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One Hundred Years of U.S. Navy Air Power

Page 57

by Smith, Douglas V.

Pennsylvania, 3, 12–13, 15, 90, 92n26, 153, 302

  Pensacola Naval Air Station: aviation unit relocation to, 22–23; bomb runs, 23; establishment of, 22, 137, 200; naval aviators at, 55; training at, 23–24, 228–29, 303; training of, 150n22

  Philippine Islands, 31, 32, 33, 35, 41

  Philippine Sea, 274, 277

  pilots: aircraft crash injuries and deaths, 19–20, 25, 164, 165, 194n15, 241–42, 244–45; best two percent of humanity, 2, 4n2; confidence of, 2, 4n2; courage of, 3–4; helicopter pilots, training of, 224, 227, 228–29; increase in number of, 137, 147, 150n17; jet pilots, training of, 253, 263, 265; naval aviation pilots, 57; number of for World War II, 308, 320n42; training of, 13, 158, 263, 303, 353

  PM aircraft, 209

  poem on aviation, 2

  Pratt, William V.: Fleet manuevers, participation by, 100, 102; fleet-based versus land-based aircraft for Navy, 35, 208, 214, 306; flight-deck cruisers, 175; Reeves, promotion of, 90

  Princeton, 280–81

  PV Ventura/Harpoon aircraft, 214

  R

  RA-5C Vigilante, 266

  radar, 174, 182, 189, 215, 256

  Rainbow Five plan, 41–42

  Randolph (CV-15), 142, 144, 151n35

  Ranger (CV-4): construction and commissioning of, 137, 149–50n10; design of, 168–72, 194n18, 195–96nn20–24; Fleet manuevers, participation by, 110–19; launching of, 108–9; size and specifications, 89; speed of, 170, 195n22; Vietnam War, 287, 289

  Reeves, Joseph Mason “Bull”: air show demonstrations, 87–88; air wing, types of aircraft for, 87; aircraft for War Plan Orange, 35, 37; carrier and air-strike tactics, development of, 80, 82–83, 85–87, 89; carrier procedures, modification of, 83–85, 162–64; carrier scouting and offensive operations, 99–100; Commander positions, 80, 83, 90; Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Fleet, 90, 109, 110; contributions of, 74n13, 79, 88, 91; death of, 91; Fleet manuevers, participation by, 100, 104, 109, 110; General Board assignment, 90, 92n26; as naval aviation observer, 74n13, 164; naval aviation, support for, 135; Naval War College education and career, 81, 82–83, 162; Pearl Harbor investigation, 91; safety record of aircraft carriers, 88; seaplane tenders, priority of, 39; wartime service, 91

  Richardson, Holden C., 16, 17, 19, 23–24, 27, 28

  Roosevelt, Franklin: aeronautics board creation, 19; aircraft, funding for, 307; carriers, construction of, 180; Naval Aviation Reserve Act, 64; Navy, support for, 135, 136; Rainbow Five plan, 41; Reeves, promotion of, 90

  rotary-wing aircraft. See helicopters and rotary-wing aircraft

  Royal Air Force (RAF), 134, 166, 324, 332

  Royal Navy: air wing, number of aircraft in, 162, 163–64; aircraft, quality of, 200; aircraft carrier design, 157–58, 160, 183–86, 192–93nn8–9, 332–34; aircraft carriers, role of, 343–44n3; angled flight decks, 258; carrier operations, 154–56, 164, 191–92n6; disarmament conference and treaty, 158–59; funding for, 15; helicopter purchases, 224; naval aviation and the RAF, 166–67; number of planes, 26; optical landing system, 258; seaplane use by, 18, 155; shipboard takeoffs by, 18, 190n2; steam catapults, 258

  S

  S-2 Tracker aircraft, 262, 332

  S-3 Viking aircraft, 237, 262, 315, 338

  S-22 helicopters, 229

  S-58 helicopters, 230

  safety issues and initiatives, 20, 88, 262–64, 265

  Saratoga (CV-3): air wing, number of aircraft in, 88, 169; capabilities of, 38, 80, 89; construction and commissioning of, 98–99, 143, 152n54, 201, 319n29; Fleet manuevers, participation by, 95, 100–103, 104–6, 107–9, 110–17, 120–23, 129n64, 199; Fleet Problem participation, 95; landing on, 161; safety record on, 88; specialized air groups, 126–27n22

  SB2C Helldiver bomber, 147, 148, 210, 213

  SBD Dauntless aircraft, 87, 147, 148, 204

  seaplane tenders, 39–40, 172, 303, 305, 318n17

  seaplanes and flying boats: acquisition of, 16, 17; advances in, 27–28, 315; attack role of, 37–38, 40–41, 209, 214; bases for, 38–40; decline in use of, 313, 315; development of, 17, 33–34, 200, 208; effectiveness of, 207–8; Fleet manuevers, participation by, 113, 206–7; flexibility of, 302; interest in, 12, 15; jet aircraft, 250; launching and landing procedures, 17–18, 200–201, 206; manufacturing of, 303; Mexican Civil War maneuvers, 23, 95; range of, 37, 208; scouting missions, 33–35, 38, 40–41, 99, 123, 124n4, 176–77, 207; vulnerability of, 38

  Selfridge, Thomas, 9

  SH-2D/SH-2F helicopters, 235

  SH-3A/HSS-2 helicopters, 231

  SH-3H helicopters, 236

  SH-60B Seahawk helicopters, 235

  shipbuilding activities, 141–45, 151n40

  ships: air attacks against, 106–7; antiaircraft capabilities, 89, 90–91; catapult to launch aircraft from, 17–18, 23–24, 153; first take-off from, 5; system of ship-type symbols, 156, 185; takeoffs from, 3, 5, 7–8, 12–13, 18, 24, 153; treaty tonnage limits, 158–60, 193n11

  short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, 336, 340, 342–43

  Sicily, 274, 276

  Sims, William S., 46, 80, 81–82, 91n4, 133, 154, 215

  sonar, dunking/dipping, 227, 229, 231–32, 309

  swept-wing jets: carrier launching and landing procedures, 257–59; development of, 242–43; handling characteristics, 246–47, 252–53; transition to, 3

