Fortitudine: newsletter of the Marine Corps historical program: Aviation Issue Vol 37 No 1 - 100 Years Of Marine Corps Aviation

2012·94 MB·English

by  United States. Marine Corps. History and Museums Division

Volume 37, Number 1 2012
100th
M a m n e C o r ps
A viation
A n n iv er s a r y
FORTITUDINE 1 0 0 th A nniversary o f
M arin e Corps A v iation
3 Underscoring the “A” in MAGTF
Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer
5 Bibliographic Essay
Dr. Tom M. Baughn
7 Setting the Cornerstone of Marine Aviation
Dr. Tom M. Baughn
2 3 Alfred A. Cunningham: Marines First Aviator
Second Lieutenant Molly E. Coulter
24 Christian F. Schilt
David F. Ellrod
25 Marines in the Azores Islands in World War I: Diary of Walter S. Paogue
Antonio M. Godinho
34 Wildcats Over Guadalcanal
Peter B. Mersky
36 The Venerable Corsair
Dr. Tom M. Baughn
37 The Not So “Tiny Tim”
Dr. Tom M. Baughn
38 The Marine Air Reserve in Korea
Second Lieutenant Kyle J. Bare
39 Black Sheep and Death Rattlers Along the Naktong
Dr. Fred H. Allison
46 B oeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight
Second Lieutenant Daniel J. Canham About the Cover: First Sergeant
48 General Roy S. Geiger: A Marine for All Conflicts Benjamin F. Belcher (on the back
Second Lieutenants Daniel J. Canham and Katherine C. Gordon, page) sits in a Vought VE-7 at Brown
_ and Dr. Tom M. Baughn Field at Quantico, Virginia, 1924.
53 Book Review: Black Sheep: The Life of Pappy Boyington Jiggs, the mascot, sits in the back
Stephanie C. Wasburn seat of the biplane.
55 Made To Order
Second Lieutenant Molly E. Coulter
This issue celebrates the first 50 years of Marine Corps Aviation.
PRESIDENT PRODUCTION STAFF MARINE CORPS This bulletin of the Marine Corps COMMANDANT OF THE
of Marine Corps University Fortitudine Managing Editor HISTORY DIVISION historical program is published for MARINE CORPS
MajGen Thomas M. Murray Gregory A. Macheak 3078 Upshur Avenue Marines, at the rate of one copy for Department of the Navy
DIRECTOR Visual Information Specialist Quantico, Virginia 22134 every nine on active duty, to pro­ Headquarters United States
of History Division W. Stephen Hill Telephone [phone] vide education and training in the Marine Corps
Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer http://www.history.usmc .mil uses of military and Marine Corps 3000 Marine Corps Pentagon
HII'|o| [email protected] history. Other interested readers Room 2B253
of National Museum of the Marine Corps may purchase single copies or four- Washington, D.C. 20530-3000
Lin Ezell issue subscriptions from the Su­
perintendent of Documents, U.S. OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Government Printing Office.
PCN 104 012 20100
2 Marina Corps Aviation
Underscoring the "A” in MAGTF
by Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer
Director of Marine Corps History Division
For some time now, when
preparing for combat opera­
tions, the Marine Corps usual­
ly configures itself as a Marine
Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF). The
MAGTF has become so ubiquitous that
many assume the Marines have always
deployed in this particular fashion. In
fact, few outside the Corps understand
the immediate impact an air/ground
task force, logistically supported by its
own organic assets for an extended fields were the only ones available for
period of time, can have on combat Rowell’s aircraft to use on a consistent
operations—especially those conduct­ basis, and due to the limits of surface
ed “from the sea.” The recent public to air radio technology at that time,
debate over the F-35B Joint Strike coordination between air and ground
Fighter is a good indication that many elements was rudimentary. But this
in and out of Congress or even the did not stop the Marines on the
Department of Defense still do not ground. Led by battle hardened lead­
fully appreciate why the Marine Corps ers such as Captain Lewis B. Puller and
places such an emphasis on support­ Captain Merritt A. Edson, Marine
ing its ground combat forces with infantry platoons and companies,
rapid, on-call, tactical aviation. Yet reinforced by Nicaraguan Guardia
one only needs to look at the past to Nacional security forces, chased
discover why the Marine Corps holds armed bands of guerrillas called
its own aviation in such high regard. “Sandinistas” (so named after their
The MAGTF concept developed charismatic leader Augusto C.
