, a large steel hangar was erected. The first OL-5 aircraft arrived at Ten Pound Island on 14 October 1926, The second OL-5 was assigned to a to new air station that was opened at Cape May N.J. The Third OL-5 arrived at Ten Pound Island on 3 November 1926. The two UO-4s arrived in December of 1926. One of these was assigned to Cape May.
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The Coast Guard went on the offensive and the three mile limit was effectively extended by means of agreements with other nations. Faced with a well organized international smuggling syndicate, knowledge of operational practices and the plans of the smugglers were invaluable. A Coast Guard Intelligence Office was established at Headquarters to facilitate the gathering, evaluating and dissemination of information. The radio played a very important part in gathering intelligence information and was utilized by both sides. A Field Intelligence Unit was established under the direction of Lt. Frank Meal and work began on high frequency radio receivers and high frequency radio direction finders to be placed on ships and patrol boats. This not only enabled the interception of radio traffic for intelligence gathering but provided an excellent control net which greatly enhanced the operational effectiveness of Coast Guard activities. This was further enhanced by the development of aircraft radio communications equipment capable of a voice communication range of 150 miles and a CW range of 1200 miles. Radio Electrician A. G. Descoteaux, USCG. stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Gloucester, conceived and developed this idea. He constructed and installed radio equipment in the station aircraft. The system was designed for battery operation completely independent of the aircraft's regular electrical system. It provided two-way continuous wave telegraph and high-quality voice communication. It was the basis for later Coast Guard aircraft equipment. The work of Descoteaux and C. T. Solt of the Communications Section of USCG HQ resulted in the use of the first loop type radio direction finder.
Loening OL-5 on ramp | 
CDR C. C. Von Paulsen & Ens L. M. Melka in flying gear |
Ten Pound Island Air Station | 
Loening OL-5 with Machine Gun Mount |
Smuggling interdiction continued to be the primary mission of the air station. Daily patrols were flown in aircraft not only capable of radio communication with both surface units and shore stations but with the ability to obtain the bearing of a black making a radio transmission. The OL-5s were armed with machine guns and, at least in one recorded incident, they were used to sink numerous wooden crates of whiskey that were dumped overboard by a rum runner. As rum-row continued to move further off shore and the search area continued to expand, the most effective utilization of the aircraft was to locate a black, notify Coast Guard surface vessels of its location, and to continue to circle over the black until a destroyer or 75 footer arrived on scene to apprehend or commence picket duty.
The station was simultaneously engaged in the saving of life and property. In the first four years of operation there were 212 cases of assistance rendered embracing casualties to vessels, property and persons. Experiments were conducted in which a shot line, strung between poles, was picked up by the aircraft and carried to a vessel in distress. The line was dropped from the plane to the deck of the vessel in distress and a breaches-buoy is run out to the vessel and survivors are brought ashore by this means. It was used when the vessel in distress was too far from shore for the shot line to reach it or the seas were too rough for the launching of a small boat.
In early 1928 the two UO-4s were transferred to Section Base #6, Fort Lauderdale, Florida to combat the smuggling operations in that area. They enjoyed the same success as they had at Gloucester and Cape May. A Coast Guard air station was established at Dinner Key, Miami, Florida in 1932. A JF-2 was assigned to Gloucester and with the advent of the PJ and RD Dolphin flying boats there was no room to expand the Gloucester base. Gloucester was decommissioned and a new air station was established at Salem Massachusetts in 1935.