  T

  T3M/T4M torpedo planes, 202–3

  TA-4J Skyhawk aircraft, 259

  TBD Devastator aircraft, 87, 147, 148, 203

  TBF/TBM Avenger bomber, 147, 148, 210

  Tentative Conceptual baseline (T-CBL) ships, 339, 349n17

  Texas, 124n4, 174

  Ticonderoga (CV-14), 142, 151n35, 286

  torpedo bombers, 195n23, 201–3, 212, 332

  Towers, John: aboard aircraft, 14; aircraft, advances in, 20–21; aircraft, quality of, 200; aircraft carriers, role of, 133; aircraft demonstrations, 17; aircraft for War Plan Orange, 37; aircraft purchases, 25; career of, 28; carrier deck operations, 85; Chambers Board, 19; as Chambers’ replacement, 22; contributions of, 73; contributions to naval aviation, 27; dirigibles, effectiveness of, 24; Fleet manuevers, participation by, 104, 129n64; insignia for naval aviators, 77n39; legislation, role in drafting, 138; Mexican Civil War intervention, 23; pilot training, 13; war observation duties, 23

  two-ocean Navy: carriers for, 177–82, 196–97nn27–28; Vinson-Walsh Act, 132, 136, 137–40, 149, 150n27, 151n29, 151n31, 152nn53–54

  U

  UH-1 Huey, 292

  UH-1B helicopters, 234

  UH-2A helicopters, 233, 234

  UH-34 Seahorse, 292

  UH-46A Sea Knight helicopters, 234

  UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, 235

  United States, 243, 250, 273, 311, 312, 324, 325, 332, 348n11

  Unmanned Combat Aerial Systems (UCAS), 249–50, 341

  Utah, 107, 117

  V

  Valley Forge, 271, 274, 275, 277–78

  vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, 251, 336, 338–39, 340, 342, 349n15

  Vietnam War: anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire, 287, 291; close air support, 292–93; end of U.S. involvement in, 293; Flaming Dart operations, 287–88; Game Warden operation, 290–91; Gulf of Tonkin incident, 286–87, 314; helicopter use during, 232–34, 284; jet aircraft and carrier operations, 243, 314–15, 326, 352; Linebacker II operation, 293; Market Time operation, 290–91, 314; naval air power role in, 284–93; Rolling Thunder campaign, 288–89, 292, 293; start of, 283–84; surface-to-air (SAM) missiles, 291–92; Vietnamization strategy, 293

  Vinson, Carl, 131–32, 135–40, 149

  Vinson-Trammel Acts, 35, 136–37, 141–42, 151n40, 175–76, 196n25

  Vinson-Walsh Act (Two-Ocean Navy Act), 132, 136, 137–40, 149, 150n27, 151n29, 151n31, 152nn53–54

  VP aircraft and VProns, 33–34, 35, 38–42

  W

  war: containment policy of U.S., 293–94; fleet and force expansion, 54, 59–60, 64–65, 71, 72, 74–75n16, 95–96, 272, 273, 304, 318n16; na
val warfare, evolution of, 301, 318n3; naval warfare, technology and, 301–2; strategy for, 283. See also anti-submarine warfare

  War Plan Orange: aircraft range and, 31, 33–35, 37; bases for aircraft, 38–40; cautionaries, 32–33; color plans for war, 42n1; development of, 31; fleet to carry out, 143–44, 149, 160; geographic dilemma, 31; PBY Catalina aircraft, 34, 36–38, 40, 42, 208; phases of war, 31–33; strategic themes, 31; thrusters, 32, 33; VP aircraft and VProns, 33–34, 35, 38–42

  Washington Naval Treaty, 158–61, 166, 167–75, 193nn10–11, 194n17, 194n19, 196n25

  Wasp (CV-7), 109, 137, 143, 172, 178, 195n22

  Wasp (CV-18), 141, 151n35

  wings of gold, 77n39

  World War I: aircraft built and used during, 154, 190n3, 200; Navy’s role in, 304, 318n16; wartime expansion and peacetime reduction, 95–96, 304, 318n16

  World War II: air-to-air combat, 210; Battle of the Atlantic, 308–9; carrier aviation, role of, 53; carrier operations, 182–83; Central Pacific campaign, 143–45, 149; Fleet Plan WPPac-46, 41–42; Lend-Lease Act, 91; multi-front war capabilities, 139; naval aviation buildup for, 308–9, 319nn37–39; Navy expansion during, 64–65; number of pilots for, 308, 320n42; Pacific campaign, 309–11, 351–52; Rainbow Five plan, 41–42; tactics for, development of, 81; V-J Day, 310–11

  Wright, Orville, 8–9, 13–14, 16

  Wright, Wilbur, 8–9, 13–14, 16

  X

  XF2Y-1 Sea Dart, 250, 315, 321n68

  XFY-1 Pogo, 251

  XR-4 helicopters, 220, 221, 224–25, 226

  Y

  Yorktown (CV-5): Battle of Midway, 89, 142, 179; construction and commissioning of, 109, 129n57, 135, 143, 171; design of, 171; Fleet manuevers, participation by, 117–19, 120–23, 130n68, 226; sinking of, 89, 142, 172, 174, 178

  Yorktown (CV-10), 138, 142, 151–52n46

  Yorktown-class carriers, 137, 145–46, 149–50n10, 163

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