over time. It also resulted from both Sandino) throughout the rugged ter­
positive and negative combat lessons. rain of Nicaragua’s northern learned to scatter whenever Marine
Nonetheless, it was not long after provinces. bombers or pursuit aircraft appeared
World War I that the advantages of The 2d Aircraft Brigade itself over their heads.
aviation became apparent to Marine was a hodgepodge of large Ford “tri­ For example, on 15 July 1927,
ground combat commanders. An early motor” supply transports, World War I Sandino’s guerillas attacked a 40-man
opportunity to experiment with vintage DeHavilland medium bomb­ patrol led by Captain Gilbert Hatfield
organic aviation occurred during an ers, to other assorted pursuit and in the town of Ocotal, Nicaragua.
extended Marine Corps counterinsur­ observation aircraft. Because the ter­ Outnumbered and fighting off three
gency deployment to Nicaragua rain was so difficult to navigate, the direct assaults, Hatfield called in air
(1927-33). Deploying upward of 5,000 Marines began using these aircraft as support. Using large colored panels to
Marines in its largest overseas combat scouting platforms and to resupply identify his own position for circling
operation since World War I, the units operating in the field on long DH-4 bombers, Marine pilots devas­
Marine Corps cobbled together a vari­ patrols. Moreover, when the Sandi­ tated the attacking Sandinistas and
ety of supporting expeditionary avia­ nistas did attack the Marines, aviation forced them to flee back into the
tion platforms they eventually named assets, more than once, proved effec­ mountains.
the 2d Aircraft Brigade. Commanded tive in providing air support for Early the following year, another
by Major Ross E. Rowell, the 2d ground troops or sometimes destroy­ reinforced Marine patrol was besieged
Aircraft Brigade flew from airfields ing enemy formations when they by Sandinistas in the town of Quilali.
located in and around the capital city could be located. These air attacks Leveling adobe walls that lined the
of Managua. For the most part, these worked so well that the Sandinistas town’s main street, the Marines quick-
100th Anniversary 3
Marine Corps photo
The F-35B Lightning 11 prepares to vertically land for the first time at sea on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp.
ly created an improvised expedi­ Korean War, Marine aviators started And while Colonel Freeman obvi­
tionary airfield. First Lieutenant to practice the modern day version of ously dramatized his case to General
Christian F. Schilt, flying a Vought the MAGTF. Flying World War II vin­ Ridgeway in order to get air support
O2U-1 Corsair biplane, proved just tage Chance Vought F4U Corsairs, the for his own troops, there can be no
how valuable an “expeditionary air­ Marine Corps methodology for deliv­ doubt that the MAGTF concept was
field” was to the Marines when he ering close air support in Korea was so indeed a “game-changer.” Since the
repeatedly landed his Corsair under effective that U.S. Army Colonel Paul Nicaraguan counterinsurgency to this
fire to bring in much needed ammuni­ Freeman, commanding officer of the very day, no one in the country under­
tion and supplies, and evacuate the 23d Infantry Regiment during the stands close air support better than
critically wounded. What made 1950 battles along the Naktong River, Marines. To the Marines fighting on
Schilt’s story even more extraordinary wrote to General Matthew B. Ridgway the ground, having organic aviation
was that his Corsair did not have any that rapidly on call, night or day, in all
landing brakes. In order to prevent the we must have Tac[tical] Air in weather and terrain, has made the dif­
aircraft from running into a steep direct support of infantry regi­ ference on many a battlefield.
ravine at the end of his improvised ments just as we have artillery; This year the Marine Corps cele­
airstrip, Marines from nearby build­ and communications must be brates its 100th anniversary of avia­
ings would race out as the Corsair tax­ direct and simplified. Infantry tion. In commemoration of this six-
ied down the dirt road and grab onto can’t do the job alone. Infantry month long event, History Division in
its wings to halt the aircraft’s forward and artillery is a good team, but collaboration with the Kratos/DTI
progress. Thanks to Schilt’s human only by adding adequate and Corporation produced an impressive
“Marine brakes” and the added weight efficient air support can we suc­ publication now available for purchase
of the men upon the aircraft’s wings, ceed without devastating losses. on the Government Printing Office
he always stopped well before reaching The Marines on our left were a website: 100 Years of Marine Corps
the ravine. Lieutenant Schilt received sight to behold. Not only was Aviation. This visually appealing book
the Medal of Honor for his resolute their equipment superior or shows the progress of Marine Corps
courage at Quilali and later command­ equal to ours, but they had aviation, starting with First
ed Marine aviation as a general officer squadrons of air in direct sup­ Lieutenant Alfred A. Cunningham
during the Korean War. port. They used it like artillery. becoming naval aviator number five in
The Marine Corps refined and It was, ‘Hey, Joe, this is Smitty, 1912 through the 2011 appointment
worked sporadically on the MAGTF knock the left of that ridge in of General James T. Amos, the first
concept throughout World War II, and from Item Company.’ They had it Marine aviator to become Comman­
although not totally complete, day and night . . . General, we dant of the Marine Corps. Besides the
Marines on the ground and in the air just have to have air support like aforementioned illustrated history,
found through trial and error that that or we might as well disband the History Division has two addition­
working closely together produced the Infantry and join the al books on Marine Corps aviation
superior combat results. During the Marines. scheduled for publication.