Air Station Cape May
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The Highest consumption of alcohol during prohibition took place in the large metropolitan cities. With its many inlets, points, and coves, the coast of New Jersey stood out as a haven for rum-runners. As a result a line of large vessels took up station off the New Jersey - New York coast and serviced hundreds of contact boats that transported the illegal alcohol to shore. The value of aircraft in locating smugglers and directing an intercept by a surface vessel to picket and prevent the off-loading of contraband had been demonstrated. A location to base the aircraft was sought. The Navy had established a section base at Cape May, New Jersey in 1917 to provide training, vessel support activities and communication facilities for coastal defense. The navy built military facilities along the harbor front. After World War I the base was adapted to accommodate dirigibles. A hangar 700 feet long and over 100 feet tall was built. |
In 1924, during the Prohibition era, the Coast Guard established a presence at the base and several cutters were assigned to combat rum-runners operating off the New Jersey Coast. The first aircraft, an OL-5, arrived in October of 1926 and an aviation presence was established. In October of 1930 CDR Von Paulson was assigned to duty as the commanding officer of aviation unit at Cape May. Two pilots had graduated from flight school in 1929 and three more were assigned to flight school in 1930. A Schreck Viking 00-1 seaplane had been purchased and was assigned to Cape May. The first of the RD-4 Dolphins was delivered to the Coast Guard in 1931 By the end of 1932 the five Fokker PJ flying life boats had been delivered. Three of these aircraft were assigned to Cape May. By 5 December 1933 thirty nine States had ratified the Twenty-first Amendment and by proclamation, issued by the President on that date, Prohibition was ended. The primary flight mission at Cape May had already been evolving into search and rescue activities, storm warnings, derelict location, and medical evacuations. The advantage of locating wreckage from altitude was demonstrated by Ensign W.S. Anderson who assisted the cutter Gresham in locating the wreckage of a dismasted schooner. The aircraft located the wreckage six miles distant from the cutter which had already been engaged in search activities. The aircraft had the advantage of altitude in locating a low profile object. Other search activities in conjunction with cutters proved their value many times over. The Cape May facilities would continue to expand. An aviation school for enlisted personnel was established at Cape May in 1934. The first of the JF-2 "Ducks arrived at Cape May at the end of 1934.
| CDR Stone had become the commanding officer was assigned as the senior member of the trial board for the flying boat aircraft being built by General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation. He was relieved by Lt. Richard L. Burke. Stone established a world speed record for amphibious planes when he piloted Coast Guard JF-2 #167 at a speed of 191.734 miles per hour over a three-kilometer test course on December 20, 1934. Lt Burke, utilizing the same aircraft set a speed record of 173.945 miles per hour over a 100 kilometer course with a 500 kilogram load on June 25,1935. Two days later he set an altitude record of 17,877.243 feet with a 500 kilogram load. The Cape May air station was decommissioned in 1938 due to lack of funding. However, air patrol detachments were maintained at Cape May until 1941. During World II the Navy upgraded Cape May and used it for training pilots in aircraft carrier operations. The Coast Guard provided search and rescue services. The Navy turned the base over to the Coast Guard after the war and the Coast Guard Receiving Center Cape May opened in 1948. The Coast Guard consolidated all recruit training functions at Cape May in 1982.
In 1969 a new hangar was built and Coast Guard Air Station Cape May was recommissioned as a helicopter air station. 
Photo at left: CDR Elmer Stone climbing into his Grumman "Duck" to break
seaplane speed record on 20 December 1934 |
1929 - Air Traffic Flight Following Established By USCG:
The great expansion of the Coast Guard incident to anti-smuggling activities during the Prohibition years brought about a major expansion in radio communication capabilities. Prior to that time cutters were equipped with Navy type radio equipment and used Navy frequencies for handling ship-shore traffic. The need developed for a vast and far reaching radio communication service than could be provided by other sources. In addition to traffic generated by the increased number of cutters there was a tremendous amount of traffic to and from the large number of patrol boats. There was also, for the first time, the requirement for aircraft radio communication. Coast Guard aircraft of this period were allocated International Wireless Telegraphy call signs as a means of identification. To take care of this traffic, a shore radio station was established at Rockaway, New York. This station proved highly successful and as a result additional units were established at Nahant, Massachusetts; New London, Connecticut; Cape May, New Jersey; Cape Henry, Virginia; Fernandina, Florida; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; San Francisco, California; San Pedro, California; Port Angeles, Washington; and Anacortes, Washington.
