Though the RNAS developed the biggest forces, other nations followed suit. Germany built the largest fleet of rigid airships (zeppelins), which conducted extensive scouting/reconnaissance missions for the High Seas Fleet and launched heavy bombing raids against London and other British sites. Germany also constructed numerous seaplane bases on home soil, along the Baltic coast, and in Belgium, and from these locations, it operated the world’s most sophisticated floatplane fighters. In April 1917, German naval air forces initiated a series of torpedo attacks against Allied shipping in the Dover Straits. France constructed a string of antisubmarine patrol stations to guard the English Channel, Bay of Biscay, and Mediterranean Sea, and its naval forces employed kite balloons during convoying operations. Italy developed the speedy, highly maneuverable Macchi flying boat fighters, based on an Austro-Hungarian prototype, and conducted a back-and-forth struggle across the narrow reaches of the Adriatic Sea. In 1916, Austro-Hungarian seaplanes sank a British submarine moored in Venice and shortly thereafter fatally damaged a French submarine at sea. As early as 1915, Russian naval forces in the Black Sea labored, with some success, to sever Turkish sea-lanes, utilizing up to three seaplane carriers.
It was in the shadow of these developments that the United States entered the fray in April 1917. Under forced draft, naval aviation eventually amassed forty thousand officers and enlisted men, augmented by thousands of aircraft and dozens of bases, schools, and supply facilities in Europe and the United States. By autumn 1918, navy fliers were ready to make substantial contributions to the war effort, but the armistice intervened. In the short run, however, before such a force could be assembled and deployed, the country necessarily relied on the efforts of individuals such as David Ingalls and hastily organized groups such as the First Yale Unit to carry out its evolving aeronautical campaign.
1
Training with the First Yale Unit
March–September 1917
David Ingalls spent his initial months in the navy training with the First Yale Unit in Florida and on Long Island, New York, a process directed by Lt. Edward McDonnell, a 1912 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), where he became a champion boxer. McDonnell served at Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1914 and received the Medal of Honor for heroism under fire. He began flight instruction at Pensacola a few months later and earned his designation as “Naval Aviator #18” (NA #18) in September 1915. In the spring of 1917, the navy ordered him to Palm Beach to direct training of the newly enrolled Yale fliers, assisted by civilians David McCulloch and Caleb Bragg, a small crew of petty officers and mechanics, and an assortment of civilian aides and staff. At the time, the college boys occupied Rodman Wanamaker’s southern Trans-Oceanic facilities on Lake Worth and boarded at the Hotel Salt Air in West Palm Beach.27
Work for the Yalies began immediately upon arrival, with the site and aircraft guarded by local militia. Divided into small crews, the neophytes studied signaling, Lewis machine guns, motor work, dual instruction, and finally solo flight, utilizing Curtiss F Boats—small, two-place, pusher-type, single-engine flying boats.28 Artemus “Di” Gates, who had flown in 1916, led David Ingalls’s crew, which also included Kenneth MacLeish, Kenneth Smith, and Robert “Pat” Ireland.29 Ingalls made his inaugural flight in early April, accumulating two hours of dual instruction in the first week, and he soloed on May 8. By late July, the unit logbook documented Ingalls’s nearly fifty hours in the air.
McDonnell’s work with the Yale Unit in Florida and later in New York mirrored similar ad hoc efforts in many parts of the country. Lacking sufficient capacity at its single training station in Pensacola, the navy turned to a variety of stopgap measures until larger facilities and formal courses of instruction began functioning. A group of Harvard students and a few others trained at the Curtiss Flying School in Newport News, Virginia. A second Yale unit commenced instruction in Buffalo and a third at Mastic, New York. State naval militia units began work at Bay Shore, New York, and Squantum, Massachusetts. Several Princeton fliers gathered in Rhode Island before transferring to Royal Flying Corps schools in Canada. These soon-to-be pilots, joined by a group of enlisted personnel just beginning a course of instruction in France, provided the backbone of early naval aviation efforts. The navy’s frantic actions to speed aviators to the battlefield resembled the even larger campaign by the U.S. Army to supplement its still undeveloped training system. Four aerosquadrons’ worth of pilots trained in Canada in the summer and fall of 1917. In September, the first of 450 fledglings departed for England for flight training. At the same time, hundreds more began receiving instruction in France and even Italy.30
But for most, the shooting war was still a long way off. Instead, the Yalies found Palm Beach a pleasant spot, and when not working, they enjoyed swimming, partying, hunting, athletics, various pranks, and relaxing. The group also began planning to relocate operations to northern waters and in June shifted their base from Florida to the Castledge Estate at Huntington Bay, on Long Island, New York, not far from the Davison home at Peacock Point. Facilities there included hangars, runways, and machine shops accommodating a growing assortment of aircraft, including N-9, R-6, and Burgess-Dunne-type float seaplanes. Training continued; flight tests began in late July and extended into August. Soon, newly commissioned officers received orders dispersing them to Washington, Buffalo, Virginia, Florida, and elsewhere. Many headed overseas, with the first pair departing in mid-August. Ingalls followed a month later.31
Hotel Salt Air, West Palm Beach, Fla., April 29, 1917
My Dear Mother and Dad,
Today we rested and slept, thank goodness. It is Sunday and luckily tomorrow our instructors are going to fly to Miami so we shall have nothing to do. They tried it last Sunday but it didn’t come off for some reason. It is to tell the truth a foolish project anyhow, as it does no-one any good except the fellows that are instructing. Last night there was some excitement at the hangars. About two o’clock one of the soldiers on guard left his post to get a drink and on returning perceived a man stealing towards one of the machines. He immediately yelled halt and called the guard. The man ran out on the pier pursued by the guard who fired continually. All of them however fell over a rope anchoring a machine and before they got up the fellow had gotten far out into the lake in a speedboat. They fired some more till he was out of sight. This morning we all gazed with awe at the holes in trees, pier, ground, etc., from those simple soldiers’ guns.
We had a fine week flying as the juniors had almost all gone North for their initiation, so we got a lot of flying. I am now in a squad with Caleb Bragg as our instructor. He is an old automobile racer and one of the best and most careful men in a flying machine I’ve seen. Since entering this squad I have learnt considerable. Our destination has at last been decided on. We are going to a place called Huntington on Long Island about fifteen miles from Glen Cove. It is an ideal place, well sheltered and equipped, and we ought to have a wonderful time there. Almost died yesterday of surprise for I got a letter from Al. He seems to be in pretty good spirits. I also hear that a lot of fellows including Brewster Jennings have been called for training in small boats to chase submarines. Brewster, the lucky dog, is stationed at Newport. He certainly does not miss much.32 Mother, you needn’t bother about keeping those photographs. It doesn’t make any difference. If I get some good ones I’ll keep them. Am thinking about getting some kind of Kodak like a Brownie to take pictures in the air. Much love, Dave
May 13, 1917
Dear Dad,
Today I just had a swim and some tennis, as we have a pretty darn good time on Sundays. Also received some good news. It has been definitely decided to go north on the 1st