4 Marine Corps Aviation
B i b l i o g r a p h i c E s s a y
by Dr. Tom M. Baughn
The centennial of Marine aviation observance pro­ Aviation: The Early Years 1912-1940. The Naval Historical Center
vided an opportunity to produce several new produced successive editions of an annotated chronology,
publications on the subject. The newly created entitled United States Naval Aviation that includes many
books and related materials more than doubles important dates for Marine aviation. That publication uses
what was previously available with the only offi­ short explanatory annotations to document key dates from
cial overview previously produced by the Corps appeared in the beginning of U.S. naval aviation history in 1910.
1985. Major General John P. Condon penned that publication, There are numerous books on aspects of Marine aviation,
and John M. Elliott edited the
manuscript to the 41 pages
that became the fifth volume
of the commemorative col­
lection for the 75th anniver­
sary of naval aviation. Peter B.
Mersky's U.S. Marine Corps
Aviation Since 1912 has now
been published in four edi­
tions from 1983 to 2009.
Although they did not cover
all the history of Marine avia­
tion, two other works are
notable in their coverage of
major portions thereof. One
of those works originally
written in the early 1950s is
Robert Sherrod's widely
respected book History of
Marine Corps Aviation in World
War II, which begins with two
chapters on the prewar his­
tory of Marine aviation.
Similarly, in 1977 Lieutenant
Colonel Edward C. Johnson
and Graham A. Cosmas as edi­
tor, produced the official
publication Marine Corps
Fly With The US Marines
Howard Christy
This very evocative illustration
was commissioned by the United
States Marine Corps to recruit
pilots in the early 1920s. Howard
Chandler Christy was an impor
tant illustrator and society portrait
painter based in New York during
this time period. Christy was also
an artist correspondent during the
Spanish American War in 1989,
documenting the 2d Infantry, 1st
Cavalry, (the famed “Rough
Riders”) in Cuba.
100th Anniversary 5
Osprey Flight Operations from USS Wasp
Sgt Kristopher J. Battles
VMM-263 (the “Thunder Chic
kens”) made history as first Marine
squadron to deploy the
Bell/Boeing MV-22 Osprey tilt-
rotor aircraft in a combat zone.
The squadron conducted flight
operations and performed routine
maintenance aboard the USS
Wasp (LHD-1) in preparation for
combat operations in Iraq in 2007.
focused by period or topic,
and every historian has their
list of classics. Perhaps most
familiar to the general read­
er, are memoirs like Gregory
"Pappy" Boyington's Baa Baa
Black Sheep published in 1958.
A respected companion
work to Sherrod's book,
focused on Marine carrier air
warfare, 1944-1945. Published by the Naval Institute Press, Lon Nordeen chronicles the practical development of a revo­
Corsairs and Flattops by John P. Condon details how the incep­ lutionary aerial platform capable of vertical/short takeoff
tion of Marine carrier based aircraft impacted several and landing. His book Harrier II published in 2006, tells the
amphibious landings in the final years of the war. Another story of Marine aviation's role in bringing the ground-break­
important work was Charles W Boggs' Marine Aviation in the ing aircraft to fruition. The follow-on monograph, AV-8B
Philippines, a 1951 official publication of the Marine Corps Harrier II Units of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm docu­
History Division. Two official publications on the Marines in ments the versatility of the McDonnell Douglas AV-8 Harrier,
the Korean War Commemorative Series cover the Korean which was one of the first aircraft to meet the Iraqi invasion
conflict for Marine fixed wing and rotary winged aircraft. of Kuwait in 1990. The AV-8 Harrier proved its nimbleness
Appearing in 2002, Corsairs to Panthers, by Major General John during close air support as Operation Desert Storm rolled
P. Condon and retired Commander Peter B. Mersky, covers the invaders backwards. Jay A. Stout also wrote a book on
the overlap of propeller and jet aircraft in Korea. The accom­ Marine aviation in the Iraq War. Hammer from Above puts the
panying publication in 2003, by Lieutenant Colonel Ronald J. reader in the cockpit of rotary and fixed wing, attack and
Brown, entitled Whirlybirds demonstrated the advantages of transport aircraft with a number of interviews gathered
vertically mobile aircraft in the same conflict. An irreplace­ from Marine pilots who flew in that conflict. Stout also
able book on the early application of Marine combat heli­ wrote an important work on Marine pilots of F/A-18s during
copters, Cavalry of the Sky, was written by Lynn Montross and the conflicts with Iraq during the 1990s in Hornets Over
published by Harper in 1954. Kuwait, published in 1997. Probably the most revolutionary
Vietnam was the first American major war that exten­ aircraft recently developed is the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey. In
sively utilized helicopters. Two books describe their uses. The Dream Machine, that appeared in 2010, Richard Whittle
The first of the official Marine Corps History Division two- reveals the story of taking the aircraft through the tortured
volume publications was written by Lieutenant Colonel process of research and development.