Coast Guard Radio Station Rockaway |
Douglas RD-2 Adhara radio arrangement |
While performing law enforcement duties the Coast Guard was simultaneously engaged in search and rescue operations. The radio communications network was of tremendous value in identifying, locating, and directing aid to those in peril on the sea. Beginning in 1929, initial steps were taken to establish a radio communication network for aircraft. Inaugurated along the Atlantic Seaboard, the aim was to keep track of all aircraft using the coastal routes. Aircraft departure and arrival times were given and by means of check times provided when abeam a designated station; aircraft on long distance flights were afforded continual radio observation and contact. With no additional cost to the Government, adequate monitoring of airborne traffic was provided. There was a chain of lifeboat stations along the coast with land line connections. These were depicted on the air-navigation charts. When an accident did occur or help was needed, the nearest Coast Guard station was ready with immediate assistance.
During the first two months of operations, 329 aircraft availed themselves to this service. In 1932 statistics showed that over 1,400 reports by transit aircraft were made up and down the Atlantic Seaboard. As more air stations were established the system was extended to the Gulf and Pacific Coasts. In 1936 the Bureau of Air Commerce began to development a nation-wide air traffic control system. The Civil Aeronautics Authority came into being in 1938 and began air traffic control operations negating the need for Coast Guard flight following. The Coast Guard radio network, however, continued to expand. Besides broadcast messages the network handled direct traffic between Coast Guard aircraft, cutters, boats, and shore stations.
1932 - The Flying Life Boats:
A Coast Guard Aviation Section had been established at Headquarters under the direction of CDR. Norman B. Hall in 1928. The potential of aviation had been proven and aircraft with increased capabilities were desired. A statement of requirements was presented to aircraft manufacturers:
"An aerial 'eye" capable of extended search, radio equipped to maintain constant contact with surface, thus saving hours and possibly days of search; an aerial ambulance capable of a speed of 100 miles per hour, able to land in a rough sea, equipped with hatches large enough to admit of stretcher cases and to be able to take off on rough water; a demolition outfit to effect the destruction of sea derelicts and obstructions to navigation within a few hours after the report of location; a high speed flying patrol for observation, landing and returning with rescued crews of distressed small craft and capable of taking aboard fifteen or more passengers from distressed craft and standing by for lengthy periods on the surface, maintaining in the meantime radio communication with surface craft until transfer can be made of its passengers."
In 1931 a Schreck/Viking 00-1 built by the Hydravions Schreck-FBA Company was obtained and evaluated. The Viking Flying Boat Company of New Haven Connecticut acquired manufacturing rights to build this aircraft in the United States. Although this aircraft did not fully meet the criteria as a "flying lifeboat", the Coast Guard, based on this evaluation ordered five additional Viking OO-1s in 1936. During the same period an evaluation of a flying boat designed and built by Donald Douglas took place. This aircraft, a pure seaplane, was originally intended as a luxurious air-yacht. From this aircraft a line of amphibians were developed. The Coast Guard purchased the modified prototype and two other Dolphins during 1932. The Coast Guard purchased ten additional Dolphin amphibians in 1934. LCDR Elmer Stone became the Inspector of Naval Aircraft at the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1934.
In 1932, five flying boats manufactured specifically for the Coast Guard were obtained. They were a result of a design competition involving eight different companies. Know as FLBs, they were a Fokker design and built by General Aviation Corporation. Later when General Aviation became North American, the PJ-1/2 designation was adopted.
General Aviation FLB - PJ-1/2
The General Aviation flying boat, known by Coast Guard aviators as a FLB, was the result of design competition to provide an aircraft to meet specific Coast Guard needs. These aircraft, like the RD Dolphins were numbered and were also named for stars; the name appearing on each side of the nose. Each aircraft was allocated an International Wireless Telegraphy call sign as a means of identification. When General Aviation became North American Aviation the designation was changed to PJ-1. The first PJ aircraft, named Antares became operational in June of 1932. The next four, Altair, Acrux, Acamar, and Arcturus were operational by the end of the year.
The PJs were large airplanes for the day. A seaplane, they were high wing monoplanes with a gross weight of just over 11,000 pounds and a range of 1000 nautical miles. The engines were mounted in a pusher configuration. The Antares was completely modified in 1933 and was equipped with P&W 1690 engines installed in a tractor type configuration. The primary function of these aircraft was search and rescue.
