In January, 1913, the naval aviation detachment was transported by a Navy collier to Guantanamo for its first operation with the fleet. The Cuban camp was commanded by Lieutenant Towers, subject to orders from the commander in chief of the fleet. Numerous interesting and practical tests were made of the employment of planes in cooperation with ships and many of the fleet officers became more or less familiar with aviation. At this time several notable flights were made along the Cuban coast and the usefulness of aircraft as scouts in discovering the approach of a distant fleet and in detecting mine fields and submarines were amply and practically demonstrated. With the return of the fleet to the United States after the wimter maneuvers, the aviation detachment was transferred back to Annapolis again and continued under command of J. H. Towers.
In 1913 Lieut. (Junior Grade) J. D. Murray, United States Navy, Second Lieut. William McIlvaine, United States Marine Corps, First Lieutenant A. A. Cunningham, United States Marine Corps, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Saufley, Lieut. (Junior Grade) M. L. Stolz, and Ensign W. D. Lamont joined the ranks of naval aviators. In June of this year Lieutenant Bellinger hung up a world's seaplane record for altitude by ascending to 6,200 feet in 45 minutes in a Curtiss seaplane. First Lieut. B. L. Smith, United States Marine Corps, by starting from the water, alighting on the land, and then returning to the water, made the first successful flight in an amphibian or combined land an water aircraft in the summer of 1913.
UNITED STATES NAVY DEPARTMENT
BUREAU OF AERONAUTICS
TECHNICAL NOTE NO. 18, SERIES OF 1930
A HISTORY OF U.S. NAVAL
CAPT. W.H.SITZ, USMC
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
By March of 1914 the U.S. Navy had established a flying school at Pensacola, Florida. Among the commissioned officers taking the
course that year were the above (left to right); Lieutenant V. D. Herbster,
Lieutenant W. M. McIlvain, Lieutenant P. N. L. Bellinger,
Lieutenant R. C. Saufley, Lieutenant J. H. Towers,
Lieutenant Commander H. C. Mustin, Lieutenant (Army) B. L. Smith,
Ensign de Chevalier, and Ensign M. L. Stolz.
from The Early Birds
by Arch Whitehouse
May 8, 1915. Ensign M. L. Stolz, USN, was killed in Pensacola.
courtesy of Steve Remington - CollectAir
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