Eugene W. Rawlins, entitled Marines and Helicopters 1946-1962 Finally, as the centennial of Marine aviation continues in
and published in 1976. It details the development of heli­ 2012, the Marine Corps History Division plans on publishing
copters after World War 2, its experimental utilization dur­ two commemorative histories. The first book, written by Dr.
ing the Korean conflict, and the technological maturation Tom M. Baughn, covers Marine aviation through the end of
before utilization in Vietnam. Published in 1978, Lieutenant combat in Vietnam in 1973, and the second book written by
Colonel William R. Fails, the author, devoted the second vol­ Dr. Fred H. Allison, describes the important developments in
ume, Marines and Helicopters 1962-1973, to the use of helicopters Marine Corps aviation since 1974. Additionally, the Kratos
in Southeast Asia, describing the transitions in helicopter Company, Roxanne Kaufman as author and Laurie Schmidt
engines, types, and sizes. as art director, produced a commemorative illustrated his­
Current conflicts are generating important works as well. tory entitled 100 Years of Marine Corps Aviation.
6 Marine Corps Aviation
S E T T I N G T H E C O R N E R S T O N E
O F M A R I N E A V I A T I O N
by Dr. Tom M. Baughn
The debate that helped define aviation was to the Marine Corps.
and defend Marine aviation While the answer to that question
began in the 1920s. In one was clear for Cunningham, he
article written at the beginning of knew that too few shared his
the decade, Major Alfred A. vision and in reality the program
Cunningham candidly reviewed “could very readily have been dis­
the mixed results that Marine avi­ banded entirely” after World War
ation accomplished during World I. He argued that a “rocky and
War I, and admitted that it trans­ uphill road” in the “first of the
lated into “nothing permanent.” In stages” in the development of
contrast, Major Ross E. Rowell Marine Corps aeronautics was typ­
wrote an article at the end of the ical for “every new weapon.” He
decade bragging about the change continued by stating that a fuller
of fortune, making Marine aviators demonstration of what aircraft
essential to the Corps. Interest­ could do for the Marines was not
ingly, both authors answer the yet at hand. Cunningham wrote
same question—Of what use is the article to convince military
Marine aviation for the Corps? planners that they should give
Marine Corps photo
Although at the end of the decade Marine aviation time to prove its Maj Ross E. Rowell became a driving force
the role of aviation was still limit­ worth before they made a decision in Marine aviation.
ed, these were the first steps, halt­ as to its future.
cally no official status or recogni­
ing at times, that would lead to the Just nine years later, Rowell
tion. While we sent 182 officers
advent of the Marine Air Ground scarcely acknowledged the uncer­
and 1,030 men to the front in
Task Force over half-a-century tainty that plagued Cunningham
France, and they made a splendid
later. and wrote a technical manual on
record under severe conditions,
Cunningham essentially found­ how to use Marine aviation. This
we had no aerodromes at home,
ed Marine aviation in 1912, but his demonstrated how much Marine
no shops or other facilities; in fact,
article in 1920 tentatively an­ aviation had evolved. The two avi­
nothing permanent, and could
swered the question of what use ators’ abridged articles that follow
very readily have been disbanded
show how Marine aviation found
entirely. When it was realized that
Maj Alfred A. Cunningham, the founding its voice in the 1920s.
the Marine Corps’ permanent
visionary of Marine Corps aviation.