Coast Guard PJ-1 Arcturus on the ramp at the Miami air station |
| Manufacturer | General Aviation | Engines | P&W Wasp R 1340 |
| Designation | PJ-1/2 | T.O. Power | 2 x 400 hp |
| Type | Seaplane | Top Speed | 120 mph |
| Wing Span | 74ft 2in | Fuel Capacity | 440 gal |
| Height | 15ft 6in | Range | 1000 nm |
| Length | 55ft Propellers | Hamilton Std | fixed pitch |
| Wing Area | 754 sq ft | Crew | 4 |
| Empty Weight | 7000 lbs | Passengers | 3 |
| Gross Weight | 11,200 lbs | Cost | $73,343 |
| PJ-2 engines | Pratt & Whitney T1D1 Hornet | R-1690 | 2 x 500 hp at T.O. power |
Douglas RD -1/2/4 Dolphin
Three of the 13 RD Dolphins were obtained in 1931/1932. The first was the original Donald Douglas Sinbad that was flight tested and modified for Coast Guard use. This was a seaplane and designated RD. It was named Procyon , operational in March 1931, and assigned to the Cape May air station. All of the Dolphins to follow were amphibians. The Adhara, Designated RD-2 came on board in July of 1932 and was based out of the Gloucester air station. The Sirius, designated RD-1 followed a month later and was based at the Miami air station. These were actually three distinct aircraft each one an improvement over its predecessor. The RD had a top speed of 136 mph, the RD-1 a top speed of 152 mph and the RD-2 a top speed of 162 mph; The power plants differed as did the range. The remaining 10 aircraft were acquired between November 1934 and April 1935. Each of these aircraft was also named for stars. Designated RD-4, these aircraft were all standard production models.
Coast Guard RD- 1 Dolphin
RD-4 Data Table:
| Manufacturer | Douglas | Engines | P&W Wasp | R-1340 |
| Designation | RD-4 Dolphin | T.O. Power | 2 x 454 hp |
| Type | Amphibian | Top Speed | 147 mph |
| Wing Span | 60ft | Cruise Speed | 110 mph |
| Height | 14ft 7in | Stall Speed | 63 mph |
| Length | 45ft 3in | Fuel | 240 gals |
| Wing Area | 592 sq ft | Range | 660 nm |
| Empty Weight | 6467 lbs | Crew | 3 |
| Max Gross weight | 9737 lbs | Passengers | 6 |
| Service Ceiling | 14,500 ft | Unit Cost | $60,000 |
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These aircraft were used extensively by the Coast Guard for search and rescue missions often flying far out to sea to rescue stricken mariners or seaman in need of urgent medical care. In the picture on the left, the PJ-1 Antares is shown transferring a critically injured seaman from the merchantman SS SAMUEL Q. BROWN. The transfer was made by small boat using a specially designed stretcher which was placed aboard the aircraft through the forward hatch. This landing and transfer was made under favorable conditions. Many times this was not the case and resulted in a very hazardous undertaking. The danger in landing an aircraft in the open sea had to be evaluated against the possible loss of life if the rescue was not attempted. Weather and sea conditions were major factors. The vectoring of a surface vessel to assist was preferred if time and availability allowed. In many cases, the urgency of the situation dictated that a landing and subsequent take-off be made. |
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The photo on the left is of a Hall Boat that crashed on attempted take after picking up a crewmember from the research ketch ATLANTIS 150 miles off the New Jersey coast.. The crewmember, George Priest, was suffering from severe pneumonia and doctors had requested he be transported to a hospital. Weather was severe with thunderstorms in the area. A landing was made but during take-off the aircraft was struck by an unusually large wave during lift-off and plunged back into the sea. Lt. Clemmer, the pilot; AP-1 Radan, the copilot; and Mr. Priest, the evacuee; were killed. Five crewmembers survived but crewmembers Evers and Hayes suffered broken backs.
The first Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to Coast Guard aviators was awarded by the United States Army to Lieutenant Carl B. Olsen, in recognition of outstanding heroic action in flying an airplane 300 miles to sea under the difficulties of darkness, storms and rough seas for the purpose of removing and transporting to a hospital on shore an officer of the Army, on board the United States Army Transport REPUBLIC who was critically ill with acute appendicitis, saving his life. The second and third Distinguished Flying Crosses were awarded by the Secretary of the Treasury.
