Air Argonauts of Army Set Out on Globe Girdling Tour From Los Angeles -- March 26, 2024

Atlanta Tri-Weekly Journal, 20-March-1924

100 years ago this month, teams from several countries were trying to make the first aerial circumnavigation of the earth. The US Army, with the close cooperation of the Navy, made it. 

AIR ARGONAUTS OF ARMY

SET OUT ON GLOBE GIRDLING

TOUR FROM LOS ANGELES

Tentative Schedule Calls for Absence of Six Months From

America to Chart Airway to Encircled World --

U. S. Built Planes Make Start March 17,

Europe Watches Plans

SANTA MONICA. Cal., March 18. The United States Army ’round-the-world flight started from the field of the Douglas Airship plant Monday. March 17.

The United States Army Air Service proposes to make, a flight by airplane around the world for the following purposes:

-- To gain for the air service added experience in long-distance flying and particularly in the supply problems connected therewith.

-- To complete an airplane flight around the world in the shortest practicable time.

-- To demonstrate the feasibility of establishing a commercial airway around the world.

-- To secure for the United States the first place of practical aviation, the honor of being the first nation to encircle the globe entirely by air.

The squadron will proceed from here northward byway of Fresno, Stockton and Sacramento, Cal., and Portland, Ore., to Seattle, Wash. The probable date of departure from Seattle is April 1.

Route of the Flight

Leaving Seattle, the probable stops for fuel, food, supplies, etc., are as follows:
Prince Rupert, B. C.; Sitka. Alaska; Cordova, Alaska; Seward, Alaska; Chignik, Alaska; Akutan, or Dutch Harbor, Unalaska; Nazan, Island of Atka; Chicagoff, Island of Attu; Paramushiru island (Kuriles); Bettobu, Yeterofu), Kuriles; Akkeshie (Yeza), Japan; Aomori (Honshu), Japan; Tokio, Japan; Nagasaki, Japan; Chemulpo (Jinsen), Tsingtau (Shanlung), China; Shanghai (Woosung), China: Amoy, China; Hongkong, China; Haipong, French Indo-China; Tourane, French Indo-China: Saigon, French Indo-China; Bangkok, Siam; Ragoon Burma; Akyab, Burma; Calcutta, India; Allahabad, India; Delhi, India; Multan, India: Karachi, India; Chahbar, Persia; Bandar (Abbas), Persia; Bushire, Persia: Bagdad (Hinaidi), Mesopotamia; Aleppo (Haleb), Syria; Konia, Turkey; San Stefano, Turkey; Belgrade, Serbia; Vienna, Austria: Strassbourg, Germany; Paris, France; London, England; Hull, England; Kirkwall, Orkney Islands: Thorshavn, Faroe islands; Raykjaviki, Iceland; Angmagsalik, Greenland; Avigtut, Greenland; Rigollett, Hamilton Inlet, Labrador (Indian Harbor); Mingan, Quebec; Quebec-Quebec; Montreal, Quebec.

Leaving Montreal Quebec, the flyers will proceed to New York, thence to Washington, then probably to Dayton, Ohio; Chicago, Ill., and by easy stages westward to Los Angeles, the starting point.

Time Required for Flight

Officers of the air service in charge of the expedition have established a theoretical schedule which, however, it is not expected will be carried out due to local contingencies that cannot be foreseen.

However, it is certain that, if the flight is successfully done, it must be completed by the latter part of August. This is due to the fact that in the hop from Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, Labrador, etc., must be made when the northern waters around the southern end of Greenland are comparatively ice free. After August these waters will undoubtedly become too thickly congested with ice to permit of landing.

It will be seen from this that no attempt will be made for a time record, unless all goes well.

Preparations are upon the basis of completing the flight and learning as much as possible of practical benefit to commercial aviation.

In Charge of Plans

Detailed plans for the flight have been worked out by a committee, under the direction of the chief of the training and war plans division, office of the chief of air service. This committee includes the following:

Captain William F. Volandt, transportation and finance.
First Lieutenant St. Clair Streett, route, maps, general organization and information.
First Lieutenant Robert J. Brown, Jr., chairman, organization and co-ordination.
First Lieutenant Erik H. Nelson, equipment and engineering.
First Lieutenant Clarence E. Crumrine, equipment, engineering and route, advance officer.
First Lieutenant Elmer E. Adler. supply.

By authority of the chief of the air service the following personnel has been designated for the ’round- the-world flight:

Major Frederick L. Martin, commanding officer.
Lieutenant Lowell H. Smith.
Lieutenant Erik H. Nelson.
Lieutenant Leigh Wade.