Excerpt from strength of 17,000 was entirely
Marine Corps photo
inadequate and that a larger per­
Major Alfred A. Cunningham
manent strength must be request­
In common with every new ed, the figure decided upon was
weapon introduced to the military approximately one-fifth the autho­
service, Marine Corps aviation has rized strength of the Navy, or
travelled a rocky and uphill road. about 26,380. It was desired to uti­
Its small size has tended to make lize this number for ground duties;
the jolts more frequent and severe. therefore, Congress was asked to
Nothing short of the firm convic­ authorize an additional 1,020 men
tion that it would ultimately for aviation duty, making the total
become of great service to the 27,400. This gave us permanently
Corps sustained the enthusiasm of our aviation personnel. The next
the small number of officers who task was to secure well-equipped
have worked to make it a success. home stations for our personnel,
The past year has seen the com­ and it required the surmounting of
pletion of the first of the stages many discouraging obstacles
through which our aviation must before the Navy Department,
pass. Prior to this we had practi- which handles the expenditure of
100th Anniversary 7
all aviation funds, approved the
construction of flying fields at
Quantico, Parris Island, and San
Diego. With this much accom­
plished and our men and pilots
well trained, we feel that the time
has about arrived when we can
demonstrate our usefulness to the
Corps, which I am confident will
be great.
Skeptics without and within
One of the greatest handicaps
which Marine Corps Aviation must
now overcome is a combination of
doubt as to usefulness, lack of
sympathy, and a feeling on the
part of some line officers that avi­
ators and aviation enlisted men
are not real Marines. We look
upon the first two criticisms com­
placently, knowing that we can
abundantly prove our usefulness
even to the most skeptical, and
that when we have done so, we
will receive the sympathy and
hearty support of all Marine offi­
cers. The last criticism we resent
vehemently as an injustice, so far Marine Corps photo (532386)
Dedicating the airfields and headquarters facilities of the Marine Corps First Aviation
as it applies to loyalty, supreme
Force in northern France.
pride in the Corps, and a desire to
do what is assigned to us as quick­ infantry troops to be thoroughly with our troops the problems sug­
ly and as well as it can be done. indoctrinated with Marine Corps gested above, as they feel assured
Conditions arising from the neces­ discipline and spirit. that such an opportunity can
sity of organizing and training in a For fear that by mentioning in result only in mutual respect and
short time an aviation section, this article the skeptical feeling confidence.
with practically nothing to start regarding aviation which is sup­
The contribution of Marine
with and the nature of the duty, posed to exist among some offi­
aviation in World War I
which does not allow the older cers, I have given an erroneous
officers to keep their juniors con­ impression. I would like to state It is fully realized that the only
tinually under their observation that I believe the number of offi­ excuse for aviation in any service
and guidance as is allowed in cers who hold this attitude consti­ is its usefulness in assisting the
ground work, may have prevented tutes a small minority of the offi­ troops on the ground to success­
the instillation in the younger cers of the Corps. The subject is fully carry out their operations.
pilots of all the qualities necessary only mentioned here because the Having in mind their experience
in a Marine officer to the same whole article is an effort to show with aviation activities in France, a
degree as is done in infantry work. Marine Corps officers that, with great many Marine officers have
We have realized this difficulty encouragement and cooperation, expressed themselves as being
and have made an earnest effort to we can be of real service to them, unfriendly to aviation and as
overcome it and believe, with and to show commanding officers doubting its full value. I am confi­
some few exceptions, that we have what parts of their problems they dent that this must have been
been successful. Now since the can use aviation to perform. caused by some local condition, as
rush of organizing for war service Naturally, the ones we wish most the French, British, and Belgian
is over this difficulty will be easily to convert are those who at pre­ troops in the sector over which the
and simply overcome and the task sent do not fully believe in us. First Marine Aviation Force and
of aviation officers made much Marine officers very properly the British squadrons operated
more simple by taking into avia­ “like to be shown,” and nothing is were enthusiastically “full out” for
tion only those young officers who more desired by Marine Corps avi­ aviation. In our own aviation sec­
have had enough service with ation than a chance to work out tion we intend, before asking a
8 Marine Corps Aviation
vote of confidence from the with enthusiasm to our real work projecting out into atmosphere, I
remainder of the Corps, to demon­ of cooperating helpfully with the am inclined to agree with that
strate to their complete satisfac­ remainder of the Corps. All we ask view.
