Lex Anteinternet: A question for writers of fiction.

Lex Anteinternet: A question for writers of fiction.: If you are a fiction writer, by which I mean novels, how many significant, or central, characters do you feel is the limit for a novel, assu...

April 4, 1921. National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics.

 

Lex Anteinternet: Subscribe by email "gadget" going away.

Lex Anteinternet: Subscribe by email "gadget" going away.: Google seems pretty intent on destroying the Blogger format, which means that for people like me, who have blogged on blogger, we have a cho...

Blog Mirror: US Post Office Airmail Radio System: 1921

 

US Post Office Airmail Radio System: 1921

United Airlines puts out the "Help Wanted" sign.

 United Airlines, looking at rebounding air travel, has put out the news that it's hiring hundreds of pilots.

That's good news for everyone.

April 1, 1921. Adrienne Bolland flies over the Andes.

Adrienne Bolland, a pilot employed by René Caudron to demonstrate his airplanes in South America, flew a Caudron G.3 from Mendoza, Argentina to Santiago, Chile, across the Andes Mountain Range.

From this Day In Aviation

March 31, 1921. The Royal Australian Air Force founded.

Australian military aviation goes back to the Great War, but it was largely disbanded with the peace. After the war, it was recreated as part of the Australian Army, and then on this day, it was made a separate service as the Australian Air Force. King George V would approve the "Royal" title later that year.

Royal Australian Air Force standard.

 

March 29, 1921. Standing by the biplane.

A photograph taken on this day in 1921.  I believe the airplane is a Curtis Jenny.

 

Lex Anteinternet: March 28, 1941. Ford's Willow Run plant commences operations.

Lex Anteinternet: March 28, 1941. Royal Navy victory in the Mediter...: 

March 28, 1941. Royal Navy victory in the Mediterranean, manufacturing victory in Detroit.

B-24s being built at Willow Run.

Ford Motor Company began building B-24s components at Air Force Plant 31 in Michigan. The plant is better known as the Willow Run plant.  Ultimately it would construct entire aircraft, something that was not foreign to Ford which had manufactured civilian aircraft prior to the war.  The facility was actually leased, rather than owned, by Ford, which had an option to purchase it.  It would decline that option post war.

The plant was taken over by Kaiser after the war, a Ford competitor, which manufactured automobiles there until the Korean War, at which time it also manufactured C-119 cargo aircraft.  Kaiser was formed in July 1945, so it was a post war startup, and was originally the Kaiser-Frazer Company.  It technically lasted only until 1953, but it didn't disappear at that time but merged with Willys Overland, whose forte at that time were its 4x4 vehicles, lead by the Jeep.  It sold Willys to American Motors in 1970, but retained a minority interest in that company.  American Motors continues in operation today, contrary to the common assumption, as AM General, the manufacturer of the military and civilian variants of the Hummer.

It was a bad day for the Italians in the Battle of  Matapan as a heavy cruiser and two destroyers were sunk by the Royal Navy.  More on that here:

Today in World War II History—March 28, 1941

Italian fleet surprised at ‘The Battle of Matapan’

On the same day, the Italians suffered further losses in Eritrea.

Day 575 March 28, 1941

King Peter assumed the Yugoslavian throne to cheering crowds.

Lex Anteinternet: March 28, 1921. The Australian Department of Civil Aviation was formed as the Civil Aviation Branch of the Australian Defense Department.

Lex Anteinternet: March 28, 1921. Empires coming and going.: 

March 28, 1921. Empires coming and going.

The Australian Department of Civil Aviation was formed as the Civil Aviation Branch of the Australian Defense Department.

Lex Anteinternet: March 19, 1941. Training, threatening, and planning.

Lex Anteinternet: March 19, 1941. Training, threatening, and planning.:  

March 19, 1941. Training, threatening, and planning.

 Camp Beauregard, Louisiana.  March 19, 1941.

The British government formed a Battle of the Atlantic Committee on this day.   The German, and as we recently saw Italian, U-boot campaign against shipping was the single greatest threat to the British war effort at the time, and the Battle of the Atlantic was the longest battle of the war.

The Germans gave Yugoslavia an ultimatum to join the Axis, or face war with it.  

An interesting aspect of the German war effort was that at this point it was tied up trying to save the Italians in North Africa and massing troops in Bulgaria, which it has muscled into an alliance, in preparation for invading Greece to save the Italians there. The British, in the meantime were outfighting Italy everywhere, except in the North Atlantic, and had landed troops in Greece to assist that country.  In spite of this, however, the Germans were preparing to invade the Soviet Union.  Logic, or at least caution, would have dictated rethinking that.

While here seems to be some confusion as to the date (it was either today, or the 22nd), this date is frequently attributed as being the activation date for the 99th Pursuit Squadron.  It was activated without men assigned to it, which was common.  It soon had them however, and this was notable as it was an all black pilot unit.  The unit went on to become the famous Tuskegee Airmen.

First 99th class in 1941.   The trainers are Vultee BT-13s.  Note the B-3 flight jackets which are frequently, but in accurately, principally associated with bomber crews.