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Lt. Frank Leamy was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the evacuation of a seaman with a severed right arm from the fishing Vessel WHITE CAP. The landing and take off was made at night in heavy seas. Lt. Richard Burke was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for successfully removing a critically injured man from the fishing vessel SHAWMUT 160 mile off the Massachusetts coast under extremely difficult conditions.
1932 - Coast Guard Air Station Miami Established:
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Dinner Key was originally an island in Biscayne Bay which was connected to the mainland with fill in 1914. In 1917 the Navy chose this site to become a Naval Air Station. The base was commissioned the following year and conducted flight training with 12 seaplanes and a dirigible. The Navy vacated the base after the end of WWI but the seaplane facilities were utilized by commercial operators. The New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Airline began operations from Dinner Key in 1929. This airline merged with Pan American which initiated an extensive route structure from Dinner Key during the 1930s. Pan Am completed an elaborate passenger terminal building in 1934. The Coast Guard commissioned an air station at Dinner Key in 1932. This was the first of a series of air stations strategically located in coastal areas to provide search and rescue services as the primary function. The first of the PJ Flying Life Boats were assigned. |
These aircraft were radio equipped and had radio direction equipment. They could land and take off in the open sea and did so, when the situation dictated, on numerous occasions. It was from Dinner Key that Lt. Olsen flew in the darkness and storm to evacuate a critically ill crewman from the USA Transport REPUBLIC. Wind direction for his take-off was indicated by the ship's searchlight and the Arcturus lifted out of the sea in total darkness completing a seven hour mission and saving a life.
PJ-1 FLB Acrux |  RD-4 Capella |
In 1935 a Labor Day Hurricane with winds of over 150 miles an hour struck the Florida Keys. Lt. Clemmer flew over the Keys prior to the storm reaching them and dropped more than 100 message blocks warning people of the approaching storm. After storm passage all available station aircraft deployed to the ravaged area and commenced an evacuation of those hurt badly. During one flight LT Clemmer took off with sixteen victims on board, the largest number of people ever carried in a FLB, and flew them to Miami for medical attention. Both LT Clemmer and Lt. Olsen continued the operation for several days. Miami was assisted by aircraft from the newly established air station at Saint Petersburg. The operation was well conducted and provided considerable public awareness of the Coast Guard mission. The operation also illustrated the potential and capabilities of aircraft in this type situation.
A considerable increase in Coast Guard Air stations would take place over the next two years. Additional aircraft were being purchased but a temporary aircraft supplement was required at Miami. Two confiscated New Standard NT-2s obtained from US Customs and two former Navy O2Us were based out of a hangar at the 36th Street Airport which was rented from the city. By 1938 the air station had three PH-2 Hall boats and three SOC-4 seagulls on board and the number of SAR related missions had increased significantly.
| With the outbreak of World War II, the Coast Guard aviators at Dinner Key flew anti-submarine warfare patrols and convoy support missions. Attacks were made on enemy submarines but no kills were recorded. They did however save many survivors from torpedoed merchant ships by directing surface vessels to the location and landing in the open sea when situations dictated that a landing should be made. LT. James Schader, while patrolling in a Vought OS2U-3 Kingfisher sighted the remains of the torpedoed tanker GULFSTREAM and observed three groups of survivors. He landed in the water and took the three men in the first group on board. He then taxied to the second group and gave them a life-raft for support and carried on to the third group; one of which was badly burned. Taking this man on board the already overloaded aircraft he radioed for other Coast Guard aircraft to assist and stood by until help arrived. All survivors were then transported to shore. The Navy also had a VP squadron based out of Dinner Key during the war. |
Vought OS2U-3 Kingfisher |
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In addition to OS2U aircraft there were PBYs and PBMs and JRFs operated out of Dinner Key. The later three continued to operate from Dinner Key until after the arrival of the UF-1Gs (HU-16) and helicopters in the 1950s. The Search and rescue operation continued to grow. With operations such as the Cuban Boat lift and other added Coast Guard responsibilities it became obvious that Dinner Key was not large enough to support the required aviation activities. In 1965 the air |
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