tion that we can contribute in a is a spirit of cooperation and On April 6, 1917, Marine avia­
surprising degree to the success of encouragement, and that judg­ tion amounted to four officers and
all their operations, save many ment be reserved until the proper thirty men, all part of the comple­
hours of weary, fruitless “hiking” time. ment of the Naval Air Station,
and materially shorten each cam­ Judging from the unfamiliarity Pensacola, Fla . . . During the next
paign. Previous to now we have of the average Marine officer with few months we secured a flying
had no opportunity to do this. what has been accomplished by field at Philadelphia, organized a
During the war we were unfortu­ Marine aviation, we have failed full squadron of land planes, and
nately not allowed to serve with woefully to advertise. A short began intensive training, so that
the Fourth Brigade, but were resume of what has been accom­ we would be ready to go to France
placed in a sector containing only plished will perhaps be of interest. with the other Marine Corps
British, French, and Belgian In May, 1912, when the writer forces. In order to have the latest
troops. Since the war all our effort was detailed for aviation, the aviation information the com­
has been required to secure flying Marine Corps took very little inter­ manding officer of this squadron
fields and the construction of est in the subject. In those days it was sent to France to serve with
buildings and hangars on them. was looked upon more as a crazy the French aviation forces for three
We would have been hopelessly sport than as anything useful, and months. This officer made every
handicapped without these facili­ when I look back on the old origi­ possible effort, both with the War
ties. Now since they are nearing nal Wright 35-horsepower planes I Department in Washington and
completion we are looking forward flew, where one sat on a board the American Expeditionary Force
Cunningham and V. O. Yoncheere, Belgian aviator, and his Bleriot at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, spring of 1912.
U.S. Navy photo
100th Anniversary 9
marines attempting to enter these
bases could be destroyed.
Destroyers were prevented from
patrolling these shallows efficient­
ly in daylight by the heavy shore
batteries, but could under the
cover of darkness and with mines
close the channels at night. This
was evidently such an effective
plan that inquiries were made as
to why it was not put into effect.
These inquiries developed that the
Germans realized the danger of
such a plan and energetically sup­
pressed any attempts of the British
Navy to patrol these waters with
seaplanes, sending out their best
land pursuit planes to shoot them
down. An inquiry as to why the
British did not patrol this area with
bombing planes protected by fight­
ing land planes developed the fact
that they were so hard pressed on
the front in Flanders and northern
France that they could not spare
the planes for this work.
Why could not the Marine
Corps man the necessary number
of planes to allow this operation to
be carried out? Jubilant at having
U.S. Navy photo
Lt Cunningham at the controls of an early Curtiss hydroaeroplane, 1912. discovered a prospective field of
usefulness for Marine Corps avia­
authorities in France, to secure shipping; their main operating tion our squadron commander
authority for our Marine aviation bases and repair shops were at hurried home and placed the
squadron to serve with the Marine Ostend, Zeebrugge, and Bruges, all whole scheme before the Major
Brigade in France. No success within easy reach by plane from General Commandant, had a hear­
whatever attended these efforts. Dunkirk; the water for ten to fif­ ing before the General Board and
Army aviation authorities stated teen miles off these bases is so the Secretary, and as a result
candidly that if the squadron ever shallow that a submarine can not orders were issued soon after­
got to France it would be used to safely negotiate it submerged. If wards to organize four Marine
furnish personnel to run one of these waters could be patrolled land squadrons as quickly as pos­
their training fields, but that this continuously during daylight with sible and secure from the Army
was as near the front as it would planes carrying heavy bombs, sub- the necessary planes to carry out
ever get. Confronted with this dis­
couraging outlook the squadron N u mb e r o f r aid s w it h Fr e n c h
43
commander set about to find some a n d Br it is h
other way of getting his squadron
into the fight. The only aviation N u mb e r o f in d e pe n d e n t r aid s 14
operations abroad planned by the
Navy at that time were antisubma­ Po u n d s o f b o mb s d r o ppe d 52,000
rine patrols in flying boats. After
visiting the Navy flying station at Nu m b e r o f f o o d -d r o ppin g r aid s 5
Dunkirk, France, and talking with
officers of the British destroyer Po u n d s o f f o o d d r o ppe d 2,600
patrol, it was realized that Marine
aviation’s opportunity to get into N u mb e r o f e n e m y pl a n e s
12
the fight lay right here. The situa­ s h o t d o w n
tion was as follows: Submarines P il o t s a n d o b s e r ve r s c it e d f o r
25 (Me d al o f Ho n o r , 2)
were causing enormous losses to d e c o r at io n s
10 Marine Corps Aviation