Martin, Smith, Nelson and Wade are pilots.

The following officers, also pilots, have been designated as part of the flight personnel to serve as alternates:

Lieutenant Leslie P. Arnold.
Lieutenant LeClaire D. Schulze.

Six Divisions

In preparing for this epoch-making flight, Major General Mason M. Patrick, chief of the air service, has ordered every precaution taken against failure. The proposed airway around the world has been divided into six divisions, each in charge of an advance officer who has covered his section, obtained detailed information and made arrangements for the passage of the flight through the countries assigned to him.

The first division, from Los Angeles to Attu Island in the Aleutian group, is in the charge of Lieutenant Clayton Bissell. The second, ending at Chemulpo, Korean peninsula, under supervision of Lieutenant C. C. Nutt.

Lieutenant M. S. Lawton has charge of the third division, ending at Calcutta, India; Lieutenant H. A. Halvorsen the fourth, terminating at San Stefano. Turkey; Major Carlisle Walsh the fifth, ending at London. and Lieutenant Clarence Crumrine the sixth, which brings the aviators back to Los Angeles.

No Radio

Supplies have been shipped from the United States to various points on the route, and each division has a main depot with one or more subdepots where major items of supply will be allocated.

The planes will have no means of communicating with one another while in flight, equipment being reduced to a minimum for the sake of speed.

The expedition will be unable to take the northern route over Europe and Siberia because the United States his not recognized the soviet government. That means the trip is lengthened some 7,000 miles.

Preparations for Flight

The most careful preparations for the flight around the world have been made by the army air service. It has been assisted by the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America. Through the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce several score American business corporations, with representatives abroad, have cordially lent their assistance by providing letters of credit or personal letters of introduction which will facilitate the advance officers of the actual pilots themselves in case of emergency.

F. P. Snall, president of the American Express company, extended official co-operation with all American express offices throughout the world.

A vital feature of preparation was the pathfinding expedition of two officers to go over the most difficult portions of the route. Lieutenant C. E. Crumrine covered the territory from Hull, England, to Montreal with particular attention to Greenland, where two landings must be made, one on the east coast and one on the west coast, under the most difficult conditions. Lieutenant Clifford C. Nutt was sent to the Philippine Islands, then to the Asiatic mainland to make preliminary arrangements following courtesies extended by the governments of Japan, China, Great Britain, France, etc. Both of these officers, together with First Lieutenant St. Clair Streett. were members of the flying expedition which Lieutenant Streett commanded, from Washington to Nome, Alaska, several years ago.

Upon the data returned from Lieutenants Crumrine and Nutt, together with that provided by other air service officers and air attaches throughout the world, a detailed study of the route was made in the office of the chief of air service. The United States coast guard obtained data on facilities between Seattle, Wash., and Attu Island in the Aleutian group which is the point of departure of the flight from the United States possessions.

Difficulties

The crossing of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans will present the greatest difficulty to be encountered in the flight around the world. It is impractical to attempt either the flight across the Atlantic or the Pacific oceans, except by way of Iceland and Greenland in the Atlantic, and the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific.

Long water flights are not considered practical with the present equipment and facilities available to carry out the intricate navigation problems which would attend such an undertaking. It is also felt that a successful flight over the present route would not only be a greater accomplishment. but would afford an opportunity to open up realms to aviation that heretofore remained closed.

Unless the flight moves throughout the entire route with a regularity which will allow it to pass through the danger zones during a given period the eventual success of it is doubtful.

Air service officials are confident that with anything at all like an even break of luck all of the four planes will return to their starting point on schedule. Previous attempts to encircle the globe by air have been unsuccessful but the forthcoming attempt of the American army has been so carefully planned in every detail that success is practically assured.

It should be borne in mind that should any condition relating either to weather conditions, or the facilities for landing, come to the attention of the advance officers, which has not been foreseen by this office, and which will in the opinion of the advance officers entail undue danger, they will immediately communicate with office stating the circumstances clearly, by the most rapid means of communication available to them.

Where Engines Will Be Changed

It is expected that the flyers will arrive about April 28 at Kasumigaura on Choshi Ko, where motors will be changed. Calcutta. India, will be reached probably about May 24; here new wings will be fitted, new motors installed and pontoons replaced with landing gears. At San Stefano is a Turkish airdrome just outside Constatinople. The flyers hope to reach this port about June 16 and motors will be changed there if necessary. Arriving at Brough, near Hull, England, about July 7 the engines will be changed again for the last time and landing wheels replaced with pontoons for the final and perhaps most dangerous lap, the hop across the northern Atlantic by way of Iceland